Category Archives: Civilization

System Services

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Here are some thoughts the current global financial crisis provoked, although I’ve thought about this on and off for years.

From Wikipedia, we have the basics of ecosystem services:

Humankind benefits from a multitude of resources and processes that are supplied by natural ecosystems. Collectively, these benefits are known as ecosystem services and include products like clean drinking water and processes such as the decomposition of wastes. Ecosystem services are distinct from other ecosystem products and functions because there is human demand for these natural assets. Services can be subdivided into five categories: provisioning such as the production of food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; supporting, such as nutrient cycles and crop pollination; cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits; and preserving, which includes guarding against uncertainty through the maintenance of diversity.

I propose that some things humans create for their own needs become system services, much like ecosystem services. These system services would be maintained in sustainable ways via application of the ProxThink Growth Model. We might start with energy provided in renewable ways. We might also try food, water, shelter, communication and community. The idea would be that when financial or market turbulence creates tight credit, or recessions come, the things that were system services would not become out of reach for people. When necessities become unattainable, personal and social troubles ensue.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

Slowing Down Violence

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Perhaps the one of the best ways to slow down violence is to create proximities so engaging, enticing and rewarding that people wouldn’t even really think about doing something (like violence) to deny themselves being a part of these proximities.

This method is something nature uses. Consider sex. Sex is so great you wouldn’t really think about cutting it out of your life completely. Sex is a proximity which is engaging, enticing and rewarding.

So how could we more consistently create engaging, enticing and rewarding proximities, and in doing so slow down violence? I think ProxThink and the ProxThink Growth Model could be of some service to us. Together, they provide some ideas, tools, models and processes which people can interpret for their proximities. They were designed to capture some of what good relationships are about, and what creativity is about, both of which people find engaging, enticing and rewarding.

To find out more about what I mean by “proximity,” as well as the ProxThink set of ideas and the ProxThink Growth Model, join ProxThink.com.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

My TED Wish

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The TED Prize was created as a way of taking the inspiration, ideas and resources that are generated at TED and using them to make a difference. Each winner is granted a wish. If I were to win a TED Prize, this would be my wish.

I wish that the ProxThink Growth Model would be adopted and adapted widely, and that it would become a viable evolution for capitalism and/or parallel process to capitalism. This wish would be aided by people becoming more and more: 1) honest and transparent with their ProxMonitors, 2) creative with their Vadi Agreements, 3) active about their RelatePoints, and 4) generous with their ProxRewards (proxri). This wish would be aided by widespread data and network availability to coordinate these four items, yet also widespread low-tech implementations as well. This wish would be aided by heightened senses of and qualities of relationships and boundaries, as well as heightened creativity, flexibility and fun, which the ProxThink Basics and ProxPatterns could serve and support, in addition to serving and supporting items 1 through 4 above. I believe progress towards this wish could serve us in our challenges with climate change, conflict at many scales, and growth along many dimensions, including personal growth and the growth of groups of people.

To find out more, please join ProxThink.com.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

Microsoft Offer for Yahoo and the ProxThink Growth Model

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The Microsoft offer for Yahoo is a good reminder that growth and shareholders’ interests are primary. We now live in a world which increasingly requires that we think and act in ways related to the systems, environments and networks in which we are enmeshed. It is no longer clear that markets are up to this task.

As an example, as Øystein Dahle, former Vice President of Exxon for Norway and the North Sea, has observed: “Socialism collapsed because it did not allow the market to tell the economic truth. Capitalism may collapse because it does not allow the market to tell the ecological truth.”

It’s entirely possible that even in the markets in which Google, Microsoft and Yahoo play, people and elements related directly or indirectly by search and online advertising could be better served by frameworks which take the systems, environments and networks in which they are enmeshed, into account. The ProxThink Growth Model may be a step in that direction, since systems, environments and networks can be seen as proximities, and the proximity of situations play a prominent role in the model.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

Slowing Climate Change: Faster and Smoother Transitions to Better Situations – Part 3

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Note: See also Part 1 and Part 2 of this series.

NOTE TO READER: THIS POST IS NOT POLISHED YET, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE SOME VALUE EVEN IN THIS UNFINISHED STATE. THANKS, DAVID LOUGHRY.

The ProxThink Growth Model may contribute in situations where governments and markets are helping with climate change, as well as situations in which governments and markets are having challenges dealing with climate change. [Reference scale argument at beginning of Part 1, and how PTGM can help at various scales (sm, med and large). Also how the PTGM can augment governments and markets when needed, replace them when needed, and work in unserved proximities as well.]

