Synergic relationship requires much closer and more effective communication then
does neutral or adversary relationship. Coulter identifies three critical elements in
synergic relationship — synergy, empathyand communication, the synergist
uses these elements explicitlyduring his relationships. This means he is consciously
aware of his goals for synergy, empathy, and communication.

Synergy— In synergic relationship, you understand that you win when others win.
You are constantly looking for an opportunity to synergize — an opportunity for co-
Operation. You are always considerate of the needs and interests of others without
neglect to your own self interest and needs. This is what Coulter calls synergic
altruism.

Synergy is when everyone wins. The synergic altruist knows that helping his
associates, is the surest way to meet his own needs.

Empathy — Empathy can be defined as: 1) Literally “knowing how someone feels”.
2)Imagining yourself in their position. You can understand another human better, if
you “walk a mile in their shoes”.

Recall within a synergic relationship, (1 + 1) >> 2, we are more together than we are
separately. We benefit from sharing the synergic gain — the cooperator’s
surplus. If we wish to optimize our relationship, you must know where your
associates are really coming from. If you are to provide effective help, you must know
them well. Empathy is not sympathy. You do not need to agree with another
individual, to know how they feel.

Communication— Communication can be defined as the accurate transmission of
pattern with appropriate meaning and feeling from one human mind to another. In
synergic relation, I value the pattern of my associates. I want to know what they think
and feel. I want to know their goals. In synergy, I will promote all goals whenever I
can, and avoid impedance to anyone. N. Arthur Coultercontinues:

Coulter’s Principle of Equivalence of Status

“It is pretty obvious that men are not created equal. The idea of equality, taken
from a literal interpretation of the words of the American Declaration of

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Independence, can lead to some rather difficult ideological positions.

“But Thomas Jefferson did not mean that men and women were identically
equal. He meant that, in a just social order, all persons should be treated
equally, that none should have special privilege by virtue of accident of birth,
wealth, or social position. Each person is a unique individual; but each is
entitled by inalienable right to equal protection of the law, to equal treatment
by the law, and to equality of economic and social opportunity. Only when all
men and women have social equality can the unique potential of each be
realized, for the ultimate benefit of all. Social equality does not mean identical
treatment, merely that there is some kind of fair balance — in a word, synergic
equality.

“In synergetics, we formulate this idea as the Principle of Equivalence of
Status.

“This may be stated as follows: the flow of synergy, empathy, and
communication between two individuals is optimum when they have
equivalent status with respect to each other. Rapport is optimum when the
status of both are equivalent on the Status cross.

Equivalent status is indicated by the center of the cross. The four poles of the
Status Cross represent the attitudes the individuals hold toward each
other.”16
SUPER

ANTI

PRO

SUB

Coulter’s Status Cross

16N. Arthur Coulter,SYNERGETICS, 1976, ibid

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SUPERis when either party to a relationship feels or acts superior, better, dominant,
stronger, smarter, more forceful, etc., etc..

SUBis when either party to a relationship feels or acts inferior, lesser, subservient,
weaker, dumber less forceful. etc., etc..

PROis when either party to a relationship is too supportive. This is when a friend or
family member is so too quick to help you, so that you aren’t allowed to act or think for
yourself — overly supportive.

ANTIis when either party to a relationship is against the other, unfriendly, critical,
hostile, belligerent, etc., etc.. Coulter continues:

“When one regards the other as Super, the flow of synergy, empathy, and
communication (SEC) tends to go down. “When one regards the other as Sub,
SEC goes down. When one regards the other as Pro, as someone to be
dependent upon, SEC goes down. When one regards the other as Anti, SEC
goes down.

“The optimum position is considered to be slightly to the left and above center
— i.e. when each regards the other as somewhat Pro and somewhat Super.

SUPER

ANTI

PRO

SUB

Coulter’s Status Cross

“The effectiveness of a synergic relationship will be optimized by insuring that
the Equivalence of Status is maintained.”17

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Now again recall our scientific reformulation of Haskell’s Moral Law of Unified Science
to include Fuller’s Principle of Action—Reaction—Resultant:

Adversary actiontends to provoke adversary reactionending in an adversary
resultant. Neutral actiontends to provoke neutral reactionending in a neutral
resultant. And synergic actiontends to provoke synergic reactionending in a
synergic resultant.
“As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

If we now combine Haskell’sMoral Law of Unified Science, Fuller’sPrinciple of
Action—Reaction—Resultant, and Coulter’s Principle of Equivalence of Status, we
get asynergic corollaryto the Moral Lawthat I state as follows:

Wilken’s Principle of Synergic Advantage

When the participants in a unity relate synergically as equals, they will
maximize the synergic gain. When they form a win-win relationship and
share the co-Operator’s surplus equally, they will maximize the synergic
advantage.

