So, the other day I was catching up on some reading. I was beginning the Summer 2006 issue of Tricycle magazine (yes, I know, that is old, but I don't have much time for reading these days. Besides, that means there will still be a pile of magazines for me to take to Thailand in a few months, when I will have time to read) and I came across a concept that has not let go of me since. It was in an article by Neil D. Theise.

The article mentioned, almost in passing, about how ant colonies are self-organizing. To paraphrase, there's no one in charge of an ant colony, it really relies on emergent self-organization. Mr. Theise posits that there are 4 rules pertaining to this concept:

1. It requires numerous individuals. The example cited is that a village is organized differently than a city, and there would need to be a critical mass before this will work.
2. Individuals must interact with each other and their environment, and the system must contain negative feedback loops.
3. Individuals must respond to local environmental conditions without monitoring the larger group.
4. There must be a small randomness, referred to as "quenched disorder".

I've been looking for a political subset to accompany my spiritual viewpoint. I believe that everyone wants to do good at some depth of their soul. Some are more cognizant of this fact, or rather act on it more frequently, than others. If everyone were to tap into the One of which we are, the right action would be apparent. the above precepts of emergent self-organization seem to be another way of describing what I seek. By interacting with others and the local environment, we intuitively recognize what the right course of action is for any situation. there is no need for a 'minder' to observe or control, or manage: the group will do what is right without interference. The ultimate decentralization. Think universally, but help your neighbor. And rely on the quenched disorder to make things interesting!

So I was looking up "quenched disorder" and I went to a site (not Wikipedia) and there were half a dozen sponsored links, 3 for bipolar remedies and 3 for ADD remedies. Commentary on where this train of thought will take me?