On The Dialectical Paradox Between Man's Stagnant Classification Systems and Life's Phenomenal -- Always Changing -- Processes

Man loves similarities, associations, and generalization because these breed consistenceis, predictabilities -- and 'psychological securities'. However, if life 'zigs' where man's thought process 'zags', then all consistencies and predictabilities go out the window.

In the meantime, man is left humming along with a 'false sense of psychological security' until the day or the moment that there is a loud or soft 'crash' -- and often, with it, a very unpleasant 'shock to man's psychological as well as physiological system' between what man 'thought was consistent and predictable', and what in the end -- wasn't. Advantage -- life. Disadvantage -- man.

We must remember this when we are going 'hog-wild' trying to 'classifying the similar and different reductionistic pieces of life' becasue classifying is always aimed at achieving generalizations, consistencies, and predictabilities. Life isn't. Life is often geared towards defying and defeating these same man-made classfication systems.

The moral of this min-essay is this: Life processes preceed -- and should always take precedence over -- man-made classificaiton systems.

Think 'life processes' first -- and 'classification systems' second -- with an important 'caveat emptor' at the end of every man-made classificatio system which I borrow and extrapolate from what I learned from studying Heralclitus, Korzybski, Hayakawa, and Perls -- a combination of General Semantics and Gestalt Therapy:

This classification system is always flexible and subject to change, contingent on another better classification system that will inevitably come along, created by some new classifyer, scientist, and/or philosopher on the meeting ground of dialectical freedom, humanistic-existentialism, narcissism (money, greed, selfishness..), and/or evolutionary functionality.

Man -- and science -- seeks consistency and predictability while life is based on a combination of consistency-predictability (Parmenides)-- and its opposite: 'You can never step into the same river twice.' -- Heraclitus. Don't get so caught up in the philosophical lessons of Parmenides that you miss the philosophical lessons of Heraclitus, Korzybski, Hayakawa, and Perls:

'Life is always subject to change.'

July 18th, 2008.