Seeking The Pattern That Connects

"What pattern connects the crab to the lobster and the orchid to the primrose and all four of them to me? And me to you? And all the six of us to the amoeba in one direction and to the schizophrenic in another? [...] The pattern which connects is a meta-pattern. It is a pattern of patterns. It is that meta-pattern which defines the vast generalization that, indeed, it is patterns which connect." - Gregory Bateson, Mind and Nature: A Necessary Unity" (1979), p.8

When Gregory Bateson asks "what is the pattern that connects the orchid to the primrose and the dolphin to the whale and all four to me?" he is making a statement about the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things in the world.

Bateson was an anthropologist, philosopher, and systems theorist who was interested in exploring the patterns of relationship and communication that exist between living things and their environments. He believed that in order to fully understand the world around us, we must be able to see the connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.

With this question, Bateson is asking us to look for the underlying pattern or structure that connects seemingly unrelated things, such as flowers and marine mammals, to ourselves. He is pointing to the idea that everything in the world is connected in some way, and that understanding these connections is essential to understanding the world as a whole.

In essence, Bateson is suggesting that we must look beyond the surface differences between things and focus on the deeper underlying patterns and relationships that exist between them. By doing so, we can gain a more holistic understanding of the world and our place within it.

As we have seen, Bateson's question invites us to explore the connections between seemingly unrelated things in the world. But it is also an invitation to look for patterns in our own lives. By doing so, we can gain a greater understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. This kind of self-reflection is essential for personal growth and development.

Psychotherapy is a potent tool for exploring the patterns in our lives. A skilled therapist can help us identify patterns of behaviour or thought that may be holding us back, and work with us to develop new, healthier patterns. Through this process, we can learn to see ourselves and our relationships with others in a new light.

If you'd like to explore the ideas of Gregory Bateson further, there are a number of resources available to you. Some of these include:

• "Steps to an Ecology of Mind" by Gregory Bateson: This collection of essays and lectures by Bateson is a great introduction to his work and his ideas about systems theory.

• "Mind and Nature" by Gregory Bateson: In this book, Bateson explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, and how we can use systems theory to better understand this relationship.

• The Bateson Idea Group: This online community is dedicated to exploring the ideas of Gregory Bateson and applying them to various fields, including psychotherapy.

If you are interested in exploring your own patterns and relationships through psychotherapy, I encourage you to enquire within. Through therapy, you can gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your place in the world, and develop the tools you need to lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life.