Chapter 230
The Math of History
Absolute continuity of motion is not comprehensible to the human mind. Laws of motion of any kind become comprehensible to man only when he examines arbitrarily selected elements of that motion; but at the same time, a large proportion of human error comes from the arbitrary division of continuous motion into discontinuous elements. There is a well-known, so-called sophism of the ancients consisting in this, that Achilles could never catch up with a tortoise he was following, in spite of the fact that he traveled ten times as fast as the tortoise. By the time Achilles has covered the distance…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Real Power Sources
Pick a current situation in your life where change is needed—at work, in your family, or in your community. Write down who appears to be 'in charge' of this situation. Then dig deeper: list all the small, daily actions by regular people that actually keep this situation running the way it does. Finally, identify three specific small changes you could make that might contribute to the larger change you want to see.
Consider:
- •Look for repeated behaviors and habits, not just dramatic decisions
- •Consider how your daily choices either support or resist the current system
- •Think about what would happen if many people made similar small changes
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you underestimated your own influence in a situation. What small actions did you take that ended up having bigger consequences than you expected?
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