Mapping society for a more meaningful world | Steve Whitla | TEDxOxford

Steve takes us on an inspirational whistle-stop tour of systems thinking, cartography, human nature and the European Union, and concludes that system maps could revolutionise our ability to understand and change the world, but only if we're prepared to challenge the most powerful maps of all - those in our heads.
Steve Whitla is the founder of Visual Meaning, a company that helps large organisations make sense of how they work, and how they need to change, using conceptual maps. His main passion is understanding how people make meaning, and using that understanding to make the world a more meaningful place. He lives and works in Oxford, and blogs about visual language at rich.pictures.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@saidwithcourage]

I watch this video so regularly. Absoluely genius level of simplifying the complex and so inspiring.

[@erdwaenor]

*PLEASE FIX THE VOLUME (IT'S A BIT TOO LOW).* I believe such suggested Mapping engagement represents a game-changer in Education and development of whole societies; but Mapping (the) Complexity, even using powerful models such as those found in a Systems Thinking perspective or related thing, can be quite challenging, and it often will generate incomplete models, requiring retakes or revisions over time; but we need to start from somewhere nonetheless. I do feel like that we need more 'Mappers' working, from schools to universities, from families and companies to public administrations; but this requires vision, training and resources.

[@hannesssss]

we need to map moneyflow guys! then we see products (food, security by state caused by taxes, education, and so on), and their consumers (different groups, all part of one big group- humans), and the producers (different groups of the same big human group) then we maybe see: what is how much important for society :)

[@3lH4ck3rC0mf0r7]

Hannes Günther A map of economy maybe would be more useful than anything, since it'd have the capacity to reveal patterns in how rich people gained their money.

[@rabismo]

Beautiful, I loved it!!!

[@ham_topy7195]

love it .

[@ayarzeev8237]

this is so cool

[@sescopian9118]

It would've been nice if the video didn't sound like it was at two when it was at 10!!!!

[@شيمهالعنزي-ك5ي]

واصل

[@yemen-rz9jm]

سـاره العـنـزي hi

[@Terratype]

W E I N e r

[@jdnotariano]

When we truly map society we will find that > 90% of society is useless when it comes to pure functionality. Mapping society is more difficult than any other complexity, because "society" is not a simple geographical concept, rather it is infinitely dynamic in all dimensions. Also society should not define what is "meaningful" or "necessary", but rather what is exhilarating and what crosses the lines of possibility. The framework of society is only interesting in that it is constantly being broken down and redefined, like a dynamic work of infinite beauty. Even when we can perfectly "map" the weather and model complex macro systems, "society" will always find a way to become unmappable, because if it doesn't then what a dull and meaningless society it will be.

[@frankstein5846]

Pietro B Reality is complex, yet simplistic. Mapping complexity causes it to change. Heck quantum science shows even on the most micro level just looking at things cause them to change. Interesting as you say, people like order and organizing the chaos that is reality.

[@jdnotariano]

Skylark "pure functionality" ~ being necessary to function properly. "infinitely dynamic in all dimensions " ~ society changes with both time and perspective and it cannot be unified conceptually or in practice. My comment is what came to me at the moment, don't read too much into it, and expound upon it as you like...

[@frankstein5846]

Pietro B I applaud you, well said.

[@marknicoll9325]

“…"society" is not a simple geographical concept, rather it is infinitely dynamic in all dimensions” It depends on what you mean by “society”. Steve is using the term loosely here to refer to all the basic stuff exist in our world to serve communities (institutions, organisations, structures etc.). So, he's talking about making objective systemic visual representations of those things, for example healthcare, local government, the voting system, money flows in the economy, etc etc etc etc. That’s absolutely possible, he just proved it (check the link in the talk)

[@jdnotariano]

Mark Nicoll You highlight my point. Society is so much more than all the things you mentioned. Sure someone can make a "user friendly" graphical interface of these basic ideas like he demonstrates. But even the current "data" is often hard to agree on between varying "experts" so the "map" would be constantly evolving and never really accurate. It would make for a cool educational website... Maybe a great project for Wikipedia to think about.

[@amazingaccountant]

People dont make meaning,they only believe they do.This all world is based on beliefs.Guide the beliefs and you will change the world as you wish.Start with Know Thyself,Socratic method,then systems thinking,sources of power and manisfestations of it etc.But beware,it will ruin all your illusions and you will never be the same hahahaha

[@zeelpatel3408]

first comment.

[@thutopstpr]

Zeal Patel check min。😉