patterns and rhythms as a lens to understand the world
Life often feels random and chaotic. But the rhythms and patterns offer a lens through which to appreciate the natural cycle of things. Most obviously in nature: The moon is not randomly full, it waxes from a new moon through crescent moons and gibbous moons. It's unsurprising that a full moon follows. Buds and blossom don't appear randomly, they emerge as winter gives way to the warmer soil and sunshine of spring. We understand these things, they are part of our expectation and anticipation, even though we often complain about the weather as if it is a shock! But we are less literate when it comes to social patterns. People behave in ways that reflect well worn developmental pathways, from the obvious age related rhythms (eg teenage behaviours) to more circumstantial (eg grieving cycles). Civilisations also cycle through well worn phases, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that we are currently experiencing an unravelling of many of the institutions that we assumed would ...