THINGS WORK WHEN WE ARE MINDFUL OF HOW PARTS FUNCTION AND RELATE AS A WHOLE.
The core of a functional approach is computation—evaluating the functions of all parts.
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Key traits:
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Uses immutability (functions can’t change once created).
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Relies on pure functions (same input always gives the same output).
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Emphasizes pathways. Scenarios are planned in advance. A situation is read, a response is calculated, and a function is selected to execute it.
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Unfortunately, we can never have enough certainty or control to guarantee that all functioning parts will continue working together as a whole.
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Emergence: When parts combine, they create new functions that do not exist in the individual parts.
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Nonlinearity: Small changes in the beginning can lead to massive, completely unexpected results later. This is called the butterfly effect.
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Complex Interactions: As the number of connections between parts grows, the total system becomes too difficult to calculate fully.
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Information Limits: We never have exact data on every single starting condition or outside force.
Examples
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Water Molecules: Knowing how a single H₂O molecule acts does not let you predict the exact shape of a splashing wave or ice crystals without seeing the whole system.
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The Brain: You can study a single neuron, but you cannot predict a specific human thought or memory just from that piece.
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Weather: We understand air and heat, but tracking every wind current to predict rain weeks away is impossible.
We need to read the relationships between the parts, so we can anticipate the small adjustments needed to keep parts working together as a whole.
The whole is not the sum
of its parts. It's the
relationship
between them.
Insight comes from the relationship of the whole, not from a reduction to the parts.
It's easy to get locked into thinking that the only way to improve is to add functionality and lose sight of how the parts relate as a whole.
Without the ability to anticipate, uncertainty feels like a threat to all function. This triggers the fight-or-flight responses outlined below, and we turn a moment of uncertainty into an existential threat.
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Fight-or-flight response: We try to control what is happening or escape from it. When someone isn’t functioning as we expect, we may see them as threatening our control, leading us to fight or withdraw.
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Catastrophizing: The mind repeatedly imagines worst-case scenarios and treats those thoughts as facts.
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Hypervigilance: We feel jumpy, struggle to concentrate, or constantly scan our surroundings for signs of danger.
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Exhaustion: Over-preparing, checking, and worrying drain our emotional and physical energy before anything happens.
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In the 21st century, being mindful of how individual parts work together as a whole to anticipate adjustments to keep them working as a whole, is an essential life skill.
We help you feel how all parts of the body connect as a whole. Add awareness of everything around you. Relax into an alert awareness of all the connections; feel the space and step into a dance, a contest of anticipation. And enjoy!
Adult beginners and older adults
Wed 04 Feb
|Loreto College, St Albans
Play TOTAL TEAM BASKETBALL. Position-less, connected, flowing, amorphous team play that feels easy and joyful.
Time & Location
04 Feb 2026, 18:00 – 25 Feb 2026, 19:00
Loreto College, St Albans, Hatfield Rd, St Albans AL1 3RQ, UK
About the event
We play Total Team Basketball because it requires Gestalt. It hinges on connection rather than surprise.
When we collaborate with seasoned basketball players, they often conceal their intentions and then execute swiftly to catch opponents off guard. They depend on the element of surprise. However, the downside is that only the teammates they've played with for years understand their moves, and the pace is so rapid that others can't respond in time to lend support. Additionally, a skilled coach can scout these players effectively. To play Total Team Basketball, experienced players need to incorporate clarity and patience into their gameplay.
SkillsofWow.org is the governing body for those who coach the skills of Wow.