My Simple Truth
Why I wrote this
I feel like I always lose sight of what my friend Mickey refers to as "the simple truth." It's this anchor point that I realize every couple of weeks or months, closing the mandala loop of learning for a phase of my life. Each time, I understand that if I had just focused on these few core things, everything else would have naturally sorted itself out.
Now, I have this clarity for my personal life, but also for my professional life. As a project manager, or simply as someone deeply interested in human organization, I’ve found that staying grounded for me means holding on to a few core truths:
Everything is process — process ontology.
Everything is meta — like Wuli, Shili, Renli.
Everything can be seen through the lens of the Viable System Model (VSM).
These guiding principles help me not to get lost in the details and maintain a clear view of the bigger picture.
In Simple Terms
Life and organizations are not static. They are not machines with predictable outputs. Instead, they are living systems made of processes and relationships, always evolving.
Philosophers like Whitehead, and thinkers like Deleuze & Guattari, teach us that reality is about becoming, not being. Nothing stays the same — everything flows and changes. Meta-thinking helps us see not just what is happening, but how we think about what is happening. It helps us step back and see patterns.
Wuli, Shili, Renli is a simple way to understand complexity:
Wuli: Understand the natural laws/constraints of a situation.
Shili: Master the methods and techniques/ mental models/ how one thinks about things or sees the world.
Renli: Appreciate the human and relational aspects/ soft skills / social skills.
The Viable System Model ties all this together, offering a framework to understand how any living system — whether a person or an organization — can remain healthy, adaptive, and responsive in a changing environment.
Theory
1. Whitehead’s Process Ontology
Core Idea: Reality is made of events, not static things. Each moment takes in the past and advances creatively into the future.
Becoming Over Being: Everything is in flux.
Relationality: Everything is connected.
Creativity: Every moment adds something new to the universe.
2. Deleuze & Guattari’s Ontology
Core Idea: Reality is a network of flows and assemblages, not isolated objects. Deleuze and Guattari expand this with their concept of the 'rhizome' — a non-hierarchical, non-linear model of knowledge and reality. Unlike trees or roots, which have a central trunk or origin, a rhizome connects any point to any other point, allowing for multiple entryways and exits in data representation and lived experience. They describe six characteristics of the rhizome:
(1) Connection (any point can connect to any other), meaning that in a rhizomatic structure, there is no privileged entry or exit point — any element can be linked to any other, regardless of hierarchy or sequence. This creates an open, non-linear system of relations where movement and change are unrestricted. Connections form organically based on flows of desire, context, or need, allowing new assemblages to emerge spontaneously. Unlike traditional tree-like models that prioritize origins and endpoints, this openness enables perpetual reconfiguration and cross-pollination between ideas, experiences, and systems.
(2) Heterogeneity (connections are between diverse elements), meaning that in a rhizomatic system, diversity is not just tolerated but celebrated as essential. Connections are made between vastly different things: ideas, disciplines, people, materials, and even contradictions. These diverse elements enrich the network, creating a fertile ground for creativity and unexpected developments. Heterogeneity fuels the capacity for novelty because it avoids uniformity and embraces difference. Rather than organizing elements by similarity or predefined roles, heterogeneity allows for wild, cross-disciplinary linkages that lead to new assemblages. This dynamic mix resists simplification by despotic signifiers, keeping the system open and alive.
