How the World Works
A Participatory Discussion
This is a discussion all of us are having all the time. All of our actions, all
of our interactions, all of our conversations are based upon our beliefs
about how the world works. We try to show others that we understand
their world view by being good students, good teachers, good citizens.
But more than this, we try to convince others that we have a unique
contribution to make - that there is something we know about how the
world works that they do not yet know.
Unfortunately, many of us have not been consciously aware that this is
what we are doing. Therefore, I will draw your awareness now to my
assertion. Is this what we are doing? Think about it. What do you think
we're doing?
Given my assertion, I propose we do what we are doing anyway, but do
so deliberately and with conscious awareness. So far, I believe we have
been awkward and non-productive in this discussion. We have
dominated others through emotional displays and social alignments, but we
have done nothing but run in circles when it comes to the problems we
perennially seem to face. We have been competitive, but our competition
with one another has been defensive and alienating. Our primitive and
unexamined wishes have been to maim or annihilate our opposition. No
wonder we have had such a hard time getting along. No wonder we have
become covert in our wishes and in our thinking. If we do not expose our
ideas, they cannot be refuted.
Unfortunately, avoiding open discussion deprives us of checks and
balances. Bad ideas go unchallenged and uncorrected. It is no wonder
we live in a crazy and divided world.
It is my belief that we all have, not only an opportunity, but a responsibility
to participate deliberately and consciously in the discussion of how the
world works. Open competition of ideas need not be defensive, reactive
and alienating but may be initiated in good faith, responsive and
cooperative. For all our aggressive posturings about the superiority of our
own world view, most of us would be thrown off guard if we were asked,
flat out, to tell someone how the world works.
I believe that the way out of our collective psychosis and folly is to ask this
question regularly. If we ask it of ourselves, we will surely find that there
is much we do not know. If we ask it of others, we will surely find that
others have much to teach. The discussion can begin to bring us to an
increasingly conscious approach to life. Solutions and possibility may
become suddenly more accessible. If you agree with my assertion that we
have already been asking this question, you may also agree that we have
already been answering it. What then is the answer to the question? How
does the world work?
Rules of Engagement
Below is an example of a set of rules which may govern an intentional and
focused discussion with real groups of people interested in consciously
musing on the workings of the world: This is just an example. You may
choose the parameters for your own group.
1. These rules will govern any interaction in which a focused topic is to be
discussed seriously and productively.
2. We will not suffer fools gladly. That is, we do not have the time,
patience, nor the inclination to engage in discussion which deviates from
these rules.
3. Emotion will be examined rationally.
4. Social custom will be examined rationally.
5. Under no circumstance will emotion or social custom trump articulated
reason.
6. Although a person may exit a discussion at any time for any reason,
doing so will not "end" the discussion. It will simply mean that person is
no longer choosing to participate actively.
7. Departures should be accompanied by a statement of self-awareness.
Repeated premature departures will be confronted.
8. Many models will be accepted (models, meaning metaphor).
Comprehensive models will be encouraged.
9. Inconsistencies will be confronted.
10. Negation will be encouraged. Negation can be the generation of
unanticipated inconsistencies (hypothetical exceptions). This will help a
person with a specific theory to move toward a general theory.
11. There will be rules of order. Participants will not talk at the same
time, but will take turns. Those who go on too long will be confronted.
Those who are silent will be encouraged to speak.
Christian Wolff, MA, Licensed Psychologist Associate
Copyright, 2003
A Participatory Discussion
This is a discussion all of us are having all the time. All of our actions, all
of our interactions, all of our conversations are based upon our beliefs
about how the world works. We try to show others that we understand
their world view by being good students, good teachers, good citizens.
But more than this, we try to convince others that we have a unique
contribution to make - that there is something we know about how the
world works that they do not yet know.
Unfortunately, many of us have not been consciously aware that this is
what we are doing. Therefore, I will draw your awareness now to my
assertion. Is this what we are doing? Think about it. What do you think
we're doing?
