Rural System's

Ideas

Rural System stimulates, produces, preserves, and sells ideas. We see ideas (as did H.T. Odum) being the spark that releases the energy stored in gasoline, energy for doing work. We also see ideas as very abundant and many unused. Of course there are many that need to be scrapped, unused. Trying to decide those that need further study and development remains a difficult task, full of risk.

Of course we are not discussing all possible ideas, only those related to rural systems and that does not narrow the field very much. Ideas seem stimulated by being in special places, with special people, or when alone in great solitude. Rural System may be able to assist and these benefits come at some cost but they are likely small. The financial gains are those of simple present discounted net value, the company value or long term profit after the idea is implemented minus that before the idea was advanced for implementation. There is a market for profitable implemented ideas. All wasted ones or unimplemented ones produced are costs (at least time spent in thought and conferences, etc.) to the company.

Pasteur said that Nature favors the prepared mind. Getting prepared is the essence of lasting education. Being prepared is what produces and allows ideas ... and allows time to be well spent, avoiding explorations of "the good idea." already tested, found flawed, and rejected.

Good ideas come from

• general systems theory work, especially with clear objectives
• from directed committee and group work
• from reading abundantly and diversely
• from working in an open and idea-hungry idea-protecting environment
• from calm extended thought on single-to-quad topic relations as throughout a tetrahedron

Especially powerful is work in exploring analogies e.g., reasoning from observed animal and plant activity or structure and from building models and scenarios.

Many ideas are rejected since resources are assumed to be missing or unattainable (thus the ideas are impractical, unworkable, or "unrealistic"). Being aware of how to find or secure resources can restore old or discarded good ideas.

Planned and managed brainstorming can prove that ideas can be generated. Controlling and managing these sessions is difficult but important and profit can be made from managing them on Rural System platforms and events.

Identifying sources, preserving ideas, and giving proper and adequate credit are all essential parts of a rich idea-environment.

Rural System can

• help understand ideas and their formation
• help groups and individuals create and use ideas
• help evaluate ideas about natural resource options, especially using simulation and optimization
• product ideas and thought patterns for specific situations for evaluation and analyses
• supply technological aids for storing, retrieving, and moving positively judged ideas into practice

See Giles' ideas-for-development unit, a treasure of observations, hints, questions, experiment and research topics, and perplexing resource issues.

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Rural System
Robert H. Giles, Jr.
June 28, 2005