The Absurdity of Binary

By Cathy Holt from Columbia, South America

"Binary" is used in several ways in our culture these days...let's consider this:

On my newsletter "Gifted ND" for neuro-divergent, Lilian wrote this week about "The Absurdity of Binary."

We live in a society obsessed with measuring value by output. With this in mind what then is the ultimate output?

It’s not products, inventions, or even AI.

It’s HUMANS...

She then goes down the rabbit hole that proves the most valued humans are obviously females. But then she finally gets to the point about Binary.

Flipping Dysfunction into Function

Binary thinking is mathematically dysfunctional because it artificially limits infinite possibilities to exactly two options.

In any complex situation, there are countless potential approaches, solutions, and outcomes. But binary systems force everything into either/or categories: win or lose, right or wrong, superior or inferior, employed or homeless.

This creates artificial scarcity where abundance naturally exists.

The Math of 2D vs Reality

Reality = Multi-dimensional = Infinite possibilities

Binary thinking = 2 Finite Choices, pre-selected by others

Reality (Infinity) - Binary = Loss of 2 (crappy) options with everything else still allowed.

Multidimensional intelligence uses more perspectives which generates more novel solutions, more combinations of different approaches, and more entirely new directions to explore options. Simply because they have greater access to the full spectrum of possibilities.

When someone is trapped in binary thinking approaches and approach the same problem, they can only choose between the two predetermined options they’ve been given. They cannot see/perceive/comprehend that other possibilities even exist.

Binary systems start and become increasingly more controlling because they don’t present the two best options. They limit it down to the two options that serve the system while “pretending” it is a choice. Most eventually end with monopoly or no choice at all.

There are more details. But I like the idea of 3D vs 2D. I'm going to stop here for now.

An old photo to share

Here I am, 3-1/2 years old, and there's this squirming wiggly little baby that my parents are always holding. But this day they say, lets let her hold her and take her photo! Mary Beth and I weren't at all sure about things, but we did our best. In  Dallas Texas, 1946.