If we “common sense” build a hierarchy, the prats will always float to the top. Then all we have done is create another pile of mess that needs composting later. A better path? Don’t build hierarchies in the first place. #KISS, instead, build open flows – compost heaps, not pyramids. In a heap, everything breaks down, mixes, and feeds new growth. In a pyramid, the few sit on top, blocking the agency of the many.

Heap vs Pyramid

Heap (good) → A compost heap is messy, organic, and alive. All contributions mix, rot down, and feed the next cycle. Nobody sits “on top” because everything breaks down and transforms.

Pyramid (bad) → A rigid hierarchy. Those at the top block, exploit, and feed off those below. It looks tidy, but it’s sterile and suffocating.

Shovel vs Perfume

Shovel (good) → Cracking open the rot with real tools. Airing it, turning it, letting the stink escape, so new life can grow.

Perfume (bad) → Glossy projects that spray chemicals over the pile, masking the smell but never dealing with the rot. It just festers underneath.

Backbone vs Smiling Violent Man

Backbone (good) → Shared, visible structure that holds the body of the collective together. Transparent, flexible, and accountable.

Smiling Violent Man (bad) → What you get when “structureless” cultures collapse: an informal tyrant, hiding behind charm while wielding coercion.

Forest vs Plantation

Forest (good) → Open commons where we can sow seeds, share harvests, and tend the land together. Diversity makes it resilient.

Plantation (bad) → Controlled monoculture, fenced in, run for profit and power. The workers labour, the overseers extract.

Soil vs Concrete

Soil (good) → Soft, porous, full of worms and bacteria. It holds water, recycles nutrients, and supports growth.

Concrete (bad) → Hard, brittle, blocks life. Looks strong but cracks under pressure, leaving deserts in its wake.

Put more metaphors in the comments, please.