The perils of over-reaching for control
Transcript of this video:
So I’m continuing to reflect on the contrast between, um,
the system of monarchy in this diagram
and the mesh in, in this one.
And one of the hazards of monarchy.
When we think that we’re, we place ourselves at the centre
of affairs as if we are somewhat in control, we are likely
to fall into the trap
that the great writer Richard Farson identifies in his
wonderful, short, concise,
somewhat contrarian book Management of the Absurd,
where he argues that if you are responsible for,
let’s say a system, but you’re actually somewhat helpless
’cause you can’t really control it.
You have, you’ve overloaded yourself.
You are spinning too many plates,
more plates than you can successfully keep going.
That’s going to lead to abuse.
And I think even in, even on LinkedIn where there are
so many of us posting as if we are, we want to be the centre
of attention, it all becomes a little bit abusive in some
ways of ourselves, as I think as, as much as it, as it is
of others because we’re kind of breaking some of the kind
of, what you might call fundamental rules
of human relationship we’re trying to relate to
and sometimes control too many people.
If I remind myself to think of more of a mesh,
I lower my target somewhat.
I look for a smaller number of closer connections,
which which might be to human beings or,
or right now it’s actually to nature.
I’ve come out here by the river in Cambridge for a walk
to sort of be with, slow down a bit
and be with, with the greenery,
and have a sense of being part of a wider system
and not so in control and not so responsible.
Photo by Angel Luciano on Unsplash
