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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It’s easy to get locked into thinking that everything can and should be reduced to its individual parts.
But no matter how well we understand how those parts function, we can never fully anticipate all that will happen when they relate as a whole. Not even AI can do that to the point that all things become certain.
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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.
When we are not mindful of how functional parts relate as a whole, we experience uncertainty as an immediate threat. This can trigger:
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Fight-or-flight response: We try to control what is happening or escape from it.
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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.
We take actions that make events worse, delaying the essential changes needed to prevent complete failure.
The ability to anticipate comes from reading the relationships between the parts of the whole, not from knowing how individual parts function.
Insight comes from the relationship of the whole, not from a reduction to the parts.
The whole is not the sum
of its parts. It's the
relationship
between them.
Things work when we are mindful of how parts function and relate as a whole.
Older adults and adult beginners. Mixed. (1)
Wed 23 Sept
|Loreto College, St Albans
Play Mindful Basketball.
Time & Location
23 Sept 2026, 18:00 – 19:00
Loreto College, St Albans, Hatfield Rd, St Albans AL1 3RQ, UK
About the event
We’ve found that many sports governing bodies focus on function. Coaches are trained to refine athletes’ individual functions, select the athletes who perform those functions best, and compete by stopping opponents from functioning effectively. By being mindful of how functional parts relate as a whole, we offer something different - a dance and a contest of anticipation.
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The app - It is easier to book on using our app which you can get by going to your phone's app store, search for wix.com app called Spaces. Download. And then enter this code QTKFDS
Don't let a lack of money stop you from coming. We have free tickets. Contact jon.thorne@LifeSkills21.club you don't need to explain - He will give you the code.
Tickets
Pay as you go ticket
We believe that financial constraints should not prevent anyone from playing. However, if you are able to, please pay the full price, as this helps us remain open and provides free or discounted tickets for many players. Our goal is not to make a profit; rather, we need to cover the costs of the courts so we can stay open.
£10.00
+£0.25 ticket service fee
Pay what you can
We believe that financial constraints should not prevent anyone from playing. However, if you are able to, please pay the full price, as this helps us remain open and provides free or discounted tickets for many players. Our goal is not to make a profit; rather, we need to cover the costs of the courts so we can stay open.
£+Ticket service fee
Total
£0.00
SkillsofWow.org is the governing body for those who coach the skills of Wow.