Permaculture Principle 1: Observe and Interact

David Holmgren, co-founder of permaculture says that permaculture ethics and design principles “are simply thinking tools to assist us in identifying, designing, and evolving design solutions”.

Many permaculture teachers have contributed to lists of design principles. Holmgren’s set of twelve interlocking principles is, I think, the most clearly thought out that we have so far.

Uniquely, he pairs each principle with a “traditional proverb that emphasizes the negative or cautionary aspect of the principle”. Thus he illustrates the permaculture idea that the best way forward is to pair the best of the old with the best of the new — in this case proverbs with whole-systems thinking.

Principle 1 is “Observe and Interact”. Pay attention, think, try (experiment) and then begin again in an ongoing spiral of innovation, seeking to “consciously and continually evolve” sustainable systems.

This principle has been part of permaculture thinking from the beginning. My favorite statement of it was made by the irrepressible Bill Mollison, permaculture’s other co-founder. “Use protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor.” Or sometimes just “Wait one year”.

This is a radical break with the way things are usually done.

As an old proverb says “The good is the enemy of the best.” In other words, if you already know how to do something well, the natural tendency is to keep on doing it that way. This is “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” thinking.

But a good way is not necessarily the best way.

We need those who refuse to accept anything as ‘the last word’. We need those who keep an open mind.

Holmgren says this principle focuses on “facilitating the generation of independent, even heretical, long-term thinking needed to design new solutions“. Most people don’t want to do this. And they need not, if they are willing to give space for the necessary experiments, and to apply the results if useful.

The proverb Holmgren pairs with Principle 1 is “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. He intends this as “a reminder that [observation] influences reality, and that we must always be [wary of] absolute truths and values”.