Movements or Communities
The Difference in Effectiveness in Change
Our annual Summit this fall contrasts the effectiveness of movements and communities in bringing about change. We always take one subject each Summit that we think is not thought about completely enough, leading to incomplete efforts and endeavors on that subject. We pick the subject that is worth a second opinion, a regenerative one, because it is tipping the world toward degenerative outcomes, is disadvantaging disproportionately, is earth-shattering literally, and the predominate approaches are a big part of the problem. This year’s Summit is about the theory and science of change in society and politics. Specifically, the use of movements as the dominate force to gain change.
@JohnFullerton offered a perspective that movements are supported by the science. The problem is, ‘which science?’
One of the most significant times in my life was being a student at UC Berkeley in the 60s. Yes I am old. There are many events from that time that are told in my upcoming Memoir. Work Idea: How to Become Your Smartest and Most Contributing Self. One class that changed my theory of science was the Introduction of Physics, taught by Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb. He loved being with students. Teller was a student of Einstein, granted his doctorate at Princeton under his tutelage. He shared many stories of Einstein’s telling, but one has stuck with more 60 years.
Quantum Physics was a fairly new subject in conversations mostly limited to the small world of scientists. Teller reported asking Einstein, in a graduate seminar, how he explained the difference between quantum studies and what most thought physics was about. Einstein said it was quite simple. “Newtonian physics was based on a billiard ball theory of life and believes about how change works; and quantum science was based on a matrix theory of life.” He pointed to a fetus developing in a womb, being a new father. “Newton started with the parts and tries to make sense of them. Quantum starts with the whole including the container.”
Einstein often spoke of thought experiment, which he called the ‘smart person’s method of understanding,’ reported Teller. “Image a billiards table with pockets and a cue stick. And a player holding the stick in a strategic spot against the ball and targeting the effort toward the chosen pocket. The human thinks they can pick the best path, pocket, and method, believing that it takes pressure to move the ball toward the pocket.”
“What quantum science tells us is we cannot predict like we think we can. We start with an incomplete understanding and the causes of change we cannot see. It is more like a fetus growing in a womb. It is a matrix where much is affecting at the same time. Our best plan is to create the vital and viable source from which the fetus forms itself. We are a minor tool in the process, not the cue stick in charge.” We study the world as though we are.
We had him retell this story and others many times in that year. Teller loves the imagery and had us do many ‘thought experiments’ to grapple with the Newtonian worldview, versus quantum view. He often added, with a sad tone in his voice, his experience with designing and testing bombs as being based on a Newtonian view which caused so many unknown side effects.
Few of us where likely to be scientists in that introductory class, but we were activists at the time of the free speech movement, civil rights movement, peace movement, environmentalist movement, women’s movement and more. It was a heady time. I remembered the ‘thought experiment’ on billiards versus babies my whole life but it took a while in that fiery context to give ups activism. About twenty years. In the meantime, I joined all of them getting arrested twice without being jailed. It was about getting our names on the CIA list of potentially dangerous persons. I later joined Caeser Chavez and Green Peace. And hung out with Black Panthers after class. I created a feminist white paper and lecture called Father God Mother Earth, and another call Rape of Women, Rape of Land. I was highly agitated from my own upbringing and experiences and wanted change.
It was 30 years before I understand these activist movements were found to be creating counter-movements. Studies and books cited them as the seed of many opposition movements who were equally agitated by me and my compatriots. But, without knowing it, I had by then, been working from what Einstein and Teller would have agreed was a Matrix theory of change for several years. I soon called it the Science of Wholes. Which uses building community as the prime source or organizing for change. Science of Wholes is foundation of many sciences, but missing from Newtonian reductionist which gave us Scientific Method.
So back to that science that Fullerton says is the proven answer? Well, it depends on which science, actually. The western science can build bombs and movements, but it also forgets the container in which the subjects exists and many actions that is affecting outcomes. Heisenberg and Schrödinger’s Cat experiments have shown us, that in a complex world there is ‘action at a distance,’ we cannot account for directly or with fragmented and static experiments. And ‘parallel paths’ where effects are occurring at the same time overtime and in time.’ The premises on which the experiment is built are determining the outcome but leaving out the womb.
What is a Matrix Science? I have worked for fifty years with what I came to call Sciences of Wholes, named based on Einstein’s comparison in the story of billiards and matrices. Besides Quantum science, it is found in Indigenous Science and Wisdom Sciences of sacred teaching around the world. Many Quantum physicists have found these come together in their experience and experiences. David Bohm, Einstein’s student later collaborator ,is well known, but there were many. These sciences have both a Matrix understanding and the use of ‘thought experiments’ along with inner reflection on the ‘scientist at work.”
The issues that movements work on are not only important, but urgent. But movements are making bombs that lead to conflict that undermine the intentions of change. Look at the recent Supreme Court decision on DEO and parallel boycott Movements of business. E.g. Businesses divesting of DEI work is the most recent example. Movements as methods fuel the drive to stop the other side, each pushing harder to win the game. . One of the Wisdom Science’s thought experiments points to an idea. “There are not two forces ,which is the billiards theory, me against the billiards table or opponents: but three forces. The third force is found in the container that hold the two forces that are creating a rupture. But there is a third idea in that container that makes it work for all.
Communities provide a whole container with the rising oppositional forces which are transformed when brought into this form of change theory and science. I have over 100 case stories in my seven books including the South Africa story with Soweto, Alexandria, and Joburg Communities working with Colgate in a community-building change process, in No More Gold Stars. Mandela acknowledged it with an award as exemplary.
We have to overcome our arrogance and ego to admit, westerns do not have the only, or even best science. It works fine on physical world experiments. But not well when you have containers with many moving, self-determining beings, co creating outcomes. We are offering our annual Summit to explore the subject of change, comparing movements and communities effectiveness. We will use Einstein’s story, looking at Sciences based on studying and engaging Wholes. From Quantum, Indigenous, and Wisdom Science.
We hope to avoid an escalating conflict like the ones leading to divesting attempts at DEI, Ecological Health approaches for climate, and many more concerns that form into opposing movements. We will assess the Western world Science of Fragments and the Science of Whole (Indigenous Science, Wisdom Science with the idea of different levels of worlds. And Quantum Science - Billiard ball approach, where one movement holds the cue stick and designates the pocket. Versus Matrix science where humans are an instrument in change, not taking sides against one another,
Save the date for The Regenerative Community Summit. November 12, 2024. 9 am to 1 pm Pacific online. Seats can be reserved for a team of three or more. No single tickets. Change Consultants can consider joining our Change Agent Development Community but not the Summit.