Correspondent Kathy K. recently elucidated a powerful concept: social
fractals. We typically think of fractals--structures that are scale-invariant--as features of
Nature or finance. For example, a coastline has the same characteristically ragged appearance
from 100 feet, 1,000 feet and 10,000 feet in altitude. It is scale-invariant, i.e. its characteristics
remain constant whether it is viewed on a small, medium or large scale.
This is how Kathy described
social fractals:
<DIR>"This dishonest, self-serving individual behavior is a fractal of what is happening in our
society at large: dishonest and self-serving people are extending and pretending, and
their complicity keeps the system going."
</DIR>The concept of social fractals can be illustrated with a simple example. If the individuals in a
family unit are all healthy, thrifty, honest, caring and responsible, then how could that family
be dysfunctional, spendthrift, venal and dishonest? It is not possible to aggregate individuals
into a family unit and not have that family manifest the self-same characteristics of the
individuals. This is the essence of fractals.
If we aggregate healthy, thrifty, honest, caring and responsible families into a community, how
can that community not share these same characteristics?
And if we aggregate these communities into a nation, how can that nation not exhibit these
same characteristics?
Excerpt from:
Social Fractals and the Corruption of America
(February 8, 2012)
http://www.oftwominds.com/blogfeb12/fractals-corruption02-12.html