The Art of Pruning the Plot

Write an Instructables that describes in some way a component/ function of how life/the Universe Works.

Definition of pruning: the removal of unnecessary or unwanted parts from ‘something’ being pruned. These unnecessary or unwanted parts limit the ‘something’ in some way (e.g. capacity for growth, its intrinsic beauty, it’s efficiency / effectiveness / efficacy, etc).

In terms of pruning the plot the most obvious items to remove from any given plot would be physical objects / materials. In terms of a personality characteristic, if you place the personality characteristic in a metaphorical box, then curing the person of the characteristic is similar to removing the metaphorical box from the person.

If we now define a ‘plot’ as an area of a particular size using the 3-dimensions of space, and we define ‘pruning’ as the working of the plot (its management, manipulation, improvement, etc) by the person who owns or manages it. We can then super-impose this onto the modern world, and the particular aspects and functions of society, so we can see what type of plots are being pruned today. An example of this would be a homeowner pruning there back garden with the overall area of the back garden being the ‘plot’ and the work the homeowner puts into the garden the ‘pruning’. Another example would be me editing this document with the ‘plot’ being the space within the word document for me to write in and the ‘pruning’ being my manipulation & editing of the words.

The person in charge of the plot prunes the plot of all the negative things that (s)he does not want, while at the same time encourages positive things to prosper. What’s deemed positive and negative is down to the person’s personal likes and dislikes; his/her particular preferences or ‘biased opinion’. These opinions usually have a biological basis which in evolutionary terms are dependent on how his/her ancestors evolved and the particular plots the ancestors existed in. In terms of the homeowner and the back-garden, there will be negative things that (s)he does not wish to incorporate into the presentation of the garden. This may include the removal of unwanted plants (weeds), other features which do not conform to the presentation and discouraging/preventing animals (e.g., stopping animals digging holes in the lawn) from entering the garden.

Plots can come in all different shapes and sizes from tiny plots to gigantic plots which all get pruned in many different ways. You can get plots inside plots, such as an allotment with each allotment being worked by its tenant(s) while the overall allotment is controlled by the local council. You can get plots that overlap plots, such as a UK National Trail (Footpath) which is managed and maintained by the ‘National trails authority’ and is designated a public right of way. A walker/hiker will pass through many different plots as he follows his/her trail, such as farmers’ fields, golf courses, etc. Finally, you have static plots that are immobile and rarely (if ever) change shape or size, such as a room in a house, and dynamic plots which are constantly moving and/or changing shape or size, such as a beach which changes with the tides.

Examples of Plots(see images) and the stuff that is to be removed:

1. A Brick Wall = Unwanted Graffiti or street art
2. Neolithic Farmland = Weeds, pests, crop harvest at end of season
3. Beach / Coastline = Litter on the beach / ships striking rocks on the sea shore
4. Decoratively shaped hedge = Dead plant material / unwanted plant growth
5. A Sheep = Wool for spinning into fabric / Ecto-parasites
6. Slab of Stone = Removal of stone as it is shaped into a Gravestone

Also, there is normally a Tool associated with the removal of ‘unnecessary or unwanted parts from ‘something’ being pruned’. A tool is defined as a device or implement used to carry out a particular function. Different activities and tasks naturally require different tools with particular tools working best with their associated activity. You can also have biological / geographical agents that perform a given function, under particular conditions, that I would consider similar to a tool (e.g. Rocks on the seashore causing ships to sink).

Examples of Tools(see images) and their associations:

1. Weaving Loom = Weaving fabric into textiles (Object manipulation)
2. Solder Sucker = Solder removal on electronic PCB's (Object Manipulation)
3. Hair Brush = Tiding your hair (Manipulating Self)
4. Mobile Crane = Lifting heavy items such as boats out of rivers (Landscape Manipulation)
5. Plough = Cut furrows and turn over soil ready for seeding. (Landscape Manipulation)
6. Light Switch = Removing or Adding light to internal / external environment
7. Flea Pills = Cat or Dog parasite removal (Manipulating Animals)
8. Angry Voice and/or facial expressions = Issue with persons behaviour (Manipulating People)
9. Thinking = contemplating what your about to do before doing it (e.g. giving a speech)

Another aspect associated with tool usage are the things people focus on in the environment. I’ll divide these into groups such as ‘focusing on Self’, ‘focusing on objects’, ‘focusing on the landscape’, etc. I will also define the things a particular individual focuses on as his/her ‘point /direction of focus’ with the ‘point/direction of focus’ differing depending on how he or she is neurologically aligned due to inherited personality characteristics. See photos of Mind-Maps. The individual’s biological alignment towards a particular point of focus, improves their ability when engaged in a related situation or activity. An analogy for this might be a telescope that points in a particular direction enabling it to focus more precisely on that area of space. Disclaimer: Although just because they have improved focus/ability doesn't mean its a good idea to do what they are doing!

