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i, node

What then might the ‘with coherence’ in ‘living with coherence’ stand for?

The first thing I note is that the original wording is not about a ‘life with coherence’. When would an entire life be in coherence? Could it be at all? The intention does not seem to be to call for a life that is accomplished in a particular way.

‘Living with coherence’ isn’t ‘living in coherence’ either. ‘With coherence’ sounds more plausible, more doable, more accommodating of human imperfection. That ‘living’ could be ‘with coherence’ for a moment, for a phase in life, maybe just for some time for one aspect of a life.

Then for ‘coherence’ itself, I see two possible intended meanings.

The first meaning of coherence looks inside. Coherence can be an expression to describe internal consistency - for an ensemble of arguments that fits together, that does not contradict itself, for any whole in which its parts are in tune.

Using those words, would coherence then describe a quality of ‘living’ in which its parts are in tune? ‘Living with internal consistency’ - it sounds right and positive but what would that be?
I note that the inside of my ‘living’ is not the inside of me and certainly not just the mental inside of me.

But if this ‘living’ is a whole, what then are the parts of that whole? What comes together, what forms, what makes up ‘living’?

Inner life, communication, actions? Is that it? What about the material aspects of living, the food we need, the care we need and give, the stuff we consume, the trail of rubbish we leave behind us?

‘Living’ is not a well-delimited something. An essential characteristic of human ‘living’ is its connectedness and ‘being part of’. We only ever are in relation to other humans, to other living beings, to inanimate objects. We are embedded in and relate to social structures like families, communities, societies, states. We depend on technical structures and infrastructure, which could be as simple as a makeshift shelter and as complex as a global supply chain. Are all these ‘parts’ of the ‘whole’ of my ‘living’?

It would seem wrong to say they are not. That is daunting. How could all of that ever be in consistency, be brought into consistency? But in what way would this still be internal? That makes no sense. While all these extensive links to other beings, to inanimate objects, to social and technical structures are part of my living, are even vitally necessary for my living to be viable, they do not in their totality constitute the whole of my living.

Back to the living self then. It is, after all, the only possible starting point for my explorations. That brings the crucial change in perspective. No point in myself trying to look at me! Instead: Be and look! Be here and look! Look out!

And what do I see? This living me is is the point where all these relations hook up, where they have an end point or starting point. Here they come together. I am the hub, the node of my relations. I am the living whole that consists of who and what I am linked to.

I had thought that there was a second meaning of coherence that would be looking outside: Coherence as being connected with others, sticking together, forming groups.

Instead, I find that even the supposed inner coherence is the coherence of relations with the outside. And looking at coherence with the outside I realise that those relations make up and form the inside, make up and form me.

Seeing this, does it even make sense to continue to speak of inside and outside? Feeling this, I wonder where that leaves me. Where am I here? Without me those relations would not exist. With this ‘me’ they do. And as relations they make up this ‘me’. This is a circular reference. Where does it begin?

Where did I begin? Humans begin at birth. Once the umbilical cord is cut, we are on our own for a brief moment. And everything depends on our ability to relate. First to air. Then to the maternal breast or a bottle or even an intravenous drip. From there it continues. At the basis of life is the ability to relate. The gift of life is the ability to relate.

I am living my relations. My relations live me. I am my relations with a bit of agency to co-shape them with my counterparts.

As a node I live. Living is relation.

January 28, 2025   #living_with_coherence