One Wheel � Bridging Yesterday and Tomorrow

Cari Bourette, PsyD, MS

ABSTRACT

     Through the advances of modern civilization, humans have become adept at breaking down large and complex systems into very small components which can be studied independently and with precision.  What is de‐emphasized and has been ultimately left behind is the big picture, holistic, or systemic view.  Yet today, with several key resources past production peak (e.g. crude oil, some industrial and rare earth minerals, fresh water), in the process of peaking (e.g. coal), or within a couple of decades of peaking (e.g. natural gas), this failure to incorporate a systems perspective will no doubt begin to display its consequences in increasingly plain view.

     If such a big picture outlook is difficult to grasp from the modern Western world view, perhaps looking through the lens of another paradigm may facilitate holistic or systems thinking for those that have been raised to think of things only in pieces and parts.  To this end, a conceptual model for thinking about events, knowledge, people, cultures, etc., has been developed using a framework similar to that found in more holistic worldviews. 

     OneWheel is modeled after worldviews that originated at a time when human beings lived sustainably on this planet, and did so for hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years.  Humans with such paradigms knew they had a place in the world, and in their community (tribe).  It gave them names and stories for the forces of nature which allowed them to listen and understand in such an intimate way that today�s humans can scarcely imagine.  OneWheel has been successfully used to model real world events in a research setting.  In its basic form, this simple yet comprehensive framework can inform decisions on an everyday basis, and become a timely bridge to reconnect with nature, with each other, and with ourselves.

     Our world is changing quickly.  The Earth�s capacity to support life has been stretched beyond its ability to sustain.  Somehow humans need to make the transition to a very different world than we have become used to in the past few thousand years.  Some will figure it out for themselves, and some might be naturally good at this type of thinking.  Wouldn�t it be easier, however, if there was a bridge between a worldview that works in an ordered, civilized society, and one that works in a much less ordered, rapidly changing, and at times even savage world�the kind of world that would accompany resource depletion, chronic unemployment, and food shortages?  When survival becomes an almost daily consideration, as it must have at times for our long ago ancestors, OneWheel could serve as a helpful bridge between that yesterday and our tomorrow.

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Interested in learning more?� We would be glad to send you a 50+ page document that describes the OneWheel paradigm, the research we�ve done, and an overview of how we do it.  We would like to introduce you to the concepts so that you may learn to apply them yourself in your own life on a day to day basis.  What we ask in return is that you consider a small gift to support our work.  Consider how much you believe these ideas will be of benefit to you, and/or how much you believe our continued work will benefit you and the general public.  Whatever the size of the gift you have decided, you can send it through PayPal by clicking here: