We propose a general scheme in which disordered systems are allowed to
sacrifice energy equi-partitioning and separate into a hierarchy of ergodic
sub-systems (clusters) with different characteristic time-scales and
temperatures. The details of the break-up follow from the requirement of
stationarity of the entropy of the slower cluster, at every level in the
hierarchy. We apply our ideas to the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model, and show
how the Parisi solution can be {\it derived} quantitatively from plausible
physical principles. Our approach gives new insight into the physics behind
Parisi's solution and its relations with other theories, numerical experiments,
and short range models.Comment: 7 pages 5 figure