We love to categorise. I have heard scientists describe human beings as pattern-makers. It is, is would seem, the fundamental way we make sense of the world around us but of course it is ‘a way of thinking’ and, as in all things, that makes me wonder if it is either the best way of thinking, or even a restrictive way of thinking.
The thing about all the patterns I know (even fractals in a strange way), is that they all contain borders. When we looked up at stars and charted the formations (pattern) of the stars we pulled several together to outline strange animals from our myths. We might think of this as quaint today but it is imprinting upon the universe our own myths, and how very dangerous that would be.
Even the modern way of giving them all numbers is in itself reducing the stars to classifications and even worse we do the same thing to ourselves. I was born with a number the State gave me, it follows me everywhere and accrues a good deal of information on the way including numbers for my car licence, my work life, and classifications for my health, education and demographic place. I would be only too happy to argue none of them, singly or together, are me.
When we classify we gain an understanding of something within our own borders of thinking, but we don’t actually know anything until we let the borders go.