Basal Modus
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- A newly discovered Medieval document is the earliest written evidence to suggest even in the Middle Ages, they knew that the Shroud of Turin was not authentic
- Ukraine blows up two key Russian bridges using Moscow’s own mines and $600 drones | CNN
- FTC Probes MAGA’s Latest Conspiracy Theory that Gmail is Biased Against Republicans | Republicans are seeking justice for MAGA inboxes.
- IDF kills most senior Islamic State terrorist in Gaza Strip
- U.S. shoppers’ orders canceled as world shuts down some American-bound shipments
- Tesla said it didn’t have key data in a fatal crash. Then a hacker found it.
- Turkey completely severs economic ties, closes airspace to Israel
- Companies Are Pouring Billions Into A.I. It Has Yet to Pay Off.
- Canadian Economy Shrinks 1.6% as Trade War Crushes Exports
- Russia hits out at Macron for calling Putin an ‘ogre’
- Ultra-processed foods harm men’s health. They increase weight, disrupt hormones, decrease testosterone, and introduce harmful substances linked to declining sperm quality. They contain industrial and synthetic ingredients. This may be why over the past 50 years, sperm quality has plummeted.
- Political parties on both the left and right ignore existing economic inequality, finds a study of 12 democratic OECD countries (including the US) over the past 50 years. Increases in the income share of the highest-income percentage of the population also remain without consequences.
- Delta agrees to pay $79 million after a plane dumped thousands of gallons of fuel over homes and schools in California during an emergency
- India’s GDP Grows 7.8% In Q1 Compared To 6.5% Last Year
- Ukraine claims strike on key Russian facility supplying fuel to Moscow’s army
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2024
The simplest and most accurate way to think about systems is as structures designed to persist across time. For both individuals and organizations, persistence is fundamentally about maintaining relevance and continuity within a broader context. This drive can be seen as a form of programming—biological, cultural, or organizational—manifesting through strategies, structures, and adaptations aimed at survival.
Abstractions, such as “freedom” or “democracy,” serve as the conceptual cores of systems. These are not self-sufficient; they require reconciliation through rules and shared participation to transition into operational realities. Systems often overlap and nest, forming complex webs of dependencies, much like interconnected ecosystems. This layering allows for both stability and evolution, where contradictions act as tension points that either strengthen or dismantle the system.
Network effects amplify the power of systems. The more participants align with a system, the stronger its influence and resilience. Systems with tangible anchors—real-world utilities like infrastructure or healthcare—tend to thrive over purely imagined constructs, though the latter can profoundly shape societies when tied to collective aspirations.
Companies are specialized systems, leveraging abstractions like “profit” or “value creation” to direct resources toward specific goals. Their success lies in their ability to integrate into broader networks while ensuring their own survival. Scale is not the ultimate measure; impact within interconnected systems is.
Ultimately, persistence across all systems, from biological to imagined, reflects a singular logic: to endure. Change arises as systems evolve to resolve contradictions or adapt to new realities. The key to progress lies in sustaining efforts toward coherence, adaptability, and collective benefit—ensuring the enduring vitality of the human experience and the structures we create.
For the individual, this framework offers insight into navigating complexity: participation in systems often requires reconciling personal desires with the broader needs of the collective. The challenge lies in balancing immediate contributions with the enduring mechanics of systems—whether biological, cultural, or economic.
Locke