Good Morning, December 11

Where I am right now, it’s raining. Despite the weather, I still plan to head out for my run.

Today, I want to share two quotes that resonated with me from my Readwise feed. They touch on themes of kindness and complexity, offering thought-provoking insights into how we interact with ourselves, others, and the world around us.

1. On Kindness (Pema Chödrön, Start Where You Are)

The first quote is by Pema Chödrön and speaks to the power of kindness, particularly the importance of being kind to ourselves. It highlights how our self-treatment radiates outward, influencing our relationships with others. This idea is simple yet profound:

"By being kind to ourselves, we become kind to others. By being kind to others – if it’s done properly, with proper understanding – we benefit as well. So the first point is that we are completely interrelated. What you do to others, you do to yourself. What you do to yourself, you do to others."

This interconnectedness is a reminder that the way we treat ourselves sets the tone for how we engage with the world.

2. On Complexity and Catastrophic Shifts (Per Bak, How Nature Works)

The second quote comes from Per Bak's exploration of complexity in How Nature Works. It delves into the behavior of complex systems and the sudden, dramatic changes—what we often call catastrophes—that can occur within them.

Bak explains that much of the world operates as interconnected systems where small, incremental pressures can lead to stability over time. However, those same pressures, when combined or slightly altered, can suddenly push a system into a completely different state. This is what he describes as a "catastrophic shift."

Here’s the quote:

"If this picture is correct for the real world, then we must accept instability and catastrophes as inevitable in biology, history, and economics. Because the outcome is contingent upon specific minor events in the past, we must also abandon any idea of detailed long-term determinism or predictability. In economics, the best we can do, from a selfish point of view, is to shift disasters to our neighbors."

While the term “catastrophe” often implies disaster, in systems science, it simply refers to rapid, large-scale transformations. These shifts, sometimes called tipping points, can be either beneficial or detrimental. Positive transformations are often celebrated, while negative ones are viewed as crises.

This quote serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of complex systems and the importance of resilience and adaptability in navigating them.