Given my assertion, I propose we do what we are doing anyway, but do
so deliberately and with conscious awareness. So far, I believe we have
been awkward and non-productive in this discussion. We have
dominated others through emotional displays and social alignments, but we
have done nothing but run in circles when it comes to the problems we
perennially seem to face. We have been competitive, but our competition
with one another has been defensive and alienating. Our primitive and
unexamined wishes have been to maim or annihilate our opposition. No
wonder we have had such a hard time getting along. No wonder we have
become covert in our wishes and in our thinking. If we do not expose our
ideas, they cannot be refuted.
Unfortunately, avoiding open discussion deprives us of checks and
balances. Bad ideas go unchallenged and uncorrected. It is no wonder
we live in a crazy and divided world.
It is my belief that we all have, not only an opportunity, but a responsibility
to participate deliberately and consciously in the discussion of how the
world works. Open competition of ideas need not be defensive, reactive
and alienating but may be initiated in good faith, responsive and
cooperative. For all our aggressive posturings about the superiority of our
own world view, most of us would be thrown off guard if we were asked,
flat out, to tell someone how the world works.
I believe that the way out of our collective psychosis and folly is to ask this
question regularly. If we ask it of ourselves, we will surely find that there
is much we do not know. If we ask it of others, we will surely find that
others have much to teach. The discussion can begin to bring us to an
increasingly conscious approach to life. Solutions and possibility may
become suddenly more accessible. If you agree with my assertion that we
have already been asking this question, you may also agree that we have
already been answering it. What then is the answer to the question? How
does the world work?
Rules of Engagement
Below is an example of a set of rules which may govern an intentional and
focused discussion with real groups of people interested in consciously
musing on the workings of the world: This is just an example. You may
choose the parameters for your own group.
1. These rules will govern any interaction in which a focused topic is to be
discussed seriously and productively.
2. We will not suffer fools gladly. That is, we do not have the time,
patience, nor the inclination to engage in discussion which deviates from
these rules.
3. Emotion will be examined rationally.
4. Social custom will be examined rationally.
5. Under no circumstance will emotion or social custom trump articulated
reason.
6. Although a person may exit a discussion at any time for any reason,
doing so will not "end" the discussion. It will simply mean that person is
no longer choosing to participate actively.
7. Departures should be accompanied by a statement of self-awareness.
Repeated premature departures will be confronted.
8. Many models will be accepted (models, meaning metaphor).
Comprehensive models will be encouraged.
9. Inconsistencies will be confronted.
10. Negation will be encouraged. Negation can be the generation of
unanticipated inconsistencies (hypothetical exceptions). This will help a
person with a specific theory to move toward a general theory.
11. There will be rules of order. Participants will not talk at the same
time, but will take turns. Those who go on too long will be confronted.
Those who are silent will be encouraged to speak.
Christian Wolff, MA, Licensed Psychologist Associate
Copyright, 2003
This discussion is the very essence of this website. I invite that
discussion here and have created a link by which I may be e-
mailed directly from this site. I also encourage you to have this
discussion formally with friends, associates, and colleagues.
Informally and spontaneously, I invite you to have this discussion
with everyone you meet.
Buckminster Fuller and Margaret Meade each expressed
confidence in the ability of small groups of people, thoughtful
and focused, to solve most of the problems that the world has
known and most of the problems that the world is likely to
know.
The goal of Buckminster Fuller's World Game is, through group
processes, to “Make the world work, for 100% of humanity, in
the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation,
without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.”
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has
(Margaret Mead).
discussion here and have created a link by which I may be e-
mailed directly from this site. I also encourage you to have this
discussion formally with friends, associates, and colleagues.
Informally and spontaneously, I invite you to have this discussion
with everyone you meet.
Buckminster Fuller and Margaret Meade each expressed
confidence in the ability of small groups of people, thoughtful
and focused, to solve most of the problems that the world has
known and most of the problems that the world is likely to
know.
The goal of Buckminster Fuller's World Game is, through group
processes, to “Make the world work, for 100% of humanity, in
the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation,
without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.”
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has
(Margaret Mead).
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| Christian Wolff, Psy.A., Licensed Psychologist Associate • Psychotherapist & Counselor 820 NW 21st Avenue, Suite B. Portland.Oregon. 97209. 503.381.2032. christian@christianwolff.com |
