Cynical permaculture Principles
I offer these principles partly as an affectionate, light-hearted skit on David Holmgren's excellent principles, partly as a distillation of some of my reflections on permaculture since getting involved in the movement in 2007.
1. Slaughter your sacred cows
"All that glitters is not gold"
Permaculture courses, books and vidoes often espouse the use of certain techniques: mulching, swales, no-till agriculture, herb spirals, and more. Many of them are great ideas in the right context, but they aren't one-size-fits-all solutions. Remember that careful observation and identification of an intervention that is appropriate to the problem is the key to successful permaculture. Also, be open to changing your mind when the information available to you changes.
2. Don't design for the sake of it
"Don't re-invent the wheel"
Someone else has probably already thought of the answer you're looking for. Being a designer is great, but sometimes the best solution to a problem has already been worked out. In such cases, the skill of the designer is knowing when not to design, and choosing the appropriate solution (or pattern) to match the problem. Alexander et al "A Pattern Language" is a wonderful resource for patterns that can be applied to spatial designs.
3. Compulsory fun is no fun
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"
One person's idea of an 'inclusive activity' is another's idea of a living hell. If you want to be truly inclusive, stop "pushing the edges"
Introverts/extrovert, liberal/conservative... truly respect diversity.
4. Competition is a reality
"The Law of the Jungle"
Nature is full of examples of symbiosis and cooperative relationships. It's also full of examples of competition, predation and hostility. But competition can be a form of beneficial relationship, as it can lead to the competing parties becoming leaner and fitter. It's a factor in natural selection and evolution. We can use both cooperation and competition as useful patterns when designing.
5. Think big. And small.
"Details create the big picture"
Limits to the capacity of your frontopolar prefrontal cortex mean that your puny human brain can only juggle so many concepts at once, which sets phsyiological limits to our capacity to think holistically. Sometimes it's appropriate to "zoom in", break things down, focus and use reductionist thinking. When used in the wider context of an holistic, or whole-systems perspective, reductionist thinking is extremely valuable. Setting up a "reductionist" versus "holistic" dichotomy is not useful: being able to employ a range of thinking approaches and tools appropriate to the problem at hand, however, is.
6. Nobody likes a smart arse
"Curb your enthusiasm"
Be humble and avoid hubris. Humans are intelligent: if you walk your talk with integrity, and your work has obvious merit, people will want to know more. If you go around preaching, or telling people that what they're doing is wrong, you're likely to alienate them.
7. Don't be alternative for the sake of it
"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water"
Loads of conventional ideas, methods, approaches and techniques have become conventional for good reasons. Don't be arrogant enough to suppose you know better. Be inquisitive enough to understand what conventional wisdom has to offer you.
8. Silence is Golden
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
Just because that thought is in your head doesn't mean we all need to hear it. This is especially true in meetings, when blurting out whatever you're thinking demands everyone expends time and energy understanding what you're talking about and then thinking about and discussing it. Before speaking, ask yourself: "how will this serve the group?" or, perhaps more selfishly: "if I suggest this, am I prepared to do the work to make it happen?"
9. Integrate until you need to segregate
"Too many cooks spoil the broth"
It is possible to stack too many elements or functions in some contexts. I used to be terribly proud of my 'poly-income': working at the Permaculture Association as Learning Coordinator, Events Coordinator, IT support technician, while also being a freelance permaculture teacher, permaculture diploma tutor and working as a gardener. I saw my livelihood as a wonderful 'spiral of abundance' where all of activities mutually reinforced and informed one another. To some extent this was true. However there was also a 'spiral of erosion' going on as I was tired, stressed, over-busy, increasingly resentful of work and gradually getting poorer.
Some projects need a lot of input and ideas, but building consensus can slow things down and stymie action. Sometimes it's better to plough ahead and make something happen, even if it means putting some noses out of joint.
10. Acknowledge the darkness
"The glass is half empty"
The world really is in bad shape. Some people are selfish, greedy and destructive. A lot of people really don't give a damn about the future of the planet. Acknowledge the darkness and meet it on your own terms. Make friends with it, and begin the task of cultivating conscious, active hope to balance it.
11. Know when to say "fuck it."
"There's no point flogging a dead horse"
In many situations, determination and tenacity are like superpowers that can make amazing things happen. But occasionally, the very best thing you can do is give up. The real trick is knowing when.
