My Architecture

So this is a rather off topic (architecture, software engineering or indeed computing) but is something I have been thinking about for a while and so wanted to blog about. I enjoy architecture and find its disciplines very useful in all sorts of different areas. To me architecture is all about complexity and communication; in IT it is about computer systems, in construction it is about buildings (see https://www.patternlanguage.com/leveltwo/ca.htm) . Architecture can be used in a number of different domains of complexity to understand and communicate.

One of the most common and complex domains we all come across each day is ourselves; our feelings, motivations and drives. It occurred to me that I could use the architectural techniques I am so familiar from my professional life to better understand and communicate about myself. Specifically I thought about using modelling, abstraction and patterns to provide a framework where I could map my emotions, and behaviours and then use some of the mechanism we are familiar within computing (Blogs and even powerpoint!) to communicate. Perhaps I can even use refactoring techniques to change my patterns of behaviour!

A high level framework of abstraction for architecture normal has conceptual, logical and physical levels as rows and then domains such as business, technology and applications as columns (see https://msdn.microsoft.com/architecture/enterprise/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnea/html/eaarchover.asp ). In the human case the levels are emotional, behavioural and psychiatrical or typological. I am not sure quite what the domains are but I suspect that personal and interpersonal are two of them (See https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671708635/102-9718537-7522515?v=glance ). The domains are always viewpoint specific anyway and so concentrating on the personal element of a personal framework is probably initially appropriate. Patterns of behaviour can then be found by the mapping of the elements within these frameworks.

The handy thing about working on an architectural framework for people is there is a case study readily available, namely myself! Thinking about how to map myself into the three levels the emotions I feel on a day to day basis (the physical level) are pretty easy to define. These are generally fairly standard things such as anger, frustration, pleasure, happiness etc. These physical manifestations are created by the run time context I am in (e.g. what situation I am in) and the higher level logical or behavioural levels. This physical or emotional level is interesting but not very valuable when trying to understand our actions, it is a bit like trying to understand the functions of a car by looking at the bits; possible but difficult.

These logical levels are the interesting thing as the can be grouped together into the high level concepts such as insecurity, judgemental ect (See https://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/tt/t-articl/mb-simpl.htm ). The snag with working with these conceptual levels is that, as with Enterprise Architecture, they are not very actionable. Again it is like trying to understand what a car is by talking about “modes of transportation”.

The middle, logical or behavioural level is the most valuable level in so far as it is abstract enough to hide the complexity of emotion but real enough to be relevant to myself. In my case the logical level has three elements; home, intellect and sharing. These can also be prioritised in both the general case and also in a specific context. They go together to make up my conceptual “type” and create much of my physical “emotions”. They are the important elements of my behaviour and dictate many of my actions.

From these behaviours I am able to define both my needs and my patterns of behaviour. I am able to understand the reasons behind my actions, change those where they need to be changed and communicate them to others in an understandable form. They are part of my architecture.

Comments

• Anonymous
  July 20, 2004
  Classic Mike! I liked the second to last paragraph on behavioural' "middleware", and it's importance -- I couldn't agree MORE.
  
  your post today ALSO reminded me of THIS:
  
  http://www.datingdesignpatterns.com/list.html
  
  Keep up the great work!
  
  Glenn
• Anonymous
  July 23, 2004
  The comment has been removed