Strong argument for systems theory as we are all inescapably part of the systems we critique. What part is part of the question. What are we unconsciously enacting for the system?
Beneath the performance are real wounds. We don’t need more takedowns. We need better repair.” Well said, Sascha. Real wounds. Beyond ‘parts’ there are real suffering people
Thank you — I really appreciate this response. Yes: we’re not just individuals with opinions, we’re nodes in systems, shaped by and shaping the dynamics around us, often unconsciously. That’s why I turn to systems theory—family systems, political systems, psychodynamic systems—because it helps us ask not just who’s right, but what role are we playing? What energy are we recycling? Who or what are we protecting?
And exactly—beneath the ideological postures and callouts are real histories, real pain. It’s not about denying harm or avoiding accountability, but recognizing that healing requires more than critique. It requires structure, skill, and care. Let’s build a culture that knows how to metabolize pain without reproducing harm.
this is cybernetics, which was one of the only ideas to be fervently embraced by both Americans and Soviets in the 1960s and 70s. Because it is true. The purpose of a machine is what it does.
Well spoken, Sascha. I believe this points at an essential step our society must --- must! --- take if we are to step forward out of the muck we're in. Given the interwoven, interconnected, interpenetrating realities of conscious beings as we are, with one another and with the world as a whole, whatever is going "wrong" is the responsibility of every single one of us. None of us is exempt from the requirement to face what is real, both within ourselves and all around us, and to bring our full agency to responding to the distress in ways that cultivate thriving for everyone.
To be honest, I am still struggling with exactly what that looks like and how to enact it. For example, I want to call Freddie out for perpetuating the dynamic that got us here. But how do I settle into a more intentional owning of my own responsibility for the hysteria and our response to it? How do I get curious about Freddie's experience in a way that enables me to maintain a deep respect and compassion for all of him. And if I manage to attain that kind of holding-it-all stance, what do I do then?
Strong argument for systems theory as we are all inescapably part of the systems we critique. What part is part of the question. What are we unconsciously enacting for the system?
Beneath the performance are real wounds. We don’t need more takedowns. We need better repair.” Well said, Sascha. Real wounds. Beyond ‘parts’ there are real suffering people
Thank you — I really appreciate this response. Yes: we’re not just individuals with opinions, we’re nodes in systems, shaped by and shaping the dynamics around us, often unconsciously. That’s why I turn to systems theory—family systems, political systems, psychodynamic systems—because it helps us ask not just who’s right, but what role are we playing? What energy are we recycling? Who or what are we protecting?
And exactly—beneath the ideological postures and callouts are real histories, real pain. It’s not about denying harm or avoiding accountability, but recognizing that healing requires more than critique. It requires structure, skill, and care. Let’s build a culture that knows how to metabolize pain without reproducing harm.
Every. single. word. Thank you for putting such eloquent and incisive words to this.
this is cybernetics, which was one of the only ideas to be fervently embraced by both Americans and Soviets in the 1960s and 70s. Because it is true. The purpose of a machine is what it does.
Well spoken, Sascha. I believe this points at an essential step our society must --- must! --- take if we are to step forward out of the muck we're in. Given the interwoven, interconnected, interpenetrating realities of conscious beings as we are, with one another and with the world as a whole, whatever is going "wrong" is the responsibility of every single one of us. None of us is exempt from the requirement to face what is real, both within ourselves and all around us, and to bring our full agency to responding to the distress in ways that cultivate thriving for everyone.
To be honest, I am still struggling with exactly what that looks like and how to enact it. For example, I want to call Freddie out for perpetuating the dynamic that got us here. But how do I settle into a more intentional owning of my own responsibility for the hysteria and our response to it? How do I get curious about Freddie's experience in a way that enables me to maintain a deep respect and compassion for all of him. And if I manage to attain that kind of holding-it-all stance, what do I do then?