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Figure 4 | Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling

Figure 4

From: Scale-free flow of life: on the biology, economics, and physics of the cell

Figure 4

Progress through conflict. Restricted to two-dimensional interpretations by their shared paradigm of reality, round- and square-headed people argue whether an observed aspect of reality is a "circle" or a "square". Although both opposing views are correct, the controversy cannot be resolved without transcending the two-dimensional paradigm and re-conceptualizing reality as being three-dimensional. Because most of the objects in the two-dimensional world of the opponents have square angles, the interpretations of square-headed people are intuitively appealing, seem more believable, and, thus, will be preferred. As a consequence, square-headed people will move up the career ladder and grow in numbers much faster than round-heads. Inevitably, due to the economic principle of least effort, round-heads and their interpretations will be neglected and suppressed, as ignorance and suppression seem to cost less than the efforts of reconciling the seemingly irreconcilable. The ensuing misbalance, manifested as the absence of conflict and widespread complaisance with established order, leads eventually to the belief that reality is what it is known to be by everyone, namely a "square". Books titled "The End of Science" are published and become bestsellers [125]. Such a misbalance blocks the development of collective intelligence, which, by its nature, always proceeds through recurrent conflicts of alternatives/opposites and their constructive resolutions on increasingly higher planes of understanding. No conflict means no resolution. No resolution means no development. No development means stagnation, disease, and degradation. "Not knowing is true knowledge. Presuming to know is a disease. First realize that you are sick; Then you can move towards health." (Lao-Tzu, 600 BC) [126].

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