Historical Orientation

Historical orientation is one of the defining attributes of The Pattern, an important concept in understanding the way FaerieMUD's developmental and periodic objects work.

A question of vocabulary

In any Developmental Object? each period brings a new balance which radically changes the way the object perceives its relationship with the world. This gives rise to a whole new way of talking about itself and the world.

In the early periods (the Prenatal Balance, the Incorporative Balance, and the Impulsive Balance), the Developmental Object has not yet reached the sophistication required to use a different vocabulary from the one by which it is perceiving itself within.

In the latter periods (the Imperial Balance, the Interpersonal Balance, the Institutional Balance, and the Interindividual Balance), the Developmental Object goes through three phases of vocabulary in each period:

  • the first two stages - use their current vocabulary because they are very much aware of the importance of the new way of describing things
  • the middle stages - use the vocabulary of the previous balance because they are very much aware of the importances of encouraging those who are still stuck in the previous balance to grow into the new balance. Note that the number of these stages increases in the last two periods:
    • the Imperial and Interpersonal balances have 10 stages in the middle stages because they have limited capacity for genius
    • the Institutional and Interindividual balances have 24 stages in the middle stages because they are capable of a great deal more introspection which can result in true genius
  • the latter 6 stages - use the vocubulary of the current balance because they are starting to deal with the current balance as a fait accompli which is well-accepted within the Developmental Object

Thus, the Current Balance vocabularies correspond to Series A groups on the periodic table of elements:

See also Previous Balance and Current Balance.

— Scotus - 08 May 2003