Just Blocked: Allowing the Fractal
God as a Fractal
Mind the Gap
Field Study
Fractal Flow Learning
Life Path Curriculum
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Mind the Gap
Anyone who takes a trip on the London subway will become accustomed to one of the most loved and frequently heard phrases in London--"Mind the Gap."
This phrase simply means that when the subway stops, you should be sure to be mindful of the gap that exists between the subway car and the platform. For if you did not "mind the gap," you might trip on your way out, or get your shoe or leg caught in that gap, possibly even endangering your life.
One could certainly make the argument that the London subway system is not as technologically and mechanically advanced as it could be, but in a strange way I think Londoners rather enjoy uttering this simple phrase. It is, in fact, fun to say: "Mind that Gap!"
After some consideration about this phrase, I have come to the conclusion that this clever little phrase might just be under-appreciated and under-acknowledged for for it's wisdom and insight about the nature of life and reality. Indeed, it might just carry some of the secrets to life itself.
In almost every discipline that we study or live within, there is a wisdom to these words:
COMMUNICATION: We should be mindful of the gap that exists between what we speak and what is delivered in the ears and mind of the listener. When we leave something out we fall into an information gap. When our tone of voice is not consistent with the tone we want to communicate, our communication has an unwanted gap.
CRITICAL THINKING: We must be mindful of the gap that exists between the often ambiguous and vague words that advertisers and politicians use, and the specifics that are required for us to make healthy decisions in relation to them. Another way to word it is that we need to be mindful of the gap between the information that we sponge in, and the information that will prove to be the gold nuggets within the larger muck and mass of mud.
HISTORY: As historians of our lives we need to be mindful of the gap between what happened in our lives and the interpretation we made up about what happened. As historians of society we need to mind the gap between what happened in society and what interpretations and stories people have made up about what happened. Remember, there used to be Native Americans on the currency in the United States. Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.
LITERATURE/LANGUAGE: Mind the gap between saying too much and not saying enough. There is a famous phrase that writing coaches use for their students: "Say as much as necessary, but as little as possible." Writers often play with the gap between what the characters in a novel knows and what the reader knows--for therein lies one of the keys to a effective story.
THE ARTS: The gap between the painting instrument and the paper or canvas is important--for what the artist thinks will be appear on the paper can be quite different from what actually appears there. The gap between two dancers can make all the difference in how gracefully they perform their dance together. Gaps in any kind of creative art such as sculpture will play an important role in forming the clay to accurately match the real object.
SCIENCE: There are so many potential uses of the idea of minding the gap in Science that I don't even know where to begin. There is the gap between the data retrieved and the proposed explanation for that data. One must mind the gap of time between when an experiement is set into motion and when it is ceased. The gaps within the human body are essential to understand for any physician to be safe and successful. The gaps between DNA and RNA chains is integral to the success of geneticists. In fact, the very scientific method itself seems to be about mastering gaps and potential gaps!
MATHEMATICS: Essential to mathematics is minding the gap. There is a gap that exists when we subtract. When we divide we are looking at multiple gaps. At the higher levels of mathematics we use summation to add gaps. In Calculus we shrink gaps down to their very smallest possible sliver and the add them up to get the closest appoximation of area. Without the idea of gaps, Mathematics could not exist.
PERSONAL GROWTH AND EVOLUTION: The is often a big gap between what the impulsive, emotional mind pushes us to do and what the more rational mind logically knows would be best. When we are upset in various ways, our minds are flooded with chemicals that often make us angry and want to strike out. When we take 6 Seconds (www.6seconds.com ) before doing or saying something, we usually have a more appropriate response that serves us better.
Learning to navigate the gap between these "two minds" is an art form.
Finally, gaps are essential for understanding Fractals. Look at any Fractal and notice all kinds of gaps, usually amazingly beautiful (and "brilliant," to keep with the British terminology) gaps, flowing or zooming off into the distance, the gaps increasing or decreasing in scale.
By mindfully traveling along the "Fractal Bridge," we generate a "Fractal flow," and more effectively "Mind the Gap!"
Scott Hannon
Fractal Bridge Institute
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