[FRIAM] nice quote

[Stephen Guerin]

Here's a refined version of your email:
------------------------------

The final portion, addressing the "point of crisis," was omitted:

“The real problem of humanity is the following: we have Paleolithic
emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology. And it is
terrifically dangerous, *and it is now approaching a point of crisis
overall*.”

E.O. Wilson's phrase "terrifically dangerous" stood out to me as carrying a
dual valence—both positive and negative—reminiscent of the often-cited
Chinese term for crisis, 危机 (wēijī), which combines "danger" (危) with
"opportunity" (机) which I think is close to the idea of "critical point" in
complexity,.

Here are some Chinese phrases using *机* (pronounced "jī") in the context of
criticality, critical points, or critical moments:

   1.

   *危机* (wēi jī) – *Crisis* or *critical situation*
   - This term combines *危* (wēi, danger) and *机* (jī, opportunity or
      crucial moment), referring to a situation where danger and opportunity
      coexist. It is often used to describe moments of great risk or critical
      turning points, where swift decisions are necessary.
   2.

   *契机* (qì jī) – *Opportunity* or *critical juncture*
   - Refers to a crucial or decisive moment when a significant change or
      opportunity arises. Often used to describe turning points in events or
      decisions that can lead to a favorable outcome.
   3.

   *时机* (shí jī) – *Timing* or *critical timing*
   - Refers to the opportune moment or perfect timing for taking action. It
      emphasizes the importance of acting at the right moment in a critical
      situation.
   4.

   *转机* (zhuǎn jī) – *Turning point*
   - Refers to a critical moment or event that leads to a positive change
      or reversal of fortune, often in situations where things seemed bleak or
      difficult.
   5.

   *机遇* (jī yù) – *Opportunity* or *critical opportunity*
   - Refers to a critical or rare chance for success. It conveys the idea
      of seizing the moment when a crucial opportunity presents itself.
   6.

   *机缘* (jī yuán) – *Fateful moment* or *critical chance*
   - This term carries a more philosophical or fateful connotation,
      suggesting a critical moment of chance that can shape one’s destiny.

These phrases emphasize the interplay of critical moments, timing, and
opportunity, reflecting how "机" can represent a crucial or pivotal aspect
in decision-making and events.

Also, 机理 (jīlǐ) is often used to describe the underlying principles or
mechanisms driving a system's behavior to critical points / phase
transitions.

   - 复杂系统的机理 (fùzá xìtǒng de jīlǐ): the underlying mechanisms of complex
   systems
   - 自组织临界的机理 (zìzǔzhī línjiè de jīlǐ): the mechanisms of self-organized
   criticality



_________________________________________________________________
Stephen Guerin
CEO, Founder
https://simtable.com
stephen.guerin at simtable.com

stephenguerin at fas.harvard.edu
Harvard Visualization Research and Teaching Lab
<https://hwpi.harvard.edu/eps-visualization-research-laboratory/home>

mobile: (505)577-5828



On Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 12:16 PM Prof David West <profwest at fastmail.fm>
wrote:

> *"The real problem of humanity is the following: we have Paleolithic
> emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology. And it is
> terrifically dangerous."*  Edward O. Wilson.
>
> davew
>
> -. --- - / ...- .- .-.. .. -.. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. .
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe   /   Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom
> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam
> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/
> archives:  5/2017 thru present
> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/
>   1/2003 thru 6/2021  http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/attachments/20241006/be615cf9/attachment.html>