[FRIAM] SFI to Trump: The dangers of simplicity in a complex world

Mon Feb 6 16:23:33 EST 2017

When I received an unexpected and overly-generous research grant to see how
Complex Adaptive Systems science might have something to contribute to the
search for coexistence in a world of endless war, I felt like Goldilocks
and the Three Bears as a I searched for a home for this windfall.  I am not
a "scientist" (I'm a social scientist), and I don't write code, so SFI
rapidly scooted me out the door;  the Advanced Concepts Group at Sandia
invited me in, but after attending a few sessions with them I decided they
were just blah, blah, and I wanted the REAL complexity science!  So I took
my grant to CNLS at Los Alamos, where I was greeted with open arms (I was
deemed a "domain expert" in terrorism because I had mediated in N. Ireland
and the Middle East) and given an office, a computer, post-docs from all
over the world, and a title as Guest Scientist and Affiliate--enabling me
to present my team's research at conferences in the credential-crazed world
of academia.

After four years, I left to reinvigorate our small social-profit
organization (we don't like the term "non-profit") and find new partners
with whom we could apply the principles and concepts of CAS to
peacebuilding. It's been an amazing journey ever since, and FRIAM has been
an important part of that journey.  Count me among the grateful--even
though I leave for awhile when Complexity science is put on the back
burner, supplanted by esoteric dialogue that I'm too unschooled to
understand.

I just finished teaching a graduate course in Complexity Thinking for
Integrative Peacebuilding, and my students were adult learners who work for
Trudeau in the Canadian government--many deployed around the world in
conflict zones.  I've never looked back after getting the boot from SFI.
Fuck 'em!  And thank you, FRIAM.

On Mon, Feb 6, 2017 at 1:39 PM, Nick Thompson <nickthompson at earthlink.net>
wrote:

> Dear all,
>
>
>
> Steve Smith wrote:
>
>
>
> I feel we *don't* discuss as many Complexity topics as I would like,
>
>
>
> I will talk about tornado formation, a n y   t I m e, Steve.
>
>
>
> Seriously, I wonder if the fact that we have stopped talking about
> complexity might have something to do with the state of play of that
> field.  I reached a point where I began to feel that complexity-talk went
> on in some alternative universe that, without the initiation and the golden
> key, I was never going to enter. You will remember, Steve, that  I worked
> for a couple of years, trying to make a translation between that universe
> and mine, and was never able to manage it.  When the working vocabulary of
> a science is inaccessible to a diligent, moderately intelligent,
> practitioner of neighboring sciences, does that not limit the development
> of that science?
>
>
>
> By the way, when I first came out here I tried to make contact with SFI.
> At the time, I wrote up the result in a *satirical* account, which, to be
> honest, reeks of sour grapes.  Still, in the present context you might find
> it funny.  See attached.
>
>
>
> Omitted from this account was one life-changing exchange with Dr. X.  At
> some point, during Phase II of The Ritual Reception and Rejection, I asked
> him, “Given that The Institute is such a charismatic place, and given that
> you have no room, where do all the people go when you reject them?  There
> must be a lot of them around Santa Fe.”
>
>
>
> I am everlastingly grateful for his response.  He thought a very long
> minute and then scribbled on a Posty and handed it to me.  It said, “Call
> Steve Guerin.  FRIAM.”
>
>
>
> The rest is history.
>
>
>
> Nick
>
>
>
>
>
> Nicholas S. Thompson
>
> Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology
>
> Clark University
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
>
>
>
> *From:* Friam [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] *On Behalf Of *Steven A
> Smith
> *Sent:* Monday, February 06, 2017 12:00 PM
> *To:* The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <
> friam at redfish.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [FRIAM] SFI to Trump: The dangers of simplicity in a
> complex world
>
>
>
> I appreciate FriAM, even though I don't attend Friday Congregation very
> often, or even WedTech Congregation either!   The *active* voices here are
> familiar and even though I may have a lot of different perspectives and
> opinions, I truly value what I hear here, and more than anything I look
> forward to one of our *many* lurkers chiming in.
>
> I feel we *don't* discuss as many Complexity topics as I would like, but I
> like knowing that there are many with strong Complexity backgrounds engaged
> in the more sociopolitical discussions that seem to dominate.
>
> Since I feel a bit like Glen in his statement "Since I don't belong
> anywhere, I obviously didn't belong there"...  I'm enough used to being an
> outsider or an interloper that I generally can slip into alien situations
> and keep a low enough profile to not raise alarm or cause disruption.
>
> This forum, being asynchronous and as Gary points out, "easy to delete"
> feels like a safe place FOR me to speak up above a hushed whisper... so I
> value it as well.
>
> SFx was intended to be a more open and welcoming environment to share the
> wealth from... I think we did a moderately good job much of the time, but
> still missed the mark in at least developing a sustainable funding model.
>
> - Steve
>
>
>
> On 2/6/17 11:49 AM, Gary Schiltz wrote:
>
> It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway - FRIAM, both the list and
> the actual gathering at the "mothership" of Santa Fe - has always felt
> welcoming. It's the only list I've stayed with since its inception. I don't
> know if there are any SFI lurkers here, but there do seem to be a lot of
> people who "used to" have some association with it rather than those who
> are actively involved with it. I've no idea how much is due to a bit of
> snobbery vs. just simply the fact that the list is open to such a wide
> range of stuff that isn't interesting to folks interested purely in
> complexity. I find it easy enough just to delete messages when I get too
> overwhelmed, confident that they are archived so I can eventually look them
> over.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 6, 2017 at 1:34 PM, glen ☣ <gepropella at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> FWIW, I felt fairly unwelcome soon after I left to work in our Agua Fria
> office (1997 maybe), perhaps since I was merely a research technician
> rather than any sort of academic.  Then it got even worse when they
> expanded down the hill by staffing a receptionist.  I always managed to
> sneak past without being grilled to badly ... but the concept was clear: do
> you belong here?  Since I don't belong anywhere, I obviously didn't belong
> there. 8^)
>
>
> On 02/05/2017 03:40 PM, Frank Wimberly wrote:
> > That makes sense but I just sat there quietly and listened.  No
> > self-aggrandizing questions. And then I left.
>
> --
> ☣ glen
>
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> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
>
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> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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-- 
Merle Lefkoff, Ph.D.
President, Center for Emergent Diplomacy
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
merlelefoff at gmail.com
mobile:  (303) 859-5609
skype:  merle.lelfkoff2
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