What if there were a simple, natural way to find your people, move in harmony with them, and navigate chaos—without exhausting yourself?

These days, if we just drift passively through the world, letting the chaos act upon us like a particularly aggressive leaf blower, we may end up becoming part of the mess. We absorb misinformation (mistaken information) and disinformation (deliberate lies). Worse, the people spreading those lies often attract massive attention and support—because of course they do.

In a time like this, how can we maintain inner harmony and ensure our actions are guided by integrity? There’s so much to know and so much falsehood. Everything is unpredictable. How do we navigate this storm without getting tossed overboard?

Personally, when the human world overwhelms me—which happens approximately twenty times a day—I turn to nature for guidance. Today, I’m thinking about murmuration.

“Murmuration” refers to the stunning, synchronized movement of huge flocks of starlings. It’s similar to the swirling patterns of a school of fish or a swarm of bees but with more air travel and fewer stings. It’s mesmerizing, beautiful, and, as it turns out, an excellent model for how we might move through chaos without losing our way.

I see murmuration in real life about twice a year when an enormous flock of starlings passes by my house. Watching them is like seeing a storm that has decided it no longer believes in gravity. If I knock on the window, they all lift off at once, and it looks as if the whole forest is rising into the sky. You can see a murmuration for yourself here.

If we want to live as a connected, honest, well-meaning group of humans in today’s chaotic environment, we can follow the same brain algorithm that guides starlings. There are just three simple rules needed to create the magic of murmuration.

Rule 1: Respect Your Individuality (Separation)

Every starling keeps a bit of space between itself and its neighbors to avoid mid-air collisions. We, too, need some separation—from the gravitational pull of lies, propaganda, and mass delusion. Your individual perspective matters. You are meant to think for yourself.

I saw a meme recently that said, “If there is a human being you think is right 100% of the time, congratulations—you’re in a cult.” So, stay separate. Question authority. And remember that no one is infallible, no matter how many followers they have or how convincing they sound on their podcast.

Rule 2: Stay in Alignment with a Few People You Trust

Starlings don’t follow a single leader; they pay attention to about six or seven birds around them and adjust accordingly. You don’t need to track everyone—just a handful of people you trust.

Think of it this way: If six people in your life—trusted friends, wise mentors, insightful authors—are all pointing in a particular direction, it’s worth a closer look. If more than three of them recommend a book, read it. If they all decide planting a tree is a good idea, maybe go get a shovel. If they’re making smart safety choices, consider doing the same.

Alignment doesn’t mean blind obedience. It means staying alert to the movements of people who have proven to be both kind and clear-eyed.

Rule 3: Achieve Cohesion by Keeping Your Heart Open

Cohesion is what keeps a murmuration together—it’s the invisible force that moves each bird subtly toward the center of the flock. For humans, that force is love, empathy, and mutual care.

If we keep our attention on what we love about the world and one another, rather than spiraling into despair and doomscrolling, we naturally move together in a way that feels coordinated—even without a single leader dictating every step.

The Big Picture

If we do these three things—maintain our individuality, align with a trusted few, and stay connected through love—we’ll create something breathtakingly beautiful. It will look as if a master choreographer designed a grand, synchronized dance for millions of people.

But no single person has to lead. No one has to have all the answers. The beauty emerges from the harmonious, simple, powerful rules of nature—the nature around us, and the true nature within us. So let’s fly through the insanity as a gently coordinated force of truth, community, and love. I’ll see you up there.