What Does Generative AI Say (Thank you, Don Osborne)
The relationship between Jon W. Hansen’s strand commonality and the randomness of life – is everything ultimately connected?
Jon W. Hansen’s “strand commonality” theory and the philosophical question of whether everything is ultimately connected—especially in the context of the randomness of life—offer a compelling intersection between applied systems thinking and metaphysics.
Strand Commonality: The Hidden Structure in Apparent Randomness
Hansen’s strand commonality theory posits that seemingly unrelated data streams or “strands” possess interconnected attributes. By identifying and leveraging these hidden connections, organizations (and, by extension, complex systems) can achieve more optimal outcomes—even when surface-level processes look unrelated or random. The theory was practically applied in government-funded research to reveal “core procedural DNA” across different departments, showing that even disparate processes share underlying structures.
Agent-based models and Hansen’s Relational Acquisition Model (RAM) further demonstrate that by integrating and acting on these hidden relationships, complex systems (like procurement or network management) become more efficient and adaptive.
Randomness, Interconnectedness, and the Nature of Reality
Philosophically, randomness is often seen as the absence of pattern or predictability—a domain where outcomes occur by chance and without discernible connection. Yet, as science advances, what once appeared random is frequently revealed to have underlying order or connection (e.g., chaos theory, quantum mechanics, and the search for laws in nature).
Some thinkers, like Einstein, believed apparent randomness masked deeper, hidden variables and order; others, like Bohr and Heisenberg, saw unpredictability as fundamental.
In Buddhist and systems philosophy, the concept of interbeing or sunyata (“emptiness”) asserts that everything is dependent on everything else for its existence, and nothing exists in true isolation.
Is Everything Ultimately Connected?
Hansen’s strand commonality provides a practical, data-driven framework for uncovering connections in what seems random or disconnected. It suggests that, at least within complex human systems, there is often more underlying commonality than we first perceive. This aligns with broader philosophical and scientific arguments that randomness may be a matter of perspective or incomplete knowledge, and that deeper analysis often reveals hidden patterns and relationships.
Empirical evidence: In practice, applying strand commonality has led to measurable improvements in efficiency and decision-making, supporting the idea that “random” events or processes may be deeply interlinked beneath the surface.
Philosophical resonance: The search for hidden connections echoes ancient and modern philosophical traditions that posit a web of interdependence underlying all phenomena.
A Simple But Effective Example In Practical Procurement Application
Conclusion
Strand commonality bridges the gap between randomness and interconnectedness: it shows that what appears random or unrelated may, upon closer inspection, be part of a larger, hidden structure. While not everything may be obviously or directly connected, Hansen’s work and the broader philosophical tradition both suggest that the boundaries between randomness and order, isolation and connection, are far more porous than they seem. In this sense, life’s apparent randomness often conceals a deeper, sometimes discoverable, unity.
30
There is no such thing as a “true” Black Swan event!
Procurement Insights
This Is How ProcureTech Solution Development Should Be Done
Posted on May 29, 2025
0
What Does Generative AI Say (Thank you, Don Osborne)
The relationship between Jon W. Hansen’s strand commonality and the randomness of life – is everything ultimately connected?
Jon W. Hansen’s “strand commonality” theory and the philosophical question of whether everything is ultimately connected—especially in the context of the randomness of life—offer a compelling intersection between applied systems thinking and metaphysics.
Strand Commonality: The Hidden Structure in Apparent Randomness
Hansen’s strand commonality theory posits that seemingly unrelated data streams or “strands” possess interconnected attributes. By identifying and leveraging these hidden connections, organizations (and, by extension, complex systems) can achieve more optimal outcomes—even when surface-level processes look unrelated or random. The theory was practically applied in government-funded research to reveal “core procedural DNA” across different departments, showing that even disparate processes share underlying structures.
Randomness, Interconnectedness, and the Nature of Reality
Philosophically, randomness is often seen as the absence of pattern or predictability—a domain where outcomes occur by chance and without discernible connection. Yet, as science advances, what once appeared random is frequently revealed to have underlying order or connection (e.g., chaos theory, quantum mechanics, and the search for laws in nature).
Is Everything Ultimately Connected?
Hansen’s strand commonality provides a practical, data-driven framework for uncovering connections in what seems random or disconnected. It suggests that, at least within complex human systems, there is often more underlying commonality than we first perceive. This aligns with broader philosophical and scientific arguments that randomness may be a matter of perspective or incomplete knowledge, and that deeper analysis often reveals hidden patterns and relationships.
A Simple But Effective Example In Practical Procurement Application
Conclusion
Strand commonality bridges the gap between randomness and interconnectedness: it shows that what appears random or unrelated may, upon closer inspection, be part of a larger, hidden structure. While not everything may be obviously or directly connected, Hansen’s work and the broader philosophical tradition both suggest that the boundaries between randomness and order, isolation and connection, are far more porous than they seem. In this sense, life’s apparent randomness often conceals a deeper, sometimes discoverable, unity.
30
There is no such thing as a “true” Black Swan event!
Share this:
Related