You see a Key Concept, one of the most important principles according to which the world in general and the world of people operate.
These concepts are referenced throughout the Patterns series, including the Patterns for Victory series and Us or Them!. A concise summary and two or three key examples are provided at the beginning of each volume. See other key reconceptualizations.
This term, used in the professional language of anthropology, explains the direction of flow of cultural patterns. Attractive, and therefore willingly copied and imitated, are those patterns that were created by communities perceived as strong, wealthy, and with a history of success.