12. See 11.
"All that glitters is not gold"
Permaculture courses, books and vidoes often espouse the use of certain techniques: mulching, swales, no-till agriculture, herb spirals, and more. Many of them are great ideas in the right context, but they aren't one-size-fits-all solutions. Remember that careful observation and identification of an intervention that is appropriate to the problem is the key to successful permaculture. Also, be open to changing your mind when the information available to you changes.
2. Don't design for the sake of it
"Don't re-invent the wheel"
Someone else has probably already thought of the answer you're looking for. Being a designer is great, but sometimes the best solution to a problem has already been worked out. In such cases, the skill of the designer is knowing when not to design, and choosing the appropriate solution (or pattern) to match the problem. Alexander et al "A Pattern Language" is a wonderful resource for patterns that can be applied to spatial designs.
3. Compulsory fun is no fun
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"
One person's idea of an 'inclusive activity' is another's idea of a living hell. If you want to be truly inclusive, stop "pushing the edges"
Introverts/extrovert, liberal/conservative... truly respect diversity.
4. Competition is a reality
"The Law of the Jungle"
Nature is full of examples of symbiosis and cooperative relationships. It's also full of examples of competition, predation and hostility. But competition can be a form of beneficial relationship, as it can lead to the competing parties becoming leaner and fitter. It's a factor in natural selection and evolution. We can use both cooperation and competition as useful patterns when designing.
5. Think big. And small.
"Details create the big picture"
Limits to the capacity of your frontopolar prefrontal cortex mean that your puny human brain can only juggle so many concepts at once, which sets phsyiological limits to our capacity to think holistically. Sometimes it's appropriate to "zoom in", break things down, focus and use reductionist thinking. When used in the wider context of an holistic, or whole-systems perspective, reductionist thinking is extremely valuable. Setting up a "reductionist" versus "holistic" dichotomy is not useful: being able to employ a range of thinking approaches and tools appropriate to the problem at hand, however, is.
6. Nobody likes a smart arse
"Curb your enthusiasm"
Be humble and avoid hubris. Humans are intelligent: if you walk your talk with integrity, and your work has obvious merit, people will want to know more. If you go around preaching, or telling people that what they're doing is wrong, you're likely to alienate them.
7. Don't be alternative for the sake of it
"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water"
Loads of conventional ideas, methods, approaches and techniques have become conventional for good reasons. Don't be arrogant enough to suppose you know better. Be inquisitive enough to understand what conventional wisdom has to offer you.
8. Silence is Golden
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."
Just because that thought is in your head doesn't mean we all need to hear it. This is especially true in meetings, when blurting out whatever you're thinking demands everyone expends time and energy understanding what you're talking about and then thinking about and discussing it. Before speaking, ask yourself: "how will this serve the group?" or, perhaps more selfishly: "if I suggest this, am I prepared to do the work to make it happen?"
9. Integrate until you need to segregate
"Too many cooks spoil the broth"
It is possible to stack too many elements or functions in some contexts. I used to be terribly proud of my 'poly-income': working at the Permaculture Association as Learning Coordinator, Events Coordinator, IT support technician, while also being a freelance permaculture teacher, permaculture diploma tutor and working as a gardener. I saw my livelihood as a wonderful 'spiral of abundance' where all of activities mutually reinforced and informed one another. To some extent this was true. However there was also a 'spiral of erosion' going on as I was tired, stressed, over-busy, increasingly resentful of work and gradually getting poorer.
Some projects need a lot of input and ideas, but building consensus can slow things down and stymie action. Sometimes it's better to plough ahead and make something happen, even if it means putting some noses out of joint.
10. Acknowledge the darkness
"The glass is half empty"
The world really is in bad shape. Some people are selfish, greedy and destructive. A lot of people really don't give a damn about the future of the planet. Acknowledge the darkness and meet it on your own terms. Make friends with it, and begin the task of cultivating conscious, active hope to balance it.
11. Know when to say "fuck it."
"There's no point flogging a dead horse"
In many situations, determination and tenacity are like superpowers that can make amazing things happen. But occasionally, the very best thing you can do is give up. The real trick is knowing when.
12. See 11.
