Third Attractor

= alternative to a civilizational descent towards either tyranny or chaos ; often cited as the antidote to the Meta-Crisis

Typology

In 'Third Attractor' discourse, such as used by Daniel Schmachtenerger, the assumption is that there are two other main attractors in a Metacrisis scenario:

Andrea Farias:

"Catastrophes: Both distributed & unintentional, for example, economies keep driving climate change; and intentional, for example, bad actors making bioweapons in their basement.

Dystopias: A government that can enforce global economic restrictions and prevent basement weapons needs huge amounts of power, which inevitably leads to abuses.

These are known as the first and second attractors, or likely trajectories. We need to identify a third attractor, which solves for global scale coordination without resorting to mass centralized control."

(https://diome.xyz/2+%F0%9F%8C%BF+Leaves/Metacrisis)

Characteristics

1. Andrea Farias:

• "Decentralization with Coordination: Unlike centralized systems, which are prone to abuses of power, the third attractor likely emphasizes decentralized decision-making processes. However, it also ensures that these decentralized systems are coordinated in a manner that allows for effective action on global issues, such as climate change and ecological preservation.

• Adaptation to Externalities: A key failure of current systems is their inability to properly account for externalities like pollution and social inequality. The third attractor would integrate mechanisms to recognize, measure, and respond to such externalities, ensuring they are not merely overlooked or treated as afterthoughts.

• Reimagined Economic Systems: Moving beyond the traditional capitalist model, which prioritizes profit often at the expense of environmental and social well-being, the third attractor would likely involve a reimagining of what an economy looks like. This could involve new forms of currency, value exchange, and resource allocation that prioritize sustainability, equity, and well-being.

• Empowered Communities: Instead of the disempowerment that comes from overly individualistic or overly statist approaches, this attractor would likely focus on strengthening intermediate institutions and communities, enabling them to have more control over their futures and to contribute meaningfully to global governance.

• Innovative Governance: The third attractor would necessitate innovative forms of governance that allow for both global and local concerns to be addressed effectively, without leading to the concentration of power in a way that could facilitate abuse."

(https://diome.xyz/2+%F0%9F%8C%BF+Leaves/Metacrisis)

2. Ernesto van Peborgh:

"The capacities and capabilities necessary to design the Third Attractor:

Capacity involves understanding our current predicament — this superorganism we’ve created through the relentless and destructive forces of neocapitalism. It means developing the skills, resources, and environmental conditions to foster growth and enable the transition from potential to actionable strategies.

Capability, on the other hand, is the power to evolve from that understanding. It represents the ability to not only envision but also implement regenerative systems, creating a continuous flow of emergence and innovation.

To put it simply, capacity is about developing regenerative design strategies and frameworks, while capability is about turning this design into practical, regenerative development.

By focusing on both, we can turn strategic-driven inquiry into tangible outcomes that support a regenerative future.

Regenerative design builds capacity through living system processes, embracing patterns and principles of living systems."

(https://ernesto-87727.medium.com/designing-the-third-attractor-93a76bc6800b)