Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات · 2 دقائق وقت القراءة · ~10 ·

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The Ponds in our Mouths

The Ponds in our Mouths

The aul Pond = - Clo ol YR, Sy Ap LRT] Years back I co-authored an e-book on” Fish Pond Metaphor- the Complexity of Management”. In the book we used the fishpond as a metaphor for the shrinking of our world into a village. We likened this to fish that lived in an ocean and we transferred them to a pond. Recently, I found a new metaphor to help us understand the complexity of our shrinking world. This is the bio-pond that exits in our mouths. It is a microbial pond this time where our mouths host millions of bacteria
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The saliva in our mouths is the water in the pond. Human saliva is 99.5% water, but also contains many important substances, including electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds and various enzymes. Paradoxically, saliva contains antibacterial components, yet it is also responsible for allowing bacteria to thrive in our mouths. Some of the saliva chemical components attach weakly to the enamels of our teeth forming a thin layer. This layer acts as an attachment site for bacteria to adhere to till the “early” bacteria have time to form a matrix to allow more bacteria to join and start building micro-colonies, which hosts millions of self-organizing bacteria. With no leader the bacteria self-organize so that the limited space available accommodate their number of millions. As the place gets more crowded the bacteria begin their growing aggression by consuming food sticking in the mouth and convert their sugars to an acid that eats the minerals composing the enamels. Not only plaque results, but also the eating away of the gum may initiate. It is a buildup of aggregation.

The questions that kept ringing in my mind include the question if our societies in their shrinking world are experiencing the same what we observe in our mouths. Have our societies collapsed into a big mouth with eroded teeth? Is the emergence of “social cavities” of what we call social gaps is a result of millions of individuals working together to find a hosting place to attach to and then enhance their aggression?

The internet made it possible for millions of people to work together towards a common goal without knowing each other or even caring to know each other. It is self-organizing in a real sense. We see people demonstrating for a human issue that is far away and yet of enough scale to make people work together. The issue has a case and it is the matrix that adheres people to it in an organized matter. I am saying here that not necessarily people will act collectively for the wrong issues. To the contrary, the millions may work together to create cavities in the walls standing between them and what they believe is right. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Millions of people could act towards a misleading issue because of the propaganda and the easiness to spread false claims. Some recent wars are examples of what I mean.

Beware the sweet news. It is the sweet stuff that bacteria metabolize into acids that eat up our enamels. There are creative people who shall sell toxic products. I think that the ponds in our mouths have many more lessons to teach us. Let our creative mind use them for the benefit of humanity.

`I published this post first on LinkedIn. I am reproducing it here upon the request of few readers.

#Ponds #Complexity #Pond Metaphor- #Management #Mouths
التعليقات

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #29

Joyce \ud83d\udc1d Bowen Brand Ambassador @ beBee- I thank you for sharing and liking the post.

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #28

#30
Joel Anderson- thank you for your revisiting the post and commenting. Your comment speaks volumes.

Joel Anderson

منذ 4 سنوات #27

The microbiome's in our lives literally, materially, anecdotally and metaphorically speak volumes. Just revisited this one. Well done Ali \ud83d\udc1d Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #26

#28
Fay Vietmeier Quite interesting thought that I shall try to accommodate in my post.

Fay Vietmeier

منذ 4 سنوات #25

@AliAnani This comes from Proverbs 4 "Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips." A word of admonishment for the pond dwellers ...

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #24

#26
Fay Vietmeier I will certainly write about wrinkles of time. Thank you for the inspiration

Fay Vietmeier

منذ 4 سنوات #23

@AliAnani Now that would be interesting: straightening the wrinkles of time ... on my face and in my dreams (we have earned those wrinkles on our face ;~) ... in my dreams I have none ;~) There is a book by Madeleine L'Engle (which is also a movie) A Wrinkle in Time includes the power of love and the value of individuality. The primary conflict, or clash between ideas or characters, is the contest between good and evil.

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #22

#24
Fay Vietmeier Fay- your comments distract my mind in a positive way!!! Now, I am thinking of how to straighten my hat. It has many wrinkles. But also, I am thinking of how to straighten the wrinkles of time on my face and dreams. I may write a post on this analogy.

Fay Vietmeier

منذ 4 سنوات #21

@AliAnani Straighten your cap professor ;~) "Be good" ... I'll do my bee-best ;~)

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #20

#22
Fay Vietmeier Sorry- I meant good, This is terrible to make a typo of this kind.

Fay Vietmeier

منذ 4 سنوات #19

@AliAnani "Be god" ... help me understand what means my dear Professor?

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #18

#20
Fay Vietmeier Fay We are all "hot" for the wedding in two days dear Fay. We are "hot" even though it is freezing outside. Love warms the heart and purifies the soul. I am waiting to read your thoughts. You shall turn that jar of clay to a jar of honey. You have the spirit. Be god my friend.

Fay Vietmeier

منذ 4 سنوات #17

@AliAnani Ali~ It occurred to me as I write that a “jar of clay” can become a “jar of honey” Such sweetness is of the heart & spirit … this is a spiritual sowing & reaping Possible only with GOD I shall include this in a writing Many, many “drafts” in process ;~) Your thoughts inspire this “well-spring spirit” 2) I hope she like the "Wedding Prayer" ... and the gathering for Satanieh was a blessed evening … the wedding draws near Marriage makes for larger tents ;~) 3) beBee is acting up … many times I can’t “like” or comment? WEIRD I’m prompted to sign in or join again … WEIRD

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #16

#18
Fay Vietmeier- Hi Fay- what a great "mocking" with birds! I mean “bee-utiful”. Accordingly, I call you "the spiritual jar bee-honey". I love the logic in your comment on purification. Truly, you are a well-spring spirit.

