ABSTRACT
In complex physical systems the least stable active element will often tend to dominate overall behavior. Stable subsystems tend to balance themselves, to cancel out perturbations within their own behavior, so one need not fear their effects. If one lives in a period of accelerated change, however, an error in judgment or an unfortunate inclination of growth will tend to wreak havoc much more readily than in other times. In complex eras, it is useful to inquire into the range and number of subgroups that exist; their self-contained value systems and the degree to which these diverge from the mainstream; and, finally, to appreciate their vitality. The concerns of many have been physical: surfing, skydiving, motorcycling, sailing, bowling, skiing, tennis, golfing, jogging, karate, and so on. But other groups are committed to Zen meditation, self-hypnosis, various treatment and rehabilitation programs, religious organizations of international or local scope, and often to community service. On the surface, these are all nonpolitical, not committed to social change or conservation. Unlike the Sierra Club, Nader’s Raiders, CORE, SDS, The John Birch Society, or other transient activist organizations, their public posture does not mark their members as proselytizers.
