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Synergy
To achieve and maintain synergy, it is clearly necessary to eliminate
dysergy-or at least to reduce it to manageable proportions. Accordingly, a
considerable amount of research has been devoted to the development of
ideas and techniques for the elimination of dysergy.
Synergetics may be defined as the art and
science of producing synergy and reducing dysergy in complex systems.
Applied to the minds of individuals, it enables people to live happier,
more effective lives. Applied to groups, it promotes the development of a
high degree of mutual understanding, trust, teamwork, and love. And while
its application to larger institutions has been minimal to date, there is
every reason to believe that highly rewarding results may be achieved.
Indeed, the combined process of producing
synergy and reducing dysergy is itself synergic. For the more synergy is
produced, the easier it is to reduce dysergy.
Conversely, the more dysergy is reduced,
the easier it is to produce synergy. A cycle can be set up which, if
maintained, results in synergic growth and development.
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Dysergy
The term "dysergy" is a coined word
meaning "difficult working." It is used in place of "conflict" because
conflict is not necessarily dysergic. The conflict between athletes, for
example, can at least sometimes challenge the competing athletes to peak
performance. At other times, such conflict may be dysergic.
Dysergy is to be found everywhere in human
activities. Few individuals are free of dysergy in their own minds. Some
dysergy is present in even the most synergic human groups; and there is a
lot of dysergy in almost every group. The organizations, institutions,
economic systems, political entities, and other functional structures of
mankind are all beset by dysergy in a variety of forms.
HUMAN SYNERGETICS—N.
Arthur Coulter, Jr., M.D.
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