Gestalt Principles of Design as a Map for Good Ideas & Life
On Change, Impotency, Moral Responsibility and the Logos
Maybe the rope that’s being sent down to your den is not to choke you, or a noose for you to give up on, maybe it’s for you to hold on to and climb out of your despair. Tikvah, the Hebrew word for hope, is also the word for “rope.” Life is but a matter of perspective.
As I grow older - I’m beginning to see this pattern when it comes to value and how it connects to being well-rounded. An example is, the excellence of a product lies not just in its stellar USP - but how, the cohesiveness and completeness of the product - from the origin of its idea to the physical — putting it in your cart to after-sales service — to its cosmic and ecological effects, when net positive to our moral compass, make it exceptional. It is not a single feature (the USP) that distinguishes the product and separates it from its competitors, but rather ‘the whole’ that creates this experience, that sells it to us. To stay on track with this design metaphor, I believe this postulate is the application of the Gestalt principle.
Gestalt principles or laws are rules that describe how the human eye perceives visual elements. These principles aim to show how complex scenes can be reduced to more simple shapes….that describes how humans group similar elements, recognize patterns and simplify complex images.
~ The Interaction Design Foundation
Now the key to approaching the Gestalt principle is that this phenomenon lies in the mind and not, the eyes. Hence to truly understand and know yourself, it must come from within, from the mind’s eye. When applied to the self, the Gestalt principle reassures us that our personality and potential are not reducible to mere collections of skills and traits. Those are the characteristics of a machine. And what separates a machine from a human, is the soul. And to have your soul in the game, is what separates an artist from the ordinary man. It is through the Gestalt principle that we are given a framework that explains how the uniqueness of an individual emerges from the intricate interplay and unity of its various facets. No doubt this is a rather optimistic idea as it suggests that it is via viewing our life through this lens that we come to recognize that our true potential is an emergent property, greater than the sum of our individual talents, but the same can be applied for the reverse — crime and psychopathy.
But in order for this Gestalt principle to truly work in setting down our path of meaning, or simply planning and delivering the value we believe we bring as individuals - it must bring unity. Unity, not just among our talents and skills but also our various roles, aspirations, and abilities, while simultaneously being tied to our own personal values and principles. Unity is something we far too often ignore at the grassroots level — ideas.
It is important to have good ideas (and not half baked ideas) because ideas bring about change.
Powerful ideas rule the world. Because no action, thought or idea is free of consequence. Everything is interconnected. Every deed originates from a previous web of events and leads to effects on not just our immediate surroundings but also the broader environment socially, mentally, and even cosmically. Nothing exists in a vacuum, which is exactly why we have a moral responsibility to recognize the weight of our thoughts and actions because they inevitably contribute to the greater whole. The principle of cause and effect governs all things.
(Notes: what is a powerful idea? One that is either communicated by a powerful voice, but mainly one that is supported by consistent network effects. This is an idea that produces the same outcome over varied geographies, scale and scenarios because of how strongly it is built into first principles, even if it is an ‘evil idea.’ I will not digress into the origins of good and evil, at least, not today, but in order to think one has to risk being offensive. If you seek only comfort in ideas, popular ideas that stem from beliefs opposite to your political values— will make you feel confused and misled, uncertain of who or what to trust. This is where groupthink stems from. This is why it is called a moral COMPASS.)
Let’s see this act out in real time through the lens of contentment:
The more I move through life, the more I learn that true content and satisfaction will never be found. But what comes the closest to it, will always come from choosing the hard thing you had a fire in you for, that came at the cost of your old self, a link, a connection to your roots. We are wired to never be completely content. Our decisions and perceptions are greatly influenced by our unconscious mind, which is full of secrets, anxieties, and desires. These effects drive us to make decisions that are at odds with our actual needs and ideals, which leaves us feeling unhappy.Any feelings of inadequacy or incompetence will make their way through our bones in either (or a combination of) three ways:
I - Through seeking pleasure (Freud)
2 - To achieve self-realization Jung
3 - Or aiming for superiority (Adler)
This represents three different professionals who are unsatisfied in their current lives who either
1 - take no big risk or jump in their career, instead seek some fleeting gratification on the side through a hobby carousel, ideologies or relationships
2 - those who take up their cross and evaluate what led them astray both internally and externally in this phase, to enhance their quality of life
3 - when you can't sit still and have to take that big, big leap of faith.
Persons 2 and 3 fare much better and demonstrate more happiness even if at losing odds. To pursue our passion and what brings us true meaning will far triumph over carnal metrics we set for ourselves thinking it will bring us satisfaction and lasting joy.
To chase head-first what we want, rather than playing it safe, is truly where growth begins, both, professionally and personally. Anything else isn't serious exercise for the mind or spirit. You have to give something up and give something to yourself — to make a trade off for there to be any change. The simple fundamental information-feedback loop.
If you want to travel back in time for another example, check this out:
The impotent man
By this logic, there is only one individual who is, in intellectual society, considered important. His role is not entirely defunct, but in essence, is useless. This is the man who can not and does not give. A man who is unable to give, is an impotent man.
In order to be virile, awakened, a real man, he has to "give.” He needs to be able to give protection, provision, leadership, smart ideas, sound arguments, wise judgment. His ability to provide intellectual stimulation, emotional support, and spiritual guidance demonstrates his capacity for true masculinity. Any man incapable of this immediately rids himself of any credibility and respect. He can not stand for the truth, because he is cognitively handicapped. In Erich Fromm's philosophical framework, this concept aligns with the notion of "productive orientation," where people channel their creative energies into meaningful contributions to society. The impotent man is too often seen as the one lacking physical strength, but rather is the "stupid" man, a drain of resources, an abyss. The man who fails to tap into provident wisdom, through his vices, foolishness and mortal sins loses his inherent ability to give and thereby fulfill his potential for genuine virility.
Now, if you were to ask me which of these elements make the painting ‘a whole’ and complete, there is just one idea I have been thinking of: