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Entry tags:
- chaos,
- discordian,
- evil,
- harmony,
- order
Chaos, Discord, etc.
Recently our local pagan group has had quite a bit of discord. In their efforts to bring harmony, some in the group equated that discord to chaos, and equated chaos with evil. The following is based on my response to those opinions. I'm interested in what others think of these things.
Evil and chaos are not the same thing.
Harmony and chaos are not opposites.
Evil and chaos are not the same thing.
Harmony and chaos are not opposites.
Order is the opposite of chaos, yet order can come out of chaos, despite our intuition to the contrary.
See reputable books on chaos theory, such as:
- Chaos by James Gleick
- Complexity: The Emerging Science At The Edge Of Order And Chaos by Mitchell M. Waldrop
- At Home in the Universe: The Search for Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity by Stuart Kauffman
For an irreverent, whimsical, and unreputable treatment, from before there was such a thing as chaos theory, see the Principia Discordia. [printed book] [single HTML page] [separated HTML pages]
Particularly relevant portions:
Summary of the Principia:
Chaos is a natural and inevitable aspect of the universe. Both order and chaos can be destructive, and both order and chaos can be creative. Creativity, whether though order or chaos, is good. Destructivity, whether through order or chaos, is bad.
The way I see it, people seek out a balance. People who have had too much order in their lives may seek out chaos, and people who have had too much chaos in their lives may seek out order. Ideally people are balanced and don't feel the need need to seek out either one.
The Tao Te Ching seems appropriate here. [online] [printed book]
no subject
Why can't people see that Chaos is not something to fear, that it isn't even remotely evil?
Living with the constant chaos of being a Discordian isn't easy. It's sometimes not even fun.
But when it is fun? Oh, man, hold onto your hat, because you're in for a ride (see a later entry today, I think for more info on some random chaos from last night).
The trick isn't to try to avoid chaos, because if you try to strictly order the world (or meetings, or whatever), you're going to end up locked in a desctructive order. No longer will things flow, no longer will they work. You will have no new growth. You will never see a new idea. You will only do the same old things, over and over again. And eventually, you'll find yourselves fighting off (and probably demonizing) entities and ideas that are new and creative, and even labling these ideas as such if they are of a form of creative order.
Do you want to constantly defend yourself against the forces of chaos? That's what strict order will force.
Consider, for instance, the Bush administration, the most aneristic organization I've ever seen. See how it now has to constantly defend itself against creative chaos, things like "gay marriage" and "three purple hearts".
no subject
Particularly good point.
Another reminder of the Tao, too.
talk
Heh, talk to
Re: talk
The Witches ball is coming up (scheduled between Mabon and Samhain - I'm not sure of the precise date); maybe you could present there. Or we could arrange a Saturday workshop.
Of course, up here, it might not be bad for you to give a presentation on ADF instead. I've met people whose views on Druids are shaped by "The 21 Lessons of Merlin." Word of caution: I've gotten in trouble for questioning Silver Ravenwolf, so you might have your work cut out for you.
Re: talk
Re: talk