(3) Multiplicity and Difference: Innovation arises from encounters with difference. Multiplicity, in Deleuze & Guattari’s view, contrasts sharply with what they call 'disjunctive' thinking — where things are categorized into distinct, separate units, each with fixed identities and roles. Multiplicity rejects this binary or segmented view. Instead, it embraces overlapping layers, cross-connections, and co-existing differences that resist being reduced to singular identities. This becomes especially important in contrast to despotic signifiers, which impose rigid classifications and centralized control, demanding conformity and obedience to a singular identity or role within a system. Despotic signifiers simplify complexity to maintain dominance, suppressing the dynamic nature of multiplicity. A multiplicity is not just a collection of parts, but an open, dynamic system that can grow and transform along many dimensions at once. Unlike a dispositive framework or a system governed by despotic signifiers— which impose clear separations and enforce static functions — multiplicity thrives in the ambiguity and fluidity of interactions. It is precisely in these intersections and overlaps where true innovation emerges, because new possibilities are not predetermined but created in the act of connecting diverse elements. Multiplicity resists the gravitational pull of control and opens up a landscape where becoming is continuous and creative, rather than pre-scripted and confined.
(4) Asignifying Rupture: This refers to the idea that rhizomatic structures are resilient — when disrupted, they do not collapse but instead continue to grow along new paths. Rather than relying on central signifiers or fixed meanings, the rhizome propagates through ruptures, finding new routes of development. These breaks or disruptions do not signify endings but opportunities for reconfiguration. In practice, this means systems can fracture yet still generate novel trajectories, allowing creativity and vitality to flourish even in breakdown. It is precisely here that lines of flight emerge — these are the unpredictable, liberating movements that break away from rigid structures and open up new spaces of possibility. They do not follow a prescribed route but carve out fresh pathways where none previously existed, venturing into genuinely unknown territory. Unlike predefined shifts — such as the move from communism to capitalism, which often masquerade as new but remain within the same conceptual spectrum — lines of flight represent radical innovation and creativity. They are expressions of emergent processes, where the future is not prewritten but created in real-time, allowing for the birth of possibilities that were previously unimaginable.
(5) Cartography: Rhizomes are maps, not tracings. Rather than copying an existing structure, cartography in the rhizomatic sense is about creating a living map that evolves with its territory. It's not a passive reproduction of what exists, but an active engagement with what is becoming. These maps are open-ended, allowing continuous reconfiguration, and they resist static representation. Instead of a fixed blueprint, the rhizomatic map is exploratory — it guides action while simultaneously being shaped by it. Mapping in this way captures the movements of lines of flight, charting paths as they unfold, without predetermining their direction. It makes visible the escapes from territorialized systems, the emergent routes that innovation and life energy carve through stagnant structures. This makes it ideal for navigating complex, changing realities, where rigid planning falls short and adaptive mapping becomes crucial.
(6) Decalcomania: Rhizomes resist replication; they grow in their own way. Assemblages: Changing groups of elements that come together and disperse. Assemblages form through a process of connection and combination — elements (whether ideas, people, technologies, or forces) temporarily coalesce or come together to form a structure or pattern that serves a certain function or expresses a particular intensity. But these formations are never fixed. They are shaped by flows of desire, power, and circumstance. Territorialization is the process by which these assemblages stabilize and define their boundaries, creating temporary order and identity. Deteritorialization, on the other hand, occurs when these boundaries loosen, flows escape, and new possibilities emerge. Assemblages, therefore, are always in a dance between territorialization (structure) and deterritorialization (fluidity), which keeps reality dynamic and open to transformation.
Similarities
Both Whitehead and Deleuze & Guattari reject static views of the world. They see reality as dynamic, relational, and creative.
Meta-Thinking
Meta-thinking is thinking about how we think. It is becoming aware of our assumptions and mental models to open up creative possibilities.
An example of meta-thinking in action is the use of Wuli, Shili, Renli — a holistic lens for navigating complexity:
Wuli: Understand the physical laws and constraints of a situation. For instance, recognizing that a team has only limited time and energy to complete a project.
Shili: Focus on the practical methods and processes. This could mean choosing agile methodology or scrum as the operating logic to handle evolving project requirements.
Renli: Acknowledge and nurture the human and relational aspects — like ensuring clear communication, trust, and mutual respect among team members.
