Flow

The world is Flow.

It exists as flow. It moves, creates, transforms, and destroys via flow. Each object and each relationship within it truly is made up of the combination of flows that compose it. Of its inputs and outputs. Of the connections it shares with other objects, of its natures, types, and affluences, and of which objects it flows from and into. flow of supplies, flows of matter, flows of attention, flows of energy, physical force, money, knowledge, or emotions, or ideas. Flow encompasses, permeates, and defines each of the objects and concepts in our world.

There are at least two basic types of flow in the world, in relation to how types of objects are defined. There is horizontal flow and vertical flow. Horizontal flow is that which flows between objects in the same plane, or of the same type, and vertical flow is that which flows across objects of different types, as a a waterfall or as rain.

Naturally, these definitions are subjective and not definitive or categorical. They depend on the specific types and planes defined for our purposes. But for a basic example, I will define one plane as that made out of people.

In the plane of people, there is flow of approval and of rejection between people, according to people's opinions of one another. One person's opinion of another influences both persons, and if viewed by other people around them, it influences their opinions as well. Person A's opinion will likely be imitated by those people who approve of people A, and will be probably be rejected and opposed by those who disapprove of A. Approvers of B will have their approval strengthened when seeing that A approves of B, and disapprovers of B will likely have their opinion strengthened by the disapproval of B. In both cases, they will also direct some of their approval towards the like-minded A.

The whole set of connections of opinions between people in this plane is a web, and it encompasses the whole of social approval. And in this framework, we recognize common human behaviors such as people wanting to associate with people whose approval ratings are high, and to dissociate from those whose approval ratings are low. Wanting to be friends/close with wealthy people, influential people, famous people, noteworthy people, these are all forms of the same phenomenon, as are the desire to stay away from poor people, rejected people, disabled people, or in general from people who have a generally low social rate of approval.

This framework is represented in the PageRank algorithm coded by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The recognition that value is derived from the recognition and approval of value itself, is key to the horizontal flow of value. Value can flow between objects of the same type by association and by connection, by approval, by opinion. Or it can flow between web pages via links, or through academic papers via bibliography references. As commerce, through the flow of goods and money. As heat transfer, a mere transfer of molecular energy at the macro scale. In all these cases, however, notice that value is not truly created. It is mostly transferred (with minor forces of friction) between objects of the same type. Shared, shifted, resonated at most, but it merely involves a shared or a perceived value that arises in a minority of "valuable-seeming" hubs. It is not truly created value.

Vertical flow, in contrast, can acquire and produce value in a different manner. An example of vertical flow is the production or manufacture of goods. A flow of energy from the sun, water, and elements to the plants, from through the plants onto their fruits and grains, through the care and harvest of the farmer onto raw food, through the processing, cooking, and mixing of ingredients to prepare a full meal - that flow is vertical. It traverses multiple planes of types of objects - it is converted, processed, from one type to another, with a value in mind - the production of sustenance for a person. Such a process, can be argued, actually produces value. People who want food will likely want to associate themselves with the person who can make food. In such an example, vertical flow is that which produces the key value that spurs/incentivizes horizontal flow.

Vertical flow requires energy, as it takes energy to move through the various planes, to transform an object from type to type to type. This energy may be in the form of natural elements, planning, willpower, manual labor, and knowledge, or organization. In any case, this is what can produce value in the human context, and what then spurs horizontal flow, connections between people, to occur.

Flow is the movement of this world. I see this as represented by Rhea being the equal partner of Kronos. Yes, everything moves through Time, and the manner in which it moves and changes is via Flow.

With this text I do not mean to undermine horizontal flow. It is, in fact, in the plane of humans, the very weave of our society. It has, however very often been considered as the main source of value in the world, when in fact it is only its distributor. It is at times perceived as the illusion of value lying in approval, glamour, and wealth, as it can distance the viewer from the actual herders of vertical flow.

What I mean to transmit is that the role of horizontal flow is mostly that of distribution, while that of vertical flow is one of creation/production/transformation. Both are inextricable from our world, but it is important to recognize them both and their differences, so that we may recognize when and how value is produced, and when it is merely transmitted, or when done unconsciously, leaked.