Fay Vietmeier

منذ 4 سنوات #15

@AliAnani Ali~ you always make me SMILE & brighten the day of this bee: … a "spiritual jar of honey" is such a “bee-utiful” complement Now how does one go about “purifying the ponds” … inquiring minds want to know GREAT question to ponder my dear Professor ;~) It brings me back to this wisdom: “from the overflow of the heart … the mouth speaks” So reasoning would follow If you want to “purify" the “ponds in our mouths” We must purify the well-spring in our heart ;~) Impossible without GOD … Who is the only One that knows the intentions of the heart and can “purify” if we are willing

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #14

#16
Fay Vietmeier- It id great to hear from you my "spiritual friend". We need "purifiers" and they work best if they are spiritual.Did I answer your question? You really understood the post wonderfully.You got the main points and explained them beautifully.That is amazing. Having a mouth like jar of honey 🍯🍯🍯 you achieve many things. Honey- is self=protecting.It allows in the good and delivers the good.You are a "spiritual jar of honey". What we allow in the water of the pond "saliva"? Harmful bacteria of mistrust and lying?Or, useful ones of trust and being true to self and the Creator, of course?

Fay Vietmeier

منذ 4 سنوات #13

@AliAnani 1) great metaphor: ... shrinking of our world into a village. We likened this to fish that lived in an ocean and we transferred them to a pond. 2) Your mind works in a most interesting way ;~) 3) I think one of the "complexities of management" ... would be managing the "ponds in the mouth" 4) It is written: "From the overflow of the heart ... the mouth speaks" ... with the admonishment to "Guard your heart because it is the well-spring of life" ~ Proverbs 4 5) Without question some of the "fish" in that "village" have pond scum in their mouth Poison platitudes and vitriol is pouring into all the "ponds" on earth .. and out of the mouths of the "fish" The blind lead the blind: "Millions of people could act towards a misleading issue because of the propaganda and the easiness to spread false claims" On what station do you hear "sweet news" ... that is what I want to hear

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #12

Thank you Javier \ud83d\udc1d beBee for your sharing the buzz.

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #11

#13
You remind me of Gulliver- he looked like a dwarf among gigantic people. It is a relativity issue. Yes, we filter out what we don't like when this is what we need to know.

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #10

#11
Dear Tausif Mundrawala- I thank you for your appreciation. I already commented on and shared your buzz.

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #9

#9
Amazing as I am reading your post when this comment arrived. Thank you dear Tausif Mundrawala for your appreciation. I advise you to collect your thoughts and write a post on the the toothpaste metaphor you suggested. It may lead you to some interesting findings. I have just clicked on the fishpond image and it works. Anyway this is the link https://www.slideshare.net/hudali15/fish-pond-metaphor-complexity-of-management

John Rylance

منذ 4 سنوات #8

#6
Thank you. 

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #7

Fay Vietmeier Fay- I published this post here in response to your "commanding request"

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #6

#4
Maybe the comment of @Harvey Lloys and my response make the post easier to follow John Rylance. Thank you for stopping by.

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #5

#3
This is a most welcome comment Harvey Lloyd. You summed the post and your thoughts in a simple, but formidable way. I mean "Creating a very wide pond of existence, but no depth". The waves are shallow and have no depth. Dealing; with crowded places is different from dealing with a lot of space and low population. I don't only mean the rowdiness of people, but also that of information. The bacteria in our mouths have shown us how to make small place enough for many. This requires what you described eloquently "Not only do we find facts but we also find the emotional response to facts". We still talk about cause and effect. In complex systems this simply doesn't work. We need to look for patterns, and including wave patterns, to ride the waves.

John Rylance

منذ 4 سنوات #4

It is probably me, but I found the analogy a difficult one to fathom. My mind was bombarded with, what about the food we put into the pond, the liquid alcoholic, non-alcoholic, mouth wash.we fill it with. The constant changing of the water in the pond. Too many factors for this to work for me. Perhaps I'm missing the key 

Harvey Lloyd

منذ 4 سنوات #3

In beginning to read your thoughts i was puzzled as to how you would bring the thought home. You brought it home nicely. Our world i believe is shrinking but only in the sense that information is shrinking what we don't know or can't find. Not only do we find facts but we also find the emotional response to facts. In your previous post we discussed the ability to critically think concerning what filters we might apply to all of this information. Unfortunately the filters of old have been abandoned and it just seems to be wave after wave of cause and effect. With great passion and emotion being the conditions of wave growth. Reasonable people no longer consider points presented but merely join the wave or become against the wave. Waves are a natural occurrence in any body of people but consideration of the wave properties is also natural. Unfortunately we have educated out of our very creative youth the ability to assess the wave properties. Creating a very wide pond of existence, but no depth. Humanity needs a backstop to anchor it to something that stands the test of time. We are witnessing the release of that anchor. The waves have us now.

Ali Anani

منذ 4 سنوات #2

#1
Thank you Pascal Derrien for commenting and sharing the post. AT least, I now bacteria work as many in one.

Pascal Derrien

منذ 4 سنوات #1

Bacterias are good at surviving in the most hostile environments..... we are just a gigantic macrobiotic version of them now I don't know if they have any intuitive behaviour though :-)

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