INTERCONNECTIONALITY—Exploring Profound Connections

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Your New Favorite Twenty-Letter Word!

The motto of THE VIBE SHIFT is to EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN. ENVISION THE UNSEEN. Today’s VIBE TALK is about a bridge for that call to action.

Have you ever felt that various pieces of information—that have seemingly nothing to do with each other—are somehow related, but you can't immediately explain why? Maybe you’ve said, “I just have this gut feeling.”

Maybe you've caught yourself saying, "If I do X, I know Z will happen.” but you can't explain why you believe that to be true.

Or perhaps, in retrospect, you find yourself talking about a series of crazy coincidences that seem far too numerous to be ‘just’ chance. For example, when you meet a new friend who you instantly connect with, both on an energetic level AND because you share an absurd amount of common beliefs, experiences, and thoughts. You find yourself saying things like, “We just instantly vibed!”

This intriguing phenomenon is what I now—lovingly—call ‘INTERCONNECTIONALITY!’

I’m about to get kinda nerdy, a lot esoteric, and a lil’ bit metaphysical as I define this 20-letter word. BUT stick with me because it’s worth every letter—and I’m gonna break it down for ya!

This newly coined word attempts to name and define where our collective ‘gut feeling,’ connection to one another, and connection to our environment intersect. It embodies the intuitive understanding that everything is interconnected in subtle and profound ways beneath the surface and within our shared consciousness.

So, where did this behemoth of a word come from?

At its core, Interconnectionality combines three words we already know and understand well. What makes this new iteration special is how the meaning of these three words amplify each other when they are lovingly smushed together. The combination of the prefix ‘INTER,’ noun ‘CONNECTION,’ and suffix ‘ALITY’ combine to define a feeling (or sociological framework-of-sorts) that up to now didn’t have a proper name.

I have been searching for a word or term to describe this phenomenon for a while now. In fact, the idea is so core to THE VIBE SHIFT that every time I’ve had discussion sessions with fellow thought leaders and partners about this project, we have danced around this unnamed theme at every turn of the conversation. I am like a broken record saying things like, “You know what I mean?” and “I really need to invent a word for this!”

Luckily, after one such chat with my friend and partner in vibe-sessions, Glisten Cieslak, I said, “I have a challenge for you; help me invent this freakin’ word!!!”

Her reply, “Say less…”

But I’ll let her share her thoughts on the subject in her own words:

“Starting from the earliest iterations of conversations about THE VIBE SHIFT, Jen and I used the word ‘connection’ in almost every other sentence. Human connection, connecting dots of shifts happening in different sectors, and the connection between those shifts and how the world is evolving. Our friendship and context with each other meant we understood the different meanings each time we used ‘connection.’ But to bring others along, include them, and rally them - we needed a better, more specific word to communicate what we meant. One that isn’t used broadly in other areas. Doesn’t carry preconceived ideas. One that’s immediately understood even though it doesn’t technically exist.”

- Glisten Cieslak

An aside: I am incredibly fortunate to have people in my life whose minds work similarly to mine BUT who also bring complementary strengths to the table. Glisten is one such person. To say ‘we vibe’ is an understatement!

A few weeks later, this genius of a woman came back with ‘CONNECTIONALITY’

The word connection refers to being linked or connected with someone or something. It encompasses a variety of relationships or associations between people, objects, systems, or ideas.

The suffix ‘ality’ is used in English to form abstract nouns and underscores a state of being. ‘Ality’ is usually added to the back of an adjective to form nouns.

While ‘connection’ is technically a noun, it behaves as an adjective-like idea (the concept of being connected.) ?Adding ‘ality’ to ‘connection’ turns the idea of being connected into a STATE OF EXISTENCE!

In short, adding ‘ality’ to ‘connection’ broadens its meaning to encompass the entire concept of occupying that state of existence. CONNECTIONALITY is not just surface-level interactions; it’s those embedded in the fabric of the systems or entities involved.

We instantly vibed with what Connectionality delivered. However, it still felt like it was missing the metaphysical essence that made the theory feel so intangible…

…the je ne sais quoi factor.

So, we continued to ideate and workshop further.

Everything started to make sense when we added the prefix ‘INTER’. Suddenly, it all clicked into place.

The prefix ‘inter-‘ has a rich etymological history, making it a perfect addition. It originates from Latin and functions as a preposition and an adverb meaning ‘among,’ ‘mutually,’ or ‘reciprocally.’

Adding the prefix ‘inter’ to ‘Connectionality’ forms a word that expresses a sense of mutual action or interaction.

Thus, ‘Interconnectionality’ creates betweenness and reciprocity, emphasizing the connections and interactions between different elements or systems—and, importantly, highlighting their mutual influence and interdependent nature.

What makes INTERCONNECTIONALITY unique from similar terms is that the data, feelings, and events it encompasses can be BOTH interdependent (mutually reliant) AND completely independent at the same time!

Defining this term and sociological theory is so exciting for me; not only does it give a framework for connecting the dots that have been in a holding pattern in my mind, but it also delivers a tool to help explore future topics and themes.

Most excitingly, it aids in conversations on topics such as System Thinking, 5D Consciousness, Futurism, Foresight, the Zeitgeist at large, and many more coming to THE VIBE SHIFT soon!

May 21st, 2024, INTERCONNECTIONALITY has been submitted to Urban Dictionary to be cemented in the cultural zeitgeist!

Pause for the nerdy part…the OFFICIAL DEFINITION:

INTERCONNECTIONALITY

Inter·con·nec·tion·al·i·ty

/??n.t?r.k?.nek.???n?l.?.ti/

noun:

1.???????? The quality, state, or characteristic of being connected across various systems, entities, or concepts in a way that emphasizes mutual influence and reciprocal enhancements.

2.???????? A condition or capability of forming and sustaining reciprocal links between disparate concepts, entities, or systems, fostering a comprehensive and symbiotic understanding or unified approach.

3.???????? The inherent property of systems, ideas, or processes to be interdependent, not only co-existing but also co-evolving and enriching one another through their interactions.

4.???????? The phenomenon within interconnected systems where a critical threshold, once reached, can cause significant changes, or tipping points, leading to far-reaching effects across the entire system. This aspect of Interconnectionality emphasizes the potential for minor or initially isolated events to propagate through a network of connections, resulting in substantial and often unexpected outcomes.

Let's VIBE!

-Jen

THE VIBE SHIFT can also be found on Substack at https://thevibeshift.substack.com/

Embrace the Unknown. Envision the Unseen. THE VIBE SHIFT is here to explore the transformation taking place in Culture, Business, Brands, Consumers, The Future of Work, the Collective Psyche, and much much more.        

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This week is a special three-newsletter kick-off week. The future cadence of THE VIBES SHIFT newsletter is bi-weekly. ENJOY, and please join in on the conversation!

? 2024 THE VIBE SHIFT GROUP LLC ? 2024 JENIFER DESOFI