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EP 59 - The Geometry Of Stability
22 Plays4 months ago
Today I’m getting geometric about how I think about systems. The more angles you have in a system, the harder it becomes for one single point within it to affect the balance point of the entire system. It’s an analogy applicable to many things. It can help us avoid binary thinking and advocate for more diversity of opinions and experiences.
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Transcript
Chris's Methods for Overcoming Challenges
00:00:08
Speaker
On Chris deals with it, I talk about the frameworks and methods I use to clear personal, creative, and professional roadblocks. My goal is to help others bridge the gap between where they're at now and what they want to achieve. If you're new to the show, I'm an engineer, writer, parent, game designer, leader, and reader who leverages that experience to develop creative solutions to problems. An AI statement that all elements of this episode are products of the author, Chris Croyder, and made without the use of any AI tools.
The Geometry of Stability
00:00:38
Speaker
Hi everybody, welcome to episode 59 of Chris deals with it, the geometry of stability. Today I'm going to get geometric about how I think about systems. The more angles that you have in a system, the harder it becomes for one single point within it to affect the balance point of the entire system. So this is an analogy applicable to many things. It can help us avoid binary thinking and advocate for more diversity of opinions and experiences. So imagine a straight line drama between two points, A and B.
00:01:08
Speaker
This shape is a system with two opposing points at the ends of the line. This system can represent everything in between two opposite perspectives, start and finish, good and evil, positive and negative, love and hate, Democrats and Republicans. Within this single line system, the endpoints dictate the entire scope of possible options between them, and each point carries a lot of power. Consider when A moves further away from B,
00:01:34
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or outside influences force them apart, the middle of that system will shift exactly half the distance of that change. Such a system lacks stability. There's a reason tables don't have two legs. Yet the line creates this first dimension, which has infinitely more scope than a single point of view.
00:01:53
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Adding a third perspective point takes us into the second dimension. So our single line system becomes a triangle. Now a shift in one point results in the middle of that system shifting only a third of the distance of the change. The entire system is therefore better anchored. Its balance is impacted less immediately by the presence of that third point. And there's infinitely more options in the shape of triangles than of lines.
00:02:19
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If you add a fourth point to this system, our center is going to gain even more stability.
Growing Systems and Stability Challenges
00:02:24
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Yet if those points get too far apart, the integrity of the entire system comes under stress. Imagine the strength of materials you would need to build a table that's an acre in size, all the extra supports you would need under its surface.
00:02:38
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Then there's the challenge of having meaningful conversations at that table, the shouting that would be required between the four people sitting at its outstretched ends. The further the distance between the points, the harder it becomes to see their point of view. Now, this fourth point could also allow us to go up to a third dimension, forming a pyramid that's far more stable, again, with infinitely more options in shape than a two-dimensional shape.
00:03:04
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Pyramids with five points have withstood harsh desert environments for millennia. Shapes can become symbols, representations of ideas. The more anchors we provide these foundations, the more stable they become. Our systems can become more detailed, with many more variations possible. While the distance between these points always matters, the power wielded by each individual anchor is reduced.
00:03:28
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yet each remains important to the balance of the overall system. Removing them starts to reduce the integrity of the system, making it harder to withstand the impacts of the outside world.
Strengthening Society Through Diverse Perspectives
00:03:40
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So we have to ask ourselves, what anchors have we provided ourselves? More perspectives provides us greater stability to navigate our world. The easier it becomes to stand strong when a leg is kicked out from under our metaphorical table. The easier it becomes to see all the shades of color between black and white. And for those craving greater stability, a solution becomes clear to seek more perspectives of high quality and to advocate for more angles in our society, more voices around the table.
Inspirations and Themes of the Episode
00:04:09
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With stronger, more stable systems, together we can better handle outside forces. And King Arthur's round table provided equal status to his many seated and trusted voices.
00:04:21
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Today's quote comes from one of the inspirations for today's episode, the book Flatland, a romance of many dimensions by Edwin Abbott. This book from 1984 is an early classic of science fiction, which layered mathematical and philosophical theories onto variations of worlds existing in different dimensions. The quote itself is out of context and doesn't do justice to the book, but it is a fun way to close out the episode.
00:04:46
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If you would talk less nonsense, you would remember more sense. And with that, have a great day.
00:05:00
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Engaging with the Audience
00:05:05
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Ratings on your favorite podcast player are also helpful in growing the audience. Visit chriscroiter.com for free downloadable PDFs with notes and resources from today's episode, sign up for the CDWY mailing list, or to send in your problems or requests for future shows, that's C-H-R-I-S-K-R-E-U-T-E-R.com, or use the link in the show notes.