Optimising Decentralised Systems That Can Replace Governments - Plus Why Blockchain Technology Will Eventually Replace Corporate Social Networks.
As a system engineer I am trained to expose, understand and improve complex logic, models and processes within real-world situations for the purpose of improving performance, achieving objectives and meeting needs. As a human I turn those skills to life outside of machines and often that means I look at governments and other structures in society... What do I see when I bring all this into focus while thinking about Steemit?
What do governments, corporations, computers, living bodies, planets, galaxies and universes have in common? Well, a few things are certainly shared, but one of them is that they all operate as complex, interconnecting systems. Something else they share is that they are all energetic structures that are governed by certain universal principles, which we ignore at our peril.
Perhaps the most key lesson I have learned and continue to learn with regards ensuring the success of complex systems relates to the interplay of the presence of balance and the presence of denial. It is balance that determines whether all elements in the system can meet the needs of the other elements and it is denial that is always involved somehow when balance is not present. For example, if we imagine a series of spinning plates:
If the objective of our system is simply to ensure all the plates continue to spin, each plate can be said to have needs which relate to their angle and speed. If the human in the equation is balanced, then he/she can also balance the plates and keep them spinning - but if the human's will and mind are overpowered by pain from stepping on a sharp pin, then balance is lost and there's a good chance the plates will smash. Stepping on the pin can be said to be a denial of mental/emotional/physical balance in the human and changes are needed to bring everything back to balance. The human might also then deny/ignore the pain in a struggle to continue keeping things spinning, but eventually the injury will be so distracting that focus is lost and the increase of plate smashing will get ever higher.
Denial Must Be Ended For Balance To Be Found
Regardless of what we actually do in that exact scenario, the key point is that the best solution cannot be chosen if we remain in denial of the problem. If we pretend there is no pain and no problem, then we are only delaying the inevitable since our body will continue to inform us of reality - "the body doesn't lie". If we pretend that 'everything is perfect', then we might as well give up as that kind of denial will have us claiming that the plates are still spinning long after they have actually been smashed!
In businesses, governments, computer systems and any other system, the biggest dangers can arise where denial is perpetuated that says that the system being used is perfect and impossible to be corrupted. Such a claim effectively also implies that those 'running' the system are infallible - which is unlikely to be the case. Those who have studied North Korea will recognise the stories of how the state run propaganda machine 'educates' the people to view their 'glorious leader' as pretty much a god who never fails and who regularly achieves physical and spiritual goals that are essentially impossible. As long as people within the system continue to believe in lies and continue to force each other to conform to the false version of 'reality' (possibly through violence, coercion or other means), there will be a failure to adapt to circumstances and suffering will be the result.
What protects systems from human corruption, denial and failure of this kind?
Ultimately, we all have responsibility to recognise our own denials and clear them to ensure that we are living in a state of truth and not delusion. That said, in a complex system such as a nation or a planet, there is no guarantee that any one human will have thoroughly achieved this and so for the safety of the rest of those involved it is necessary to decentralised the power in the system as much as possible and to ensure that everyone can determine their own destiny while not overpowering anyone else.
This is the key challenge in running a fair society and also in running a social network on the web. We already know that Facebook and other similar sites are absolutely NOT meeting human needs in terms of balance and integrity - which I was blatantly reminded of recently when Facebook blocked me from posting without explanation after I posted about a not so well known NSA whistleblower.
Even Steem's decentralised structure still does have a degree of top-down control, just as our alleged representative democracies do - however, there is in Steem a genuine intention to find the balance necessary - which I respect and is a
large part of why I am using the system here - plus why I choose to be a Steem Witness.
While North Korea trades on mythology regarding the alleged greatness of it's 'glorious leader' - Steemit, in contrast, allows all dissent without any censorship and ultimately allows for all dishonesty to be exposed and recorded for all time. It will be very interesting to me to find out exactly how 
Just as these technologies have a genuine chance at changing the world for the better, we will also learn from these new patterns and i foresee the possibility of the people of our world being so inspired that we collectively unite and move to prevent the kinds of top-down, unbalanced, control systems that currently limit us from having any more presence on Earth at all.
Only systems that remove hierarchy that involves subordination and control and are able to be fully transparent and can ever have a chance of being perfect and un-corruptable. We have the basics of that here already in Steemit - so let's continue to learn together, play together and respect each other enough that we increase freedom for all who also respect freedom! In other words - 'be excellent to one another!" :)
There is no way that the Facebooks of our world will be able to survive when faced with an evolved form of social network that supports life and liberty - we just need to all do what we can to ensure that everyone knows about the options they have and why switching to blockchain based social sites is a must for our collective wellbeing. Any system that denies the rights of individuals and which creates ill will repeatedly while denying any attempt at finding balance will eventually implode and be replaced by a saner model. ;)
On a daily level we can all do our bit to live in truth and to find our own balance - ensuring we help the whole in our own way too. A great part to this which is missed in communist states and other authoritarian structures is that it is the WILL of the individual that must LEAD this process and no amount of conformity and top-down control can ever match the power of an empowered will. Just by understanding the dynamics involved and by learning to feel and identify denial in self and others we can all play a role in giving support to those people, groups and systems who also respect the need for balance and an end to denial - which will start to result in ever more unexpected and amazing changes/benefits at a far quicker rate than most will think could ever be possible!
Wishing you well,
Ura Soul
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View My Witness Application Here