(0,0)

Y

X

(+,+)

(-,+)

(-,-)

(+,-)

(0, +)

(0, -)

(-,0)

(+,0)

À

Ω

17N. Arthur Coulter,SYNERGETICS, 1976, ibid

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The Principle of Synergic Advantageis represented above by the maximum synergic
co-Actionshown in the gold color on the Haskell’s PCS.

If you sow synergic actions, you will encourage synergic reactions, and reap synergic
resultants. Your synergic resultants will maximized if you treat others equally.
Coulter continues:

“Synergy involves the working together of the parts of any complex system; and
each person is not only an individual, but a part of the various groups and
organizations to which he belongs, and to society as a whole. In the synergic
mode of thinking, a human being acts naturally so as not only to achieve his
own goals, but also, wherever feasible, to promote the goals of others, with the
least impedance to anyone.The Golden Rule— “Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you.”— becomes not a moral commandment to
be obeyed, but a natural and logical consequence of his mode of being, as
natural as breathing or sleeping.

“The prevailing outlook of a synergic being may be described as one of synergic
altruism. He is not selfish, as this is commonly understood, but always
considerate of the needs and interests of others, and ever ready to engage in
cooperative enterprise. On the other hand, he is not selfless, sacrificing
himself needlessly for others; he selects his own goals and pursues them
vigorously, overcoming obstacles in his way.”18

Jesus of Nazareth’s The Golden Rule
The first formulation of thesynergic corollaryof the Moral Law of Unified Science
was:

“Do to others what you would have them do to you.”19

This formulation is credited to Jesus of Nazarethwho intuitively discovered the
synergic way2000 years ago.

18N. Arthur Coulter,SYNERGETICS, 1976, ibid
19Jesus of Nazareth, New Testament of the Bible, Matthew5:9, 5:44

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In his sermon on the mount, Jesus of Nazareth taught:

“Love our enemies, do good to them that hate us, bless them that curse us, and
pray for them that despitefully use us, I say unto you, that every one who is
angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgement. Go be reconciled
with thy brother.”20

Jesus of Nazareth may have been the first human to embrace synergy. His words seem
to capture the very essence of synergic morality. Synergic morality is more than not
hurting other, it requires helping other. Jesus was the first human to state the
fundamental law of synergic relationship. It is known as the Golden Rule:

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this
sums up the Law.”21

What would you have others doto you? The best one word answer I can find for this
question is help. “Helpothers as you would have them helpyou.”

Synergic Morality—helping

Confucius 579-471BCis credited as the author of the negative formof the Golden
Rule:

“Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you!”22

“This negative form of the “golden rule” is next found in the Jewish Book of
Tobit 4:15 from the Old Testament Bible (3rd Century BC): “And what you
hate, do not do to anyone.” It is also found in the writings of the Jewish
scholars Hillel (1st century BC) and Philo of Alexandria (1st centuries BCand
AD), It occurs in the 2nd-century documents Didache and the Apology of
Aristides. It also appears in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Isocrates, and
Seneca.”23

20 Jesus of Nazareth, New Testament of the Bible, Matthew, ibid
21 Jesus of Nazareth,New Testament of the Bible, Matthew, 7:12
22 Chu Hsi, The Analects of Confucius (15:23), 1190AD, ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA,

www.brittannica.com, 2000

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We can restate this a little more clearly as:

“Do not doto others what you would have them not doto you.”

What would you have others not doto you?

Here the best one word answer is hurt. “Donothurt others as you would have them
nothurt you.”

The negative form of the Golden Rule is true and correct as far as it goes. In fact, it is
the underlying premise for the Neutral Morality found in the western world today.

But, Synergic Morality requires more of us than simply not hurting. It requires more
of us than simply ignoring others. It requires us to helpothers—to helpeach other.

Jesus of Nazarethunderstood this on the deepest of levels. He called for more than a
prohibition against hurting others. He ask all humans to helpeach other.

Synergic Morality rests then on the premise—that when youhelp others, you will
find yourself helped in return— “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”

Thus the maximum synergic co-Action of the Principle of Synergic Advantageas
plotted on the PCS is a scientific representation of the Golden Rule.

23ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA, 2000, ibid

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