Affinity

In the technical world, finding compatibility (the best fit among elements) is called affinity. When make your next purchase, you will probably use technology to maximize the affinity between you and the goods you want to buy. This principle works well for groups and systems, big and small, and naturally relates to human aspirations and experience.

Most people would say they feel a lack of affinity for government and industry leaders of all kinds. Being demoralized or discontent is a distracting state of mind and definitely puts a damper on acheivement. If truly needless, it can become an expensive liability for communities and possibly dangerous. Plus, it’s no fun to head up a government or company in crisis.

Perfect compatibility does not demand uniformity. A one-note approach applied to complex or diverse systems makes them wobble and churn, not stabilize. Balance is healthy, as is an appropriate degree of transparency. Even for a historical monarchy, knowing the will of the people can help determine the decrees of the king. Surely the effort, expense and struggle expended for the sake of political reform now deserve the best possible means of gaining greater affinity between leadership and constituencies.

This mandate is further asserted by observing that unstable systems can cause severe collateral damage, which translates into real human suffering. Therefore, if we have the means – and we do today – then let’s start using them now and offering the benefits to everyone.