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Between Order and Chaos
-- By BrayanA - 12 Mar 2022
Intro
It is necessary for us to understand in some sense the world we live in. To do so, it is necessary to simplify our world or else risk getting lost in its complexities. One such way comes from insight into what lies between order and chaos. Before we begin, it is important to define both order and chaos. By order I am referring to a state of complacency whereby daily activities are governed by structure and patterns resulting in a stagnant and predictable existence. In contrast, chaos is a state of randomness whereby daily activities are unpredictable and unmanageable resulting in feelings of anxiety. That being said, what lies between order and chaos, between structure and unpredictability, will be the subject of this paper. The purpose of which is not to propose a theory that resolves the complexities of our world, but rather to offer a model through which one might find purpose.
Order and Chaos
We need to begin by recognizing the inherent dangers of constant order as they are less apparent than those of chaos. Admittedly, some order is needed. There is nothing inherently wrong with implementing routines into daily activities. For some, routines may bring about healthy habits such as brushing your teeth twice a day and going to bed at the same time to ensure you get sufficient rest. Moreover, intuitively, it makes sense that being able to predict the outcome of daily activities will bring about some calm–you know that if you repeat a certain activity you will get the same desired result so in a sense you know what you are doing is working.
However, order is often misconstrued with peace of mind. When life becomes too orderly, such structure can lead to stagnation. If repeating a certain activity always produces the same desired result, and such results are sufficient to get you through the day, then there is little incentive to innovate. Without a need to innovate, there is little reason to engage in the activities you do. Such complacency can eventually lead to feelings of emptiness, anguish and irrelevancy –the opposite of peace of mind
Next comes chaos. The antithesis to order, chaos is a state in which no actions produce the desired result. Unlike order, the downfalls of constant chaos are more apparent. When nothing goes your way, especially amidst constant effort, it is difficult not to be engulfed by despair. When surrounded by randomness, where all outcomes are inexplicable and no actions produce the intended result, fear often takes over and you quickly become hopeless.
This is not to say that order is the remedy to chaos and neither is chaos the remedy to order. Rather, what I am proposing is that between order and chaos lies balance, meaning and innovation. Such is the case when you exist between the edge of order and chaos. Some order is needed to provide the foundation from which one can explore chaos. Order can provide the support needed to undertake the challenges that come with probing at chaos so as to balance the feelings of uncertainty with reassurance. Here is where engagement and meaning lies. As long as you have some order, some foundation to rely on, you can begin to dive into chaos and the unknown and find engagement in pushing yourself to the edge of chaos. Once you are engaged in what you are doing, you will begin to feel like what you are doing matters. Between order and chaos one can find purpose.
Taiji Tu
What I am proposing is nothing new. Taoist have understood this concept for thousands of years as illustrated in the taiji tu–the yin and yang diagram. In the Han dynasty, tanji was linked with the concept of “primal chaos” and yin and yang are understood as terms which describe all natural phenomena. (Little 14, 131). As such, the taiji tu diagram embodies the equilibrium between the yin and yang forces within the Tao –“the void out of which all reality emerges” (Little 13,131). In other words, through the balance of chaos and order, meaning arises.
Political Ideology
The same concept is seen in political ideology and a functioning democracy. Meta-analysis demonstrates that conservatives tend to score higher on measures of need for order, structure and closure; and lower in openness to experience (Hanson 56-57). In contrast, liberals score higher in need for system instability and openness to experience; and lower in need for order, structure, and closure (Hanson 56-57). In other words, conservatives prefer order whereas liberals prefer chaos. Undoubtedly, a functioning democracy requires both ideological spectrums to work in tandem to be a functional system; a similar analysis can be said to apply to the Supreme Court. In, short, between order and chaos is where the most meaningful political progress often emerges.
Both order and chaos in excess can be detrimental. However, in combination, order and chaos can give rise to meaning, ingenuity and purpose.
References
Hanson, Jon, and John T. Jost. Ideology, Psychology, and Law. Oxford University Press, 2012.
Little, Stephen, et al. Taoism and the Arts of China. The Art Institute of Chicago, 2000.
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