Abstract

Humans are self-organizing technological–social–cultural biological systems that exist within an environment full of Black Swans, low probability events from a normal distribution as depicted in Candide, and White Whales, nonlinear events with a power-law distribution as depicted in Moby-Dick. Literary works are used to argue that these are managed through SCARs—Self-Positioning, Coherence, Adaptability, and Resilience. Self-Positioning is balancing social dependence and independence. Coherence is creating internal unity out of a multiplicity of inputs. Adaptability is balancing continuity and discontinuity and requires memory, understanding, docility, astuteness, courage, foresight, caution, and circumspection. Resilience is balancing homogeneity and heterogeneity and requires confidence, perseverance, and constancy, on the one hand, and firmness of mind and patience, on the other.