My personal pattern as in Pattern Language.
The relation between Time and Place and Time. We are at places in time. We are in places at times. In other words-- We spend time in places Places in time. Time in places.
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Time and distance confound reason. We need tools and methods to account for the systemic effects of long delays and great distances between connected interacting parts and subsystems.
Our day-to-day experiences and our nervous systems are tuned to make sense of systems that are local and immediate.
When--Timelines. Where--GEO spatial maps. Integration--animated morphing maps?
I have only recently added "WHEN?" and "WHERE?" to my four nested questions. See Four Nested Questions
digraph { rankdir=LR //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Paradigms \nMinds \nWhy? \nChaos \nAesthetics" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"People \nMoods \nWho? \nComplex \nEthics" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Processes \nModels \nHow? \nComplicated \nScience" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Particulars \nMake \nWhat? \nSimple \nEconomy" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Paradigms" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"People" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Processes" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Particulars" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Minds" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"Moods" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Models" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Make" node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] "WHY?" node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] "WHO?" node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] "HOW?" node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] "WHAT?" //"Paradigms \nMinds \nWhy? \nChaos \nAesthetics"->"People \nMoods \nWho? \nComplex \nEthics" [label="Context"] //"People \nMoods \nWho? \nComplex \nEthics"->"Processes \nModels \nHow? \nComplicated \nScience" [label="Context"] //"Processes \nModels \nHow? \nComplicated \nScience"->"Particulars \nMake \nWhat? \nSimple \nEconomy" [label="Context"] //"Paradigms"->"People" [label="Context"] //"People"->"Processes" [label="Context"] //"Processes"->"Particulars" [label="Context"] //"Paradigms"->"People" [label="Context"] "WHY?"->"WHO?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] "WHO?"->"HOW?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] "HOW?"->"WHAT?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] }
Complete
digraph { rankdir=LR //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Paradigms \nMinds \nWhy? \nChaos \nAesthetics" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"People \nMoods \nWho? \nComplex \nEthics" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Processes \nModels \nHow? \nComplicated \nScience" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Particulars \nMake \nWhat? \nSimple \nEconomy" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Paradigms" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"People" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Processes" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Particulars" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Minds" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"Moods" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Models" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Make" node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=azure] "WHEN?" node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=orange] "WHERE?" node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] "WHY?" node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] "WHO?" node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] "HOW?" node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] "WHAT?" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Chaos" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"Complex" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Complicated" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Simple" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] //"Aesthetics" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=red] //"Ethics" //node [shape=box ;style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] //"Science" //node [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=white] //"Economy" //"Paradigms \nMinds \nWhy? \nChaos \nAesthetics"->"People \nMoods \nWho? \nComplex \nEthics" [label="Context"] //"People \nMoods \nWho? \nComplex \nEthics"->"Processes \nModels \nHow? \nComplicated \nScience" [label="Context"] //"Processes \nModels \nHow? \nComplicated \nScience"->"Particulars \nMake \nWhat? \nSimple \nEconomy" [label="Context"] //"Paradigms"->"People" [label="Context"] //"People"->"Processes" [label="Context"] //"Processes"->"Particulars" [label="Context"] //"Paradigms"->"People" [label="Context"] "WHEN?" -> "WHERE?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] "WHERE?" -> "WHY?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] "WHY?"->"WHO?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] "WHO?"->"HOW?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] "HOW?"->"WHAT?" [label="Sets\nContext for"] //"Chaos"->"Complex" [label="Context"] //"Complex"->"Complicated" [label="Context"] //"Complicated"->"Simple" [label="Context"] //"Aesthetics"->"Ethics" [label="Context"] //"Ethics"->"Science" [label="Context"] //"Science"->"Economy" [label="Context"] }
I have done this because these two questions, as I will use them, provide essential context for particular situations. It seems to me that Time or History can be handled first and then, at this time in history, WHERE? is the situation located. So now we introduce time and space, history and place, at the beginning. The reason that I could get away with not asking these questions is that they were already commonly understood. But the risk of leaving them out is that we may miss hints about context that can inform the paradigmatic-existential first question WHY?
Each question is further represented in each of the other questions. In fact it can be useful to think of all of these questions and their answers as a hologram, where they are represented in each part. Hologramistic thinking is intellectually, linguistically difficult, but normal fare for the human brain.
The combination of history and place can stand in for the concept of "field" which can add aspects of context that might be missed otherwise. The explanation of field is often abstract. The explanations of time and place is often too narrow to acknowledge "field effects."
Filter for relevance. Amplify for understanding. Alternate filter-amplify until the situation is refined enough for action, or not.
Past--Present--Future Time Line. Ask the participants how far back in time do we need to pay attention. How far into the future do we need to pay attention.
Place Diagram. Ask how far away do we need to pay attention. How deep inside do we need to pay attention (how fine grained or detailed)? Use some version of the geopolitical recursions graphic.
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**The process of exploring problems and opportunities: ** 1. What is going on? 2. How does it work? 3. Who does it affect? 4. Why does it matter? 5. Where does it have impact? 6. When does it have relevance?