Taken together, Wuli, Shili, and Renli allow you to step back from a purely technical or relational view and see the interplay between constraints, methods, and human dynamics. For example, in a project where deadlines are tight (Wuli), you might decide to simplify the process (Shili), but also ensure the team feels supported and heard to sustain morale (Renli). This balance enables you to approach complex situations with greater clarity and flexibility.
Viable System Model: A Living Framework for Adaptive Systems
The Viable System Model (VSM), developed by Stafford Beer, is a framework for understanding how complex systems — like organizations, communities, or even personal lives — can remain viable and adaptive in changing environments. Inspired by the functioning of the human nervous system and natural ecologies, VSM maps out the necessary functions every living system needs to survive and thrive: sensing its environment, making decisions, coordinating internal activities, and continuously learning and evolving.
Rather than treating systems as rigid machines, VSM sees them as living organisms composed of interdependent subsystems. Each part plays a role in maintaining balance between stability and flexibility. VSM integrates beautifully with process ontology and meta-thinking, offering a practical map to navigate complexity while honoring the fluid, dynamic nature of life itself.
Process Ontology + Meta-Thinking = VSM
When we combine process ontology with meta-thinking and the VSM, we get a framework that is:
Adaptive and holistic.
Suited for personal life and professional systems.
Focused on continuous transformation and connection.
What I Think
I’ve tried reading Whitehead directly, but it felt too abstract. It wasn’t accessible to me at the time. However, Deleuze & Guattari’s "Capitalism and Schizophrenia" opened a new world. Their way of describing fragmentation and networks felt like they were narrating my inner chaos.
For a long time, I struggled because I was trapped in a Western, mechanical worldview. I treated myself like a machine: expecting consistent energy, productivity, creativity. But humans aren’t machines — we’re organisms, deeply connected and always changing. And at our core, there is an inherent desire for creation for its own sake. This desire isn’t driven by utility alone or by the pursuit of pre-defined goals, but by the simple, vital force of life expressing itself. It’s a generative impulse that goes beyond survival or replication — a fundamental creativity that drives us to explore, connect, and bring new possibilities into existence, even if they serve no immediate purpose other than the joy of becoming.
What helped me start seeing differently was diving into Eastern philosophies like Buddhism, the I Ching, and Jung’s ideas on synchronicity. I noticed a pattern: life is non-linear. It’s networked, fluid, and quantum-like.
Many frameworks I learned from Angela Espinosa's work like holocracy, agility, scrum and teal and sociocracy try to point in this direction — but they felt fragmented. Stafford Beers's Viable System Model, however, was the first that felt complete. It combined everything I had been sensing. It was like seeing Eastern wisdom translated into a Western language.
Interestingly, I later learned that Stafford Beer, who created VSM, had strong Indian influences during his time in the British army. Maybe that’s why it feels like such a natural bridge between worlds.
Now, with meta-thinking, process ontology, and VSM, I feel anchored. I have a way to understand my life and my work that feels aligned with reality. It helps me breathe easier, knowing I have a map that fits the terrain.
Conclusion
In the end, this journey is about rediscovering the simple truth — not as a fixed point, but as a living, breathing orientation within complexity. Life is not a mechanical system with predictable outcomes, but an organic, ever-evolving tapestry of connections, processes, and creative forces. By embracing frameworks like process ontology, meta-thinking, and the Viable System Model, we free ourselves from the illusions of rigid control and step into a flow that honors the inherent dynamism of life.
Assemblages form, dissolve, and reform. Lines of flight offer new horizons, and multiplicity resists the static confines of despotic signifiers. At the core of all this is a deep, vital desire: the desire for creation for its own sake. It is this impulse — to create not out of necessity, but out of life’s own exuberance — that guides us beyond predefined shifts like communism to capitalism, and into truly radical innovation.
When we allow ourselves to see the world this way, we no longer fear the unknown. We welcome it. Because we understand that true evolution is not found in repeating old patterns in new disguises, but in stepping boldly into spaces where the future is still unwritten. And in doing so, we participate in the ongoing, beautiful act of becoming.
