“... small , simple actions can create remarkable effects when they are combined with other small , simple actions . Remember that the small actions you take have an impact on a much larger scale as they combine with the small actions of others around you .”
simple rule to allow their colony to coordinate a response against invaders : If an ant has not sensed a chemical associated with a specific job for some length of time , it should switch jobs and perform the job it has not sensed .
During an invasion , soldier ants defend the colony , and many of them sacrifice themselves in the process . The number of soldiers decreases . As a result , it becomes increasingly rare for other ants in the colony to come across the chemical left by a soldier ant . Following the rule , more ants start becoming soldiers until the number of soldiers is higher again . The colony as a whole can adapt to the invasion and defend itself as a result .
I think we can learn a lot from ants about how we can be members of a larger community . Each ant follows simple rules , but the way they cooperate with each other creates a system that is capable of remarkable feats like making bridges and adapting to invasions , tasks that no single ant could accomplish or even imagine on its own . I think it ’ s important to emphasize here that there is nothing larger at play , no ant “ commander ” that coordinates any of these actions . They come entirely from the small actions of individuals .
Our community at Saint David ’ s isn ’ t a supercolony that spans continents . We don ’ t need to defend ourselves from invasions . And we certainly don ’ t build bridges out of students and teachers climbing over each other . But by taking simple actions to cooperate with each other , something greater than any individual still emerges . Something that ties us all together and affects each of us . I spent a while trying to put my finger on what it is that our simple , individual actions combine to create as human beings . Personally , I think we have a word for the profound result we create through our combined actions : culture .
At school , our goal is to create a culture of respect and learning . Just as there is no single ant that coordinates how to build bridges or to defend against invasions , there is no single human being that determines a culture . Like an ant colony , we rely on the small actions of each individual , all acting in tandem , to create something so large and complex . Like individual ants , the actions each of us take come with responsibility for this creation . If an ant decided not to follow the three bridge-making rules , then the whole colony would be unable to cross gaps . Some ants in the colony would fall . Others would be left behind . The colony as a whole would be weaker . Likewise , we as human beings have a responsibility to take the steps we can to help build and strengthen our community ’ s culture .
So , as you settle into this new school year , remember that the small actions you take have an impact on a much larger scale as they combine with the small actions of others around you . When you take a small action like holding the door for another person , giving someone a compliment , or apologizing when you hurt someone ’ s feelings , you are taking the lead in strengthening your community . You are , like an ant , creating something that impacts and helps every other person around you . •
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