When a complex system is far from equilibrium, small islands of coherence in a sea of chaos have the capacity to shift the entire system to a higher order.
Ilya Prigogine (1917–2003) was a Belgian physical chemist
noted for his work on dissipative structures,
complex systems and irreversibility.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1977.
“When so many of us are feeling helpless right now, this is a reminder that small islands of coherence in the chaos are what shift a complex system, not heroics of any single individual. It relates to building communities, and this is what I’m focusing on with the Capital Institute. I’m sure Prigogine would agree: the next step is to encourage these communities and link these islands.”
John Fullerton founder and president of Capital Institute,
a nonprofit organization dedicated to
transforming finance and economics, and author of
Regenerative Economics: Revolutionary Thinking for a World in Crisis
We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that we live by the assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us.
Wendell Berry an American novelist, poet, essayist,
environmental activist, and farmer.
He’s the author of many books including:
The Peace of Wild Things
“This quote adds a dimension of faith and hope to realizing our interconnection with nature and with other people. That’s where I’m focusing my efforts and actions.”
Faye Cox, publisher of Hourbooks Press
and co-collaborator with John Fullerton of
Regenerative Economics: Creating Conditions for
Health & Abundance on a Living Planet
