Things aren’t things.
OK, that doesn’t make sense, does it? What I mean is that we tend to view the world as made up of objects, or entities. We do that by focusing our attention on parts of what we see, separating out the bits we want to collect together and name. This is one of our major ways of both making sense of, and managing, our world. A great model to help us to take a different view is that of a network or web. One of the most interesting books I’ve read in recent months is “Linked“, by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi.
Networks are made up of nodes and links. You can see anything you like that way. Let’s start with an object, like the chair you are probably sitting on right now. It’s made up of a number of materials which have been attached to each other……wood, or metal, or plastic, and maybe cloth, or leather or some other material. Take any one of these elements in your chair, say, one of the legs. It’s most likely made of wood, or metal (but maybe it’s plastic). Whatever substance it is, you’ll have the impression it’s pretty solid. Solid enough to stop you falling on the floor at least! But it’s made up of molecules which are connected to each other. And every single molecule is made from atoms which are connected to each other. And that was as far as we used to go. But since we smashed the atom open, we’ve discovered that even that is made from sub-atomic particles, like protons and electrons which are linked to each other. Does it stop there? Nope, even those tiniest of little particles are now known to be made of even smaller elements (quarks for example), all restlessly connected to each other. It seems no matter how far in we go, solid substance escapes us, and we find more and more networks of particles and links. Every particle being another network of particles and links.
Maybe it’s just my mind, but that’s where my thoughts went when I looked at this –
Then, a little further along the same embankment, I came across this –
Some of the seeds have already blown away and I thought about how each of these plants can’t be understood all by itself. They are all connected to other elements around them, and the wind comes and blows some of the seeds great distances, and the seeds fall on the ground, and if there is enough good soil, and water, and warmth, and sunlight, each seed bursts out through its capsule and becomes another of these plants. Vast, great, intricate ecosystems and biological networks.
But here’s another whole scale of connections too. Along comes me with my camera and I take this shot and I connect my camera up to my mac, and I upload it to flickr and copy the code into my wordpress blog and write these words and along comes YOU and you see it and now that seed has connected us to each other.
You know what? It blows my mind!
How very much I enjoy being connected to you, Doc!
That is so completely amazing. Such a beautiful photograph too! I love that you wrote this 🙂
And amidst all this connection, disconnection is the most important thing – it gives me my identity, my being in the world.
Yet, at the same time it leads to wars and violence and all things terrible.
Would things work better if the world was more connected? Where then would I learn to be “myself”?
Your words captivate and awake. I jumped of my stool for comments, but the awesome pictures set me back in awe towards the beauty that talks better than any words – thank you, dear friend.
I hope you will like my pictures too. Welcome to http://www.artmajeur.com/colourrain/
I hope to hear your feedback on my blog http://candleday.wordpress.com/
I hope your comments will make the day to us both.
Thank you.
David, I don’t think that “connection” implies “sameness.” What I’m thinking is complex; let me see if I can do this justice – hang in there with me, please:
Quite the opposite of relinquishing myself in front of others, I find my identity in my friendships and connections. I recognize that I am separate from those others on a very real level – I breathe my own air, I make my own choices – but I can allow myself to be influenced by the good I see in others that I may or may not possess – or, perhaps more accurately, that I may not recognize in myself.
Take my husband, for example. I am most intimately connected to him above all others; he knows all my secrets, he’s seen all my vulnerable spots, and the trust that we share allows me to be most fully myself with him. I aspire to his sense of humor and his practicality, and he admires my spontaneousness and compassion. The fact that I’m inextricably connected to him doesn’t make me HIM – in fact, it makes me more authentically ME.
All of the connections I have – whether they’re in person or online – inform and illuminate a part of my being. My professional colleagues challenge my intellect and my ethics and my motivation. My friends nurture and encourage my creativity and compassion. My children teach me how to be my best self by the simple fact that they look to me for an example of what a good and strong and mindful human being should be. I don’t surrender myself to my connections. On the contrary; the links and bonds I forge with others drive me to investigate my own soul and to find out what my truest expression of myself really is.
Does that make sense?
Oh I love being connected to you too mrschili – I completely agree with your response to David – I’m on your wavelength! In fact I think we can’t actually know who we are without understanding our connections and our interfaces. It’s in my relationships that I become ME. I don’t lose myself in others, I find myself.
Ester, how nice to see you stop by. Hope things are going well with you
David, thanks for commenting. I think it’s one of the core paradoxes of human life – the belonging and the being separate. We all need both. I need to connect, to love and be loved. But I also need to know that I am unique and separate and ME.
Tomas, your most wonderful comments always blow me away. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am SO glad these images bring you such pleasure. Your paintings are fabulous. I often stop by and look at them, though I must admit I don’t usually comment! I will!
Mrs Chili,
Thanks for replying to my comment. You said the things I would like to have said, but much more clearly.
I think that when we form our identity out of our disconnections, that is what leads to fear of others and violence towards them.
The model of identity formation that you propose is much healthier.
For me, the temptation is always to form my identity by being part of the ‘in’ crowd – thus in contrast to others, rather than by the good that I see in others.
I hope that makes some sense, and I’m really grateful that you replied so thoroughly.
Best,
David