“Quorum sensing” as “I have friends everywhere!”in progressive human groups
Abstract ~ Quorum sensing among bacteria is equated with the human phenomena of realizing and acting on the understanding, “I have friends everywhere!”
“Quorum sensing” is a clumsy term scientists use to talk about ‘collective decision-making’ in bacteria and animals. For Cultural Creative Progressives, here’s a digest version.
In bio-chemistry, for 200 years, bacteria were believed to exist merely as individual cells seeking nutrients and multiplying. Around the year 2000, “quorum sensing” began to be studied.
Simply put, bacteria chemically message each other continually. When the population of a certain bacteria increases to a certain threshold, the intensity of messaging also crosses a threshold. The cross of a threshold of messaging activity is recognized by the entire groups. This triggers a group expression towards a shared group benefit.
In human terms, above a certain intensity of mutual messaging, bacteria recognize they are no longer “in the minority” in this area in this host. An intensity of mutual messaging tells them they are now so numerous, they can attack the host more forcefully towards a collective takeover of the host in these tissues.
Quorum sensing explains “virulence”
Quorum sensing is used to explain “virulence.” At an advanced stage of infection, the bacteria no longer act as separate solo organisms. They behave more like a collective, single organism with its own intelligence, aims and goals — however unpleasant to animal and human hosts. When bacteria signal each other massively, “It’s time to march!” doctors and hospitals call this “virulence.” Quorum sensing is a collective attempt to move, march and conquer.
For progressive orgs, what can we learn from quorum sensing? How do humans message each other? Social media is the most modern form of social messaging. Two-way messaging allows bacteria and humans to recognize “how much company it has” of others with identical “values and goals.” Each single bacteria is “empowered,” recognizing they are part of a larger group consensus. When they understand they are in the majority — they “march.”
Find a good, non-anthropomorphic description of quorum sensing here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11544353
In human terms, the group “votes” for action when the local density of brothers and sisters with the same values crosses a signalling threshold.
“Quorum sensing” in human groups is often called “collective decision-making.” Often the group’s next, natural action is moving together, taking action on a goal.
Q: Is quorum sensing the same as herd behavior in animals?
A: Yes with crucial differences. In herd birds-mammals herd behavior is almost always a defensive thing, in service to protecting the herd from predators.
In bacteria, all bacteria of the same species have the same DNA and therefore the same “goals and values.” When population density (group consensus) reaches a certain threshold, quorum sensing is in service to MOBILIZING, to press forward TOWARDS A SPECIFIC GOAL. Quorum sensing is clearly a “strength in numbers” attack behavior.
Slavery was abolished thru human quorum sensing
In the 1800s, quorum sensing among human beings internationally produced eliminating human slavery in most places and establishing more human rights in many places.
Q: How can I contribute to Progressive human quorum sensing?
A: By sharing your most truly human values, messages in person and thru as many media s you have time and energy for.
The weakness of Progressive efforts since 2001 can be explained as missed opportunities and ignorance about converging Progressives over shared, truly human values.
Instead, both Progressives and Regressives competed to chase large donors to compete in duopoly horse race elections. Converging Progressives over shared, truly human values was forgotten, became a lost art.
Progressive leaders in the 1980s-2000s took little interest in how the demographics of their Progressive voters was changing. The big change? Progressive votes were increasingly highly educated, had consumed far more college educated than any past generations
The less educated your voters are, the more you can get away with telling them how to think. Less educated learners do well with lectures, speeches, talking heads and Q&A panel group formats.
The more highly educated your participants are, the more college they have under their belt, the more they wish to explore and share their own thinking and ideas. The more capable they are from learning from heir own experience and the experience of neighbors and even strangers.
This change means the group process format has to evolve as well.
Lectures, speeches, talking heads, interviews and panels — all have to subside and diminish. Your more highly educated participants will respond strongest to hands-on partner activities, where they can:
- learn from their own experience,
- learn from each other’s experience (thru empathy),
- go deeper on their own concerns.
In fewer words, people capable of thinking for themselves — want to think for themselves.
Facilitators of less educated learners can teach, speechify and lecture.
Facilitators of highly educated learners have to give up teaching and learn to facilitate partner learning group formats and exercises.
This shift from teaching-lecturing to facilitating partner group process exercises DID NOT HAPPEN in the campaigns of Obama 2008 and 2012 nor in Bernie 2016 and 2020.
A big question is will Progressive leaders wake up and use participatory live events as enrollment engines for door to door canvasers and other volunteer tasks needed for winning state and national elections?
Other leaders in healthy Progressive values rhetoric I like are George Lakoff, Robert Reich since Oct. 2016, Douglas Rushkoff in his Team Human meme, George Monbiot, Ellen Brown.
Duplication, modification and replication of the this doc and following script is highly encouraged. No one else I know has worked Mark’s ideas into a fun, social learning, group process before this doc. If you know of other efforts or like-minded people, tell me, connect me.
Q: Were Occupy Wall Street in the US and the Arab Spring examples of “quorum sensing”?
A: Yes. What was missing from them and Bernie Sanders 2016 was attention to creating and nurturing ON-GOING healthy, SUSTAINABLE, group process at the LOCAL LEVEL. For this Progressive leaders must learn something about:
- The group process formats of InsightSeminar.org,
- Best Practices in interpersonal competency,
- Best Practices in group process formats for active learners.
Excerpted from a longer doc, “Live event script for uncovering shared values-consensus on values for intentional communities and progressive orgs” by this same author. Available by email HealingToolbox atttg male c-=om
