| | | | | factors that make it impossible for me to take sides. |
| As a prelude to the following entry I would like to | | | | Also, to take a side, I would have to assume that |
| make clear that, even though I was born and raised | | | | one group could or should win the war, but you |
| in a Jewish environment, I’ve lived most of my | | | | cannot win a war more than you can win an |
| life in a predominantly Christian country and I’ve | | | | earthquake, a tsunami or a tornado. A war is a |
| shared the last ten years with a wonderful buddhist | | | | disaster where we all loose. Adopting a radical |
| girl. I don’t practice any religion, but I’m | | | | position for or against one side or the other does not |
| extremely interested in mysticism and spirituality. | | | | show knowledge of the system, it only exposes the |
| Throughout my journey I’ve been blessed to | | | | ignorance and prejudice of the person expressing |
| have made friends from all possible ideologies. | | | | such opinion. Far from helping solve the problem, |
| I left Vancouver just as the news about Israel’s | | | | radical statements are actually part of it. In a way, |
| incursion into Gaza were breaking. Since my arrival to | | | | many of the innocents suffering today in Gaza and |
| Mexico City, the subject of the conflict’s latest | | | | Israel are the victims of radicalized groups within both |
| incarnation has been part of the conversation and, as | | | | societies. |
| usual, opinions are highly polarized. Some of my | | | | |
| friends and family who respect my opinion have | | | | So who is right? the Israeli boy who will not see his |
| asked me about who I think is right. | | | | father return from the border or the Palestinian |
| Considering the nature of this website and the work | | | | mother whose son dies in her arms? I refuse to |
| I present in it, I’ve decided to explain my | | | | reach any verdicts. All I can say is that my love and |
| position by describing what physicists call dynamic | | | | compassion is with both of them, and that I feel |
| systems. In the universe there are linear and | | | | ashamed to be part of a species that still harms itself |
| non-linear dynamic systems, the second kind being | | | | in such brutal ways. |
| the most prevalent. A basic difference between the | | | | |
| two is their degree of predictability. The results of a | | | | It’s been said that the definition of crazy is doing |
| linear system, i.e. the acceleration of an apple falling | | | | the same thing over and over and expecting a |
| on Isaac Newton’s head or the trajectory of a | | | | different result. Every time the bullets fly, the world |
| short range missile, are fairly easy to predict. The | | | | takes sides and the conflict is not resolved, it only |
| results of a non-linear system, i.e. the exact position | | | | gets worse. Each side believes their position to be |
| where an apple will grow on a tree or the personal | | | | the right one, so they speak and act accordingly, but |
| and social repercussions caused by an exploding | | | | as Gandhi said: "There is no way to peace, peace is |
| missile, are extremely difficult to predict. | | | | the way." You are your world, if there is rage, hatred |
| | | | | and prejudice in you, they will also manifest in your |
| What makes non-linear systems so hard to predict is | | | | world. This time I invite you to practice peace and to |
| that, besides being affected by an immense number | | | | be part of the solution instead of the problem. |
| of variables, the resulting magnitude of a variable is | | | | |
| not always proportionate to its initial state. This | | | | I suggest for us to stop listening to the so-called |
| characteristic of non-linear systems is commonly | | | | "experts on the conflict", these shady figures that |
| known as "the butterfly effect". | | | | inhabit the media and whose position and income |
| | | | | depends on the continuation of conflicts. They are |
| Each one of us is a non-linear system. If we were | | | | incendiary beings that throw more wood on an |
| linear systems, most little boys would grow up to be | | | | already huge fire because of their created interests. |
| astronauts and firefighters, but life is highly | | | | Instead, lets turn our minds to those who have |
| unpredictable and it ends up taking us in unforeseen | | | | spoken about how to avoid conflicts in the first place. |
| directions. For years you say you want to be an | | | | I’m referring to those giants that defy labels and |
| engineer, but one day you sit down and contemplate | | | | definitions, those who instead of demanding |
| the sun dancing over the ocean’s surface, and | | | | consensus reach for the truth, those who don’t |
| when you stand up you’ve decided to study | | | | segregate others or themselves and who look at a |
| graphic design. What spell did the gleaming waves | | | | stranger and don’t find "the other" but a brother. |
| cast over the hypnotized system?; if I knew I would | | | | I am referring to the enlightened beings that have |
| be a wiser man, but I don’t, so here I am a | | | | lived in all times and have emerged from all cultures, a |
| graphic designer. Sometimes it’s very hard to | | | | congregation that today I’m calling "The League |
| comprehend the non-linearity of our own life, and | | | | of Un-affiliated Ladies and Gentlemen". The only way |
| it’s this uncertainty that makes it stimulating, | | | | to be included in this select group is by not being |
| exciting and dramatic. | | | | eager to belong to any group, so all of the included |
| | | | | appear here without their previous consent. I would |
| A society is a complex non-linear system constituted | | | | love to belong in their company, so I’ve been |
| by the many non-linear systems that we are. A | | | | automatically disqualified, but I’m happy just to |
| country is composed by countless and diverse social | | | | expose some of its members. I hope that their |
| groups, making it an infinitely complex non-linear | | | | words and lives resonate with more of us and that |
| system. For this reason, anyone claiming to | | | | through their wisdom we can get closer to the |
| understand the actions, purpose and intentions of a | | | | dream of a peaceful World. |
| whole country is merely fooling himself (and, | | | | THE LEAGUE OF UN-AFFILIATED LADIES AND |
| unfortunately, sometimes others too). | | | | GENTLEMEN(Very, very partial list. In a strange and |
| | | | | random order) |
| When trying to understand a non-linear system in a | | | | Lao Tse |
| lab, it is important to know with as much accuracy as | | | | Bob Dylan |
| possible the past, present and future states of all its | | | | Lawrence Lessig |
| variables. I’ve already forgotten some of my | | | | Mawl?n? Jal?l ad-D?n Mu?ammad Balkh? (Rumi) |
| past and surely have reinvented parts of it, my | | | | Thich Nhat Hanh |
| present is constantly changing and my future is | | | | Joni Mitchell |
| uncertain. Knowing how ignorant I am about the | | | | Buddha |
| system that is my own self, I would not dare to | | | | Galileo Galilei |
| claim understanding over whole countries, specially | | | | Don Miguel Ruiz |
| those currently experiencing a most chaotic and | | | | Gibr?n Khal?l Gibr?n |
| entropic state. | | | | Jiddu Krishnamurti |
| | | | | Elisabeth Kübler-Ross |
| What I’ve mentioned are just some of the | | | | Martin Luther King, Jr. |