I lost my work keys for the second time in a row this year and it influenced my mood an ungodly amount, i.e. the low of feeling stupid followed by the high of a coworker discovering the buggers had returned to their usual place.
What if instead of this war on the mind we introduce systems.
The most basic example in this case is to have a set place for your valuables. This eliminates alert thinking entirely. Note here that adding a geotag or locator to your keys, while tempting, is not the best solution. Technology should not be a replacement for good decisions made daily. Proactive measures far outweigh scrambled recovery, especially when I’m under pressure and confused. We can never be 100% clear, but sound rigor is possible. And I emphasize that critical thinking does not exist in a vacuum. In my saddest, coldest moments when I really do realize how alone I am in my own weird journey of a lifetime, my brother’s voice hums beside me. “Stop thinking everything’s fucked. You can’t wait for perfection to live out your life.” As it connects, the system should now prioritize risky passion and good health, two things which done properly can prevent me from looking back on my life with irrepressible hate or regret.
A big jump but stick with me here.
“Systems theory focuses on structures, relationships, and interdependence between elements, while complexity theory refers to the heterogeneity in the various subsystems of an organization and how parts at a sublevel in a complex system affects the emergent behavior and outcome of the system.”
Amagoh, F. (2016). Systems and Complexity Theories of Organizations. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_73-1
In another realm, I would also say I wish systemic change was the case for incarceration of the mentally ill… How about instead of complexes the government replaces with systems. The key difference is punishment in a for-profit context in lieu of a safety net for the average blundering person. In these situations, agency becomes a farce, which places the burden on large corporations and hospitals to deliver on the promise of taking care of these matters. Mistakes bind us to the earth and yet thoughtful movement keeps us afloat, and a nuanced recognition of a moral scale, that humanity fluctuates, I believe would save our country ample time and resources instead of correcting vulnerable populations after the fact. Let the ill come to their own informed conclusions along with others who have the same diagnosis (discussion matters), make neurodiversity a dinner topic that all children know, provide temporary shelter for young persons to give family members respite from the trauma. I have made no headway in the legal realm so I don’t see use for it. Overall, this is perhaps too sweeping of a generalization to be useful… yet this is my own experience of three years mostly untampered by media consumption of this topic.
Systems, systems… we have immune systems. We have digestive systems. Reproductive, muscular, skeletal, nervous, endocrine, lymphatic, urinary… all of them work in tandem but mind their own fucking business at the same time. Parts of the whole, in service of the unit. Not an alias, not a secret agenda.
As you are struggling, the time will pass and your circumstance must change. This is the cerebral answer to the failure, discovery, and eventual reparation of the system. But not all of us can handle the sentiment that comes with this.
The emotional solution is humor.
The physical solution is hubris.
And with these two tomes in hand, you can walk into any situation prefaced by good spirit and visible confidence. Tomorrow is within reach.