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The term “entropy” is used in a variety of ways, some technical and some non-technical. In the technical sense, entropy derives from the second law of thermodynamics. That law describes the tendency of energy to spread out over time. For example, if a cup of hot liquid is placed in a cool room, the energy contained in the tea (heat) will disperse into the room, cooling the tea (to room temperature) and raising the temperature of the room (ever so slightly). Thus, in a technical sense, entropy is a measurement of the “spreading out” of heat energy from the teacup to the room. Once that heat has escaped from the teacup, it is gone forever. The tea may be reheated in the microwave (thus adding new heat ), but the old heat that formerly resided in the teacup has escaped from the cup, and it’s not coming back. The second law of thermodynamics tells us that, in the above example, the orderly (and useful) cup of warm tea must eventually dissolve into a less useful form: a cold cup of tea combined with an ever so slightly warmed-up room. But what does this the concept of entropy have to do with you? Plenty. In a non-technical sense, the term entropy has come to define the tendency of things to become less organized over time (and presumably more messed-up). In other words, the things that we leave unattended will not tend themselves. Unless we’re willing to do the work required to fight entropy, clutter will eventually consume our lives like an army of hungry ants devouring a sugar cube. What’s required to combat entropy is not simply work; what’s required is intelligent, productive, orderly work designed to anticipate and foil the inevitable buildup of chaotic forces that otherwise sabotage our plans and undermine our actions. Whether you realize it or not, you’re locked in a struggle: you versus entropy. May the force be with you.
Keeping
Chaos at Bay
”Whenever I meet people who
tell me they are stuck, I know that if I visit their homes, I will almost always
find lots of clutter. Clutter accumulates when energy stagnates.”
”Order means light and peace;
inward liberty and free command over one’s self; order is power.”
”How happy we can make our
lives, and the lives of those around us, merely by self-organization.” For a Few More Thoughts About Chaos, Click Here
For a Few
Ideas About Getting Organized, Click Here This page was written and compiled by Criswell Freeman, Psy.D.
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