Why I'm a Thermodynamic Libertarian

The Hook: You Think You Know Freedom? Think Again.

Let me ask you something. When you think of "libertarian," what comes to mind? For most, it’s probably some caricature of a guy in a tricorn hat screaming about taxes, or a college kid who just finished Atlas Shrugged for the first time. Maybe you think of Ron Paul, or a vague notion of "free markets."

That’s not me. I didn’t get here by reading Rand or Rothbard. I didn’t have a political "awakening" in the traditional sense. My journey to libertarianism wasn’t through a political science class; it was through a physics class. Specifically, it was through understanding a fundamental law of the universe: the second law of thermodynamics.

That’s right. I’m a libertarian because of physics. And by the end of this, you might be too.

The Problem: We’re Addicted to Equilibrium

Here’s the deal: our society is obsessed with the idea of balance, of equilibrium. We want stable economies, predictable markets, and lives that follow a neat, orderly path. We create massive, centralized systems—governments, corporations, regulatory bodies—to enforce this order. We’re terrified of chaos. We’re addicted to the illusion of control.

But here’s the kicker: the universe doesn’t give a damn about our plans. The universe is not a system in equilibrium. It’s a system in a constant state of flux, a system that is, by its very nature, far-from-equilibrium. And life—you, me, every living thing on this planet—is a manifestation of that.

> "Life exists at the edge of chaos, not in the comfortable cradle of equilibrium. We are not static beings; we are dynamic processes."

This is where we get it all wrong. We try to impose static, top-down order on a world that is inherently dynamic and self-organizing. We create brittle, inefficient systems that fight against the natural flow of energy and information. And in doing so, we stifle the very processes that create complexity, innovation, and life itself. We see it everywhere: in the rigid regulations that crush small businesses, in the one-size-fits-all education system that stifles creativity, and in the bloated bureaucracies that consume resources and produce nothing of value. This is the path of the Backward-Looking People, and it is a path that leads to stagnation and decay.

The Application: Forward-Looking People vs. Backward-Looking People

So what the hell does this have to do with politics and free markets? Everything.

Dr. Bob used to talk about two kinds of people: Forward-Looking People (FLPs) and Backward-Looking People (BLPs).

BLPs are the equilibrium-seekers. They are the central planners, the bureaucrats, the regulators. They believe they can design a perfect system from the top down. They are terrified of change, of disruption, of anything that doesn’t fit into their neat little boxes. They are trying to fight the arrow of time, to hold back the tide of entropy. They are, in a very real sense, fighting against the laws of physics. And they are doomed to fail. Their attempts to create a static, predictable world only lead to more fragility and an inability to adapt to the inevitable shocks and disruptions that life throws our way. FLPs, on the other hand, embrace the chaos. They understand that order is not something that is imposed from above, but something that emerges from the bottom up. This is self-organization. It’s the idea that complex systems, from a flock of birds to a free market, can create intricate, adaptive patterns without a central controller. FLPs are the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the risk-takers. They are the ones who are constantly adapting, evolving, and creating new forms of order in response to a changing environment. They understand that the future is not something to be planned, but something to be discovered.

Free markets are the ultimate far-from-equilibrium system. They are a chaotic, messy, and beautiful dance of information and energy. Prices, supply, demand—these are not static numbers to be set by a committee. They are emergent properties of millions of individual interactions. When you try to control a market with price floors, subsidies, or regulations, you are trying to force it into a state of equilibrium. You are making it dumber, less adaptive, and ultimately, more fragile. This is why I’m a libertarian. Not because of some abstract principle of "natural rights," but because of a deep understanding of how the universe actually works. Centralized control is a thermodynamic dead end. It is a futile attempt to create a closed system in an open universe. It is a recipe for stagnation and decay.

Freedom, on the other hand, is the ability to be a far-from-equilibrium system. It is the ability to be open to the flow of energy and information. It is the ability to self-organize, to adapt, to evolve. It is the only way to surf the arrow of time.

The Takeaway

So what can you do with this information? It’s simple, but not easy.

Embrace the chaos. Stop trying to plan every detail of your life. Be open to new experiences, new ideas, new people. Let go of the illusion of control. The more you try to control every outcome, the more you will be controlled by your fear of the unknown.
Be an FLP. Be a creator, not a consumer. Be an entrepreneur, not a bureaucrat. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. Build something new, challenge the status quo, and never be afraid to fail. Failure is just another word for learning.
Trust the process of self-organization. Have faith in the ability of free people to create a better world from the bottom up. Stop looking for a savior on a white horse to fix everything. The solutions to our most pressing problems will not come from the top down, but from the bottom up, through the voluntary cooperation of free individuals.

And for God’s sake, learn about your endocannabinoid system. It is your body’s master regulatory system, the mechanism that allows you to adapt to stress and maintain a state of dynamic, far-from-equilibrium health. It is the physical embodiment of the principles we’ve been talking about. As Dr. Bob would say, it’s the system that allows you to "flow"

I’m a thermodynamic libertarian because I believe in the power of freedom to unleash the creative potential of the universe. I believe in the power of individuals to self-organize into a more complex, more adaptive, and more beautiful world.

It’s not about politics. It’s about physics.