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     This broad and simple model permits us to digest our total situation in one "eye gulp". It allows us, like an artist working on a large canvas, to stand back from time to time to see the whole painting. Now, let us move in to work on some of the detail.

THE NEED FOR PLANNING

From One- to Two-Story Model

      During those transitional turbulent times, it is important also that we, as individuals and as representatives of our various institutions, plan for this emerging new society. One way is to sensitize ourselves to the trends from the past and extrapolate them into the future to get some sense of where we are going. The study of trends has become a trend in itself - which could, with apologies to John Naisbitt, be called a metatrend.

      However, it is not enough simply to watch the trends - one must do something with this "intelligence" about our environment. As we move from forecasting to planning, we must move to a more elaborate model. The different scenarios for the future - ecosphere-as-cause, sociosphere- as-cause, and technosphere-as-cause - described above within the Three Interfaces of Adam model, suggest that our future will be determined by our various environments. It is necessary to go beyond such deterministic scenarios to consider the person-as-cause scenario.

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