The ProxThink Growth Model offers opportunities for people and groups of varying sizes to create their own RelatePoints, ProxMonitors, Difference Agreements and ProxRewards, individually and/or collaboratively. So it isn’t top down or bottom up or middle-driven, but all three.

As a suggestion, we might begin by creating ProxMonitors and RelatePoints. A variety of ProxMonitors could be created to help people monitor relevant climate change data from local, regional and global perspectives. A variety of RelatePoints could be created for people and groups to relate to each other. Via the RelatePoints and aided by data from ProxMonitors, people could create Difference Agreements relevant to various proximities. The Difference Agreements would define the valuable differences people want to preserve, and then agreements could be crafted which help those valuable differences to persist, adapt and change as needed. ProxPatterns could help people create both the Difference Agreements, as well as appropriate ProxRewards as part of the Difference Agreements. As time goes by, people can experiment with and improve the RelatePoints, ProxMonitors, Difference Agreements and ProxRewards they create and use to relate to climate change.

Several further suggestions:
1) It may be very useful to view various proximities as resources. These become resources which we strive to make self-sustaining, to support us over long periods of time. [Examples.]
2) It also may prove useful to not try to keep track of every single contribution each person or group makes. Of course, keep track of some, but don’t get hung up on it. In other words, it may prove useful to a) set some directions or goals, b) provide feedback on how we are doing via ProxMonitors, and then c) encourage many people do things which can help us reach the goal or stay on course, and celebrate the efforts of these many, rather than celebrating the efforts of each. [include kevin kelly “group-steering” video game example, and also reference the group efforts of wartimes]

[provide more links into site for parts of the PTGM]

[links to learn more]

These ideas also have some value related to other resources we can make more sustainable.

The three parts of this series are a kind of strategy-level approach to slowing climate change with faster and smoother transitions, anchored by a set of ideas (ProxThink and the ProxThink Growth Model) which are of value in a wide variety of situations.

[Extra appeal to proxri me, since there is not just one government or company or foundation or group or continent that either could have hired me to do this or should reward me for it, since climate change is something that affects people on earth. Reference my startup debt and my ProxMonitor.]

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.

Slowing Climate Change: Faster and Smoother Transitions to Better Situations – Part 2

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Note: Part 1 of this series can be found here.

In this post, I’ll begin to discuss how ProxThink ProxPatterns and the ProxThink Growth Model can be used for faster and smoother transitions to better situations, as we coordinate efforts to slow climate change.

I suggest you join ProxThink so you can pick up some of the terms I use as you read the post. At a minimum, you’ll need four definitions to start.

Definition of “situation”
A situation is whatever you are dealing with or considering. It might be a problem, challenge, opportunity, place, time, state of affairs, combination of circumstances, you or something related to you, etc.

Definition of “element”
An element relates to other elements. Examples: Elements can be objects, people, ideas, feelings, situations, times, processes, descriptions, groups, relationships, and the proximity, as well as parts or aspects of the preceding examples. Note: An element may be described with one or more words.

Definition of “relationship”
A relationship is any kind of association or connection between elements.

Definition of “proximity”
Most simply, the proximity consists of elements and relationships. Perhaps more usefully, the proximity consists of elements related or potentially related to a situation, in physical, mental and other ways. Proximate elements may be known or unknown. Proximate elements may actually be close, like along dimensions of space or time. Or, proximate elements may seem close in some way, such as mentally, emotionally, logically, etc. The proximity is usually not completely fixed or given, so we can often choose some elements and relationships, and can consider the proximity of a situation to be flexible.

Now, returning to climate change, bold words in the rest of this paragraph will refer to ProxPatterns or parts of the ProxThink Growth Model. People with some entrenched interests in maintaining the status quo related to climate change may need to increase their ProxAwareness to accept more of the depth of our climate change challenges. They may need to use the value of some to honor the integrity of some elements, while allowing some uncertainty regarding other elements, in order to relate to their proximity which now includes climate change. On the other side, people who relate to those with some entrenched interests may need to honor the integrity of some elements in the proximity of the entrenched. Meanwhile, both sides may need to relate to the variety in their new proximity, and seek to find valuable differences with which they can create Difference Agreements which help valuable differences persist, adapt and change as needed. Continuing to find ways for valuable differences to persist, adapt and change as needed, is a challenge which may benefit from the use of a number of different ProxPatterns, as well as ProxRewards.

Here are some links to explore ProxThink, join ProxThink, learn about ProxThink ProxPatterns, and learn about the ProxThink Growth Model.

Proxri Deal: As you find our relationship rewarding, proxri with the proximity in mind.