23 Of Persistence and Change

The complementary nature of persistence and change, the essence of what it means to be dynamic, is a generic, indispensable, vital feature of reality, of your existence and awareness. From the perspective of the squiggle sense, the old sayings, “the more things change, the more they stay the same” and “nothing lasts forever” are equally valid and complementary. Persistence~change is such a fundamental squiggle that it’s easy to overlook and take for granted. But can its complementary nature really be discovered, explored and understood? Actually, yes it can. Coordination Dynamics (CD), a theory of directed self-organization, offers deep insights into the squiggle sense of persistence~change. CD shows how the flux of energy (change) through a complex living system like you plays an active role in self-organizing the dynamic patterns (persistences) you compose and that compose you. The stability (persistence) of those dynamic patterns is maintained at the price of energy dissipation (change). No energy flux (fuel), no dynamic patterns…no you.