Rule One
Rule One is the first rule or principle of system thinking which governs the Prime — sometimes leading to the rule being called “the Law of Primes.” It is the rule associate with [1] The Prime frame, the first system shape of the Semantic Ontology Framework.
The rule states:
Systems should be understood and managed from the greatest purpose and highest unity possible.
Implications
Centered over Bounded Sets: In most cases, one should only focus temporarily on bounded sets: groups of things defined by a limit (a bound) because these bounds are either inherently arbitrary or of secondary importance to relativity and systemic relationships. Instead, one should focus primarily on centered sets: groups defined by their orientation to a Prime or center which creates and nurtures their relationship to each other. While centers in the centered set take more energy to discern and monitor then bounds, they offer more holistic power, fidelity, and integrity in interactions (participation) and interventions (leadership).
People over Systems: Agents are by definition are deterministic, meaning that by taking action within a system, they describe, define, and create purpose within a system. This means that people and purpose have a special connection — indeed, any purpose requires a referential Person to be associated with. This means interaction or intervention in systems that involve people should always focus on elevating, or more precisely, facilitating the emergence of, the identity and power of people. This is the first rule of [4] The Four Rules of the Hacker Ethic.
Find Big Prime (At Least Three Whys): Since all systems are subject to Holarchy, interactions and interventions in systems must always keep in view a Prime much bigger than the immediate or mechanistic purpose of evident in the system itself. Any system managed by a small Prime will suffer from insufficient gravity leading to disintegration, low gravity and energy leading to unsustainability, and/or low energy that will effect the efficacy and durability of its products. As a quick and general rule of thumb, participants or leaders in a system should ask why three times in succession, each gaining broader scope, to gain a Prime big enough for good systems function: a thinking tool called At Least Three Whys.