A Study in Complexity

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Complex Systems Theory & Complexity Thinking offers a shift in perspective from viewing things as discrete objects that exist in isolation, to looking at things as complexes of relationships, in essence dissolving their very identity as an ‘object’ at all. The very thingness of what one is looking at is a result of their being a part of a constellation of other interdependent things and processes.

Complex Systems Theory encourages a way of thinking I like to call constellation-mind.

When we are looking at a plant (or a mushroom, or anything really), we cannot look at this being in isolation from its context. The plant is interwoven with so many different influences, processes, and patterns, that to fully understand the plant we have to diffuse our gaze to get a sense of the complexes of relationships this plant is a part of: soil health, environment, cultural use, phytochemistry, insects & other pollinators, these all may be the first threads we pull, but inevitably, when we pull on these initial threads, other threads come along for the ride.