The phrase “nature abhors a vacuum” relates to physics and has been attributed to Aristotle (384-322 BC). Yesterday, the Belgian psychiatrist Dirk de Wachter gave a (Dutch) interview to promote his new book. He argues that people need something to believe in (to hold onto), and want to avoid a vacuum. That vacuum principle would then also explain the decline in religion and the surge in faith and spirituality. Also see my blogs on Needs-Wants-Beliefs.
In 2018, I wrote several blogs about the paradigm shifts in the 7 Belief systems: from Politics to Technology, from Religion to Faith, and from the Truth to Data-Info. The outcome of these changes was the migration from the 2016 version to the 2019 version of the 7 Belief systems. With hindsight, the trigger for these changes was also rooted in an emerging vacuum.
At the level of an individual person, I have noticed the same behaviour, albeit with hindsight. Quite some people claim that they must do something and cannot sit idle. Apparently, humans dislike a vacuum (eg, in time, in space). On the other hand, they mistake my apparent idleness for a vacuum. However, my mind is never idle and almost always running in overdrive.
Contrary to what many people believe, Change is the only permanent force in life, nature, and the Universe. Any equilibrium is always temporary. Before and after any equilibrium, chaos will always rule. Chaos is a temporary and necessary phase to reach a new equilibrium.
When looking at my diagram of 16 January 2017, I now realise that a vacuum was missing which may, however, look like an equilibrium. From a pure technical angle, it might even be one. However, Aristotle would disagree. Any vacuum creates (new) chaos. A current example is the US military retreat in Syria, the Turkish invasion, and the Russian efforts to fill that vacuum.
My revised diagram (left) shows my current insight. The most important change (sic!) is a split in Change as an ongoing process, and Change as temporary movements.
Usually, we only see the movements and not the eternal force behind those movements.
Chaos is what we experience during the movements from the equilibrium towards the vacuum. New chaos occurs during the move from a vacuum towards a new equilibrium.
Life, Nature and the Universe are always looking for balance.
Lives in the Balance (1986) by Jackson Browne
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise
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