ORCA Method

1. AH Slide 1
Complex cultures use Time as a key mechanism in their lives. They engineer reality and use Belief
as the basis for thinking. Things will be either believed or not believed. Have you ever tried to
capture someone in a magical moment when all they see is an understanding of the situation? It’s
like entering into a religious ceremony with someone of a different faith when you’ve never
experienced it before. Imagine someone who is not familiar with Christianity attending midnight
mass and, while everyone is singing Christmas carols, they are wondering why there is a man
nailed to a cross without proper clothing or why they use organs instead of a stereo. These seem
like reckless and possibly offensive questions to someone who is part of the Complex environment,
but if you are Transitory you are just trying to understand. If you are, however, from a different
faith and locked into a Complex culture, you may not even accept what you see and feel an
uneasiness about the entire experience of being in someone else’s place of worship.

2. AH Slide 2
A Complex operating environment is built between individuals or groups that spend time together, share
experiences, or homogenize in a particular way, such as sharing common values. The formation of a
common bond in a Complex culture can be quickly accelerated by a common threat, as seen in cases of
natural disasters, global crises, and acts of terrorism. Just by spending time, sharing experiences and sharing
values together, we synthesize our perception of reality and can communicate more "efficiently." I use the
word "efficiently" cautiously because, as previously discussed, a cultural slumber, where thoughts are
relegated to the brain stem and reactions tend to be emotional, may seem efficient within the framework of
low resources, but is not as adaptable to what we encounter in the diverse global world.

3. AH Slide 3
When Complex individuals spend a lot of time together they begin to synchronize to each other. This is what
happens in relationships where you can immediately "read" the other person or know what an action means
even if nothing is said directly. Small groups, as well as entire cultures, rely on this particular operating
environment to maximize their rewards, success, and access to resources. Given enough time and limited
resources, small groups of Complex cultures will gradually coalesce into massive, traditionally Complex
cultures such as China, Saudi Arabia, or Japan.
The most personal example of a Complex environment is that of a family. Think back to the airport. When
you are traveling and trying to get home, you don’t necessarily have to be physically home to have the same
interaction with your family. The dynamics of relationships between parents and children, husband and
wife, brother and sister, remain in place and impose themselves no matter the surroundings.