A person may engage in multiple activities in a single day such as preparing food, interacting with guests, mowing the lawn, etc. Some people may be great at one type of manipulation while relatively weak at other types: e.g. The famous artist Michelangelo, who painted the inside of Sistine Chapel, was an exceptional stone mason (focusing on objects) while being notorious for his poor personal hygiene (focusing on self). TV/Media is quite heavily geared towards entertainment / public facing activities such as acting, singing and presenting with self/people manipulation being the main focus for these activities. A singer focuses on their vocal cords or an actor takes on the personality of a character by the manipulation of their body movements and emotions. Another example are Politicians whose career background usually involves dealing with people (such as lawyers/salesmen) so they have a neurological alignment towards the manipulation of people (e.g. focusing on people/individuals). This usually involves the manipulator manipulating the manipulated, with the focus on the person being manipulated (attempting to steer/shape them while focusing on their weaknesses, errors, etc) while the manipulator does not focus, so is somewhat oblivious to their own faults.

Bearing Reins (used in the Horse industry during the 1800’s) where the focus is on the overall style / elegance of the horse, rather than on its physical welfare, with its head held in a particular desired position preventing the horse from lowering its head beyond a fixed point. Due to the craze/fashion at the time improper use meant horses heads being held in extreme positions sometimes for prolonged periods. Over the course of the horse’s life prolonged use of bearing reins caused major damage to its neck and back due to the neck being held in an unnatural position. A device that could be used safely and with reason was corrupted and became essentially a torture device for a fashion statement.

(S)He who harvests the most is the mightiest person, with the focus being on the amount/quantity that each person has managed to accumulate. In ancient times Agriculturists would harvest food (grain) at the end of each growing season and store it in a granary ready for the winter months. In modern times Politicians devise policies, in an attempt, to convince the public to vote for them, on election day votes are placed into a ballot box with the person with the biggest vote harvest declared winner. Businessmen harvest money (profits) which get stored in bank accounts and/or objects of wealth (e.g. expensive car/house). Students enrol on college/university courses and attempt to learn whatever knowledge the teacher waffles about and at the end of each year they take exams with the results harvest being stored on a college/university results certificate. Unions attempting to harvest more money for their members through strikes. Celebrities harvesting followers on social media.

Alternatives to harvesting the most are (s)he who comes up with the best idea is the mightiest person. These people are commonly found in Science/Engineering/Art disciplines. The engineer (focusing on design) who comes up with the best idea is known as an inventor. Scientists (focusing on knowledge) compile their ideas while attempting to shape them into coherent theories which explain natural processes or phenomenon. These theories are then put forward for peer review by qualified professionals. The Artist who paints the best picture or the musician who comes up with the best song usually becomes very well-known / famous. The ‘Best’ has its origins in people (e.g. Ancient Hunter-gatherer people) going out exploring in the surrounding landscape and then coming home with the ‘best’ catch/item found (e.g. Stonehenge’s Scottish altar stone)/piece of knowledge/etc.

Finally, (s)he who performs best in a particular discipline may be considered the ‘most competent’ person. This includes sports people, singers, dancers, people giving speeches, etc. Also includes animals whose heritable characteristics (traits) give them enhanced competence at a particular activity such as squirrels (tree climbers), moles (burrowing animals) and cheetahs (chasing the prey).

Some Laws of Physics relevant to ‘direction of focus’

Time is defined as the infinite progression of existence from the past, through the present and into the future. All events occur in this sequence and can be measured (such as by using a clock) to define their duration and the intervals between them. There are limitations, and in some cases conflicts, to what can occur in a given period of time, such as rolling two different numbers on a dice, someone winning & losing at the same time or a person being simultaneously angry / happy. Also, the ability to multi-task may appear to enable someone to do two different tasks at the same time (e.g. holding a conversation while working on an activity).

Space is defined as the three dimensions of height, width & depth. All things exist within these dimensions and there are physical limitations to what can exist in a particular space. If you place a cupboard in an unoccupied part of a room that space becomes occupied so is no longer available for other purposes. In some cases, there can be conflicts such as placing a sauna & a library in the same room or animals & automobile wheels sharing the same piece of road.

Gravity is defined as a force that attracts objects, of physical mass, to one another. There is usually a ‘central point’ such as the middle of the Earth or the Sun at the centre of our solar system. Finally, there’s a direction of travel, such as our planet following an orbital path around the Sun. An object (e.g: a projectile) cannot travel along multiple paths at the same time, the only way it can is if it splits into multiple parts which then each follow a single trajectory.

See attached file for further examples.