Polystasis and Survival: Polystatic processes and dynamic feedback systems are essential to my survival in our often “hostile” and anxiety-producing monetary environment. The key point is that the baseline itself is likely to repeatedly change when Polystasis is operating in a shifting (dancing) environment with changing somatic and psychosocial templates constantly at play. This change might involve quantity (raising or lowering the baseline) or quality (shifting to a different baseline). We remain vigilant regarding real and imagined monetary challenges.
As with our somatic templates, our monetary templates are always active and fully available to us—even if we remain unaware of their powerful presence. Optimally, we weigh the costs and benefits of changing monetary conditions. We alter our ways of adjusting to (and buffering) the impact of shifting monetary conditions (as noted by our deviant psychosocial template). We can consider alternatives (Peter Sterling’s Allo). Ideally, we can predict and plan immediate changes in schedules and priorities. We can be agile in our management of money and allocation of time to monetary considerations.
At the same time, we can be cautious about becoming “trigger-happy.” Each major change in the baseline brings about a challenging and often disruptive change curve (Bergquist, 2014) of which we must be aware. There is also the matter of self-fulfilling prophecies (Argyris and Schön, 1974). We must be sure that our anticipations do not lead to actions that do nothing more than justify the anticipation. For example, our decision not to trust a colleague with our money can lead our colleague to become less trustworthy (or at least forthcoming) precisely because they sense our hesitation and our failure to trust their intentions or competence.
The monetary environment must (and will) continually shift. Anticipations will change repeatedly as potential solutions are proposed. In a collaborative setting, financial meaning will be reconstructed multiple times as each constituency seeks to understand and perhaps appreciate the monetary perspectives offered by other constituencies. Different values will emerge and gain ascendancy as different constituencies are brought to the table. Baselines are constantly shifting. Predictions are frequently modified. Potential actions are proposed and abandoned with the shifts in baselines and predictions. Polystasis will prevail.
Costs and Remedies of Polystasis: Before leaving this focus on Polystasis, I wish to reiterate that this rapidly moving process often is expensive. As I mentioned when introducing Polystasis, the quick engagement of appraisal, adjustment, and action is not amenable to slow thinking–not to reflective practice. Our somatic and psychosocial templates are frequently adjusted in ways that might not align with reality. Imaginary lions are a specialty of modern humankind. Polystasis is aligned with noncritical, knee-jerk reactions.
Don Schön (1983) has cautioned us about these reactions. We are in demand as practitioners—providing vital services as physician, psychologist, or urban planner. Under these conditions, the dynamics of Polystasis might leave us breathless and with little time to reflect on our professional practices. Daniel Kahneman (2013) would join Schön in urging restraint. Fast thinking should be avoided when operating in a dynamic polystatic manner. Kahneman may suggest that Polystasis and the formulation of psychosocial templates are vulnerable to the inappropriate uses of heuristics. We often use simplistic and outmoded heuristics when shifting our template, changing our baseline, and making predictions in a dynamic environment.
