From: Jason Joel Thompson (jasonjthompson@home.com)
Date: Sat Jan 06 2001 - 04:48:25 MST
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Fabulich" <daniel.fabulich@yale.edu>
> I clearly didn't mean 2-4 when I said that principles were arrays of
> symbols. (And, hey, if you'd had some charity, maybe you could have
> seen that. This is an area where bad ethos will get you in trouble.
> Seriously, try to engage with respect and empathy. Try to figure out
> how I could possibly be right. You just might figure out what I meant
> for a change.)
Hi Dan (et al.)
Whilst skimming, I stumbled across your above passage, and I must confess:
it gave me pause: it reflects a sentiment I too have held on not infrequent
occasion.
We are all guilty, perhaps, of bad ethos, or rather, we are heavily given to
engaging each other as antagonists-- it is oft times more important for us
to be perceived as right rather than to illuminate rightness.
It is very natural, and very human, especially for us damnable eggheads.
However, in our continual scrambling for rightness, we pave over the
synergies we are capable of creating through collaborative effort. Indeed,
strangely, positive feedback appears to extinguish conversation in this
mailing-list environment-- competition gives rise to far more dynamism. I'm
certain the longest and most recurring threads are those that are the most
contentious.
It would be interesting, I think, if we were more often able to expend some
energy in pursuit of uplifting the arguments of others. Never fear, I'm not
talking about suspending skepticism, but, rather, seeking rightness. We
might more often cash in on the benefits of collaboration-- one need only
look to the markets to see the benefits of enhancing local collaboration
whilst maintaining aggressiveness in the macro-dynamic.
I am deeply in favor of individual empowerment, but also recognize the value
of compromise in the face of holistic goal achievement.
Ok, so now my 2001 resolution with regard to this list is to spend just
a -wee- bit more time seeking out my opponent's rightness. Even better:
lets find a way to turn that approach into a positive attractor state with
regards to the volume of our dialogue.
--
::jason.joel.thompson::
::founder::
::wild.ghost.studios | www.wildghost.com
::kung.fu.blue
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