Willingness in Practice

Steps to Representation

Personal functions can be investigated and analysed abstractly, as in the previous topics which clarified the Primary Hierarchy of Willingness (PH7). But once a personal function is used in the real world, then the situation becomes more complicated.

  • Others become concerned and bring influence to bear, socio-cultural forces impact, and physical constraints may impact as well i.e. psychosocial reality comes into play.
  • Operating just one form (level) of willingness on its own feels inappropriate and may even become impossible.
  • As multiple forms (levels) push their way into the psychosocial process, any operative form becomes altered subtly or blatantly.

We have learned to represent this complicated dynamic system taxonomically as follows:

Step 1: Identify the dynamic duality: personal forces v social forces.

Step 2: Apply the duality to each Level to determine Centres, which are recognizable potential states of willingness. If there are two Centres in a Level, clarify which will dominate.

Step 3: Determine Channels of mutual influence and interaction that naturally and requisitely develop between the Centres.

Step 4: Identify the internal duality as the basis for naming the Tree framework.

Dynamic Duality

Tree patterns reflect actual personal functioning in the current socio-physical reality. As such, they operate under the influence of a dynamic duality. This duality requires functioning in a Level to be either governed by: 

  • Internal factors labeled P for personal or private
    Like other Tree frameworks, this commonly reflects self-interest, but given the pressure of selflessness, personal forces will also be about responsibilities, impersonal preferences, biases, self-preservation, comfort.

OR

  • External factors labeled S for social or situational
    These include relationships, group or organisational demands and cultural forces. Willingness is too abstract to be affected by physical constraints like time, space, or other practical matters.

OR

  • Combination of factors, labeled B for balanced.
    These Centres require a synthesis or fusion of internal and external factors in a way that cannot be disentangled.

Application of a dynamic duality converts a Level into a Centre with each Centre being a locus or state of willingness. When there are two polar opposite Centres in one Level, the more dominant one in practice is, by convention, placed on the right side of the Tree.

Having completed Step-1, clarifying the dynamic duality, it is possible to move to Step-2 and examine each Level to determine Centres. As the Centres are identified, potential Channels will be explored (Step-3).

Originally posted: 20-May-2026.