Skye, The first line is ironic, not literal. Forgive my English soul.
Paul On 01/02/2013, Skye Hirst <[email protected]> wrote: > How fascinating! You say it's a "thing" then continue to reflect that is > it a "process." You might want to explore the different metaphysics of > each. Quite different i think. Heraclitus spoke of "becoming" as more > alive than things which Plato wanted us to focus on, the fixed ness of > that which we could touch, see over and over the same way so we could > examine it closely to know that it was "real" > > Yes, it is a "self" process; self knowing, self referencing and > self-correcting. This is not a thing in the old metaphysics. Thanks for > your thoughtful comments. This is what they used to call "doing philosophy" > Skye > > > On Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 8:13 AM, paul levy <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Well, here's the whole thing... >> >> Open Space – 2013 and Beyond >> >> >> Be in no doubt, Open Space Technology is a thing. Harrison Owen >> specifically called (and continues to call) it a “technology”. It was a >> new >> technology designed to replace a tired old one. It was also called a >> technology at a time when, in management and organisational circles, >> facilitation methods and approaches were being called “technologies”; >> also >> “tools” and “”techniques” – more so in the United States than in the >> counties and cities of the United Kingdom. This particular technology was >> a >> way of conferencing and getting things done that was way better than >> over-fussy and over- formalised older “technologies”. >> >> It was a neat cultural reaction to a future being painted as robotic, >> with >> society’s problems being solved by things of steel, microchip and >> plastic. >> By embodying “softer” processes as “technologies” we had a viable >> alternative to plugging things into our nerve endings and veins. We could >> deploy alternative ways of doing things, ways of seeing the world, ways >> of >> behaving. If these could be presented simply, and if they could have a >> kind >> of enduring repeatability in different situations, then they would be >> viable alternatives to machines and “stuff”-based innovation. A potent >> and >> softer technology to allow us to ride the waves of change. Oh, and of >> course, it was a wonderful and simple alternative to over-structured, >> facilitator-heavy meeting process to boot! >> >> Open Space Technology is, therefore, presented as a fairly simple, >> resilient, and, most importantly, transferable and repeatable THING. It >> is >> something you sort of “switch on” and, to quote Harrison, it just about >> “always works”. >> >> This particular thing is a “technology” so applicable, timeless and >> repeatable, because it operates according to natural law. It is an >> expression, in process, of self-organisation. >> >> Open Space Technology isn’t self-organisation as much as >> self-organisation >> is Open Space. >> >> Now, there’s been a fair amount of discussion in recent years as to what >> self-organisation is, and Harrison Owen himself has dived into that >> exciting pool of thinking and dialogue-ing. I think we are very much at >> the >> beginning of understanding what self-organisation is. It certainly begs >> the >> question “what is the self in self-organisation?”. There are a range of >> different answers to this and, not surprisingly, they sit on that old >> cherry of a line that runs from material science to religion and faith. >> Open Space as a field has always attracted people who see it as an >> embodiment of natural science in social action through a practical proof >> and expression of the truth of self-organisation as an underlying natural >> law. It has also attracted its fair share of spiritual faithfuls who see >> it >> as a magical process for making spiritual potential real in the physical >> world. It has given birth to articles about biological self-organisation >> in >> human social systems, alongside articles about the power of “holding the >> space”, walking anticlockwise, and the gonging of Tibetan Bells. And also >> a >> fair number of people who see Open Space as uniting science and >> spirituality in a meeting process that proves both can sit alongside each >> other without too much conflict. >> >> Harrison Owen himself, when it suits him, expounds thousands of words on >> Open Space, how to do it, on self-organization, on wave-riding and so on. >> When others do the same, especially where attempts are made to elaborate >> the field, explore it, innovative or develop it, he often suggests that >> such thinking is a bit of a pointless exercise, and suggests we just go >> and >> “open some space”. It’s a charming, grandfatherly way to be, and I don’t >> mind it at all. >> >> As 2013 dawns, I’m convinced that Self-Organisation is Open Space. But I >> don’t buy the definition that seems to be emerging that the “self” in >> self-organisation doesn’t refer to individual human selves. It most >> certainly does. When we contemplate the world (or even universal) >> process, >> it is too easy to forget that we are contemplating ourselves as part of >> that world process. We don’t sit outside of the universe we are a part >> of. >> When I derive universal laws of nature, I am also deriving those as laws >> that flow through me. And yet there is also a process of observation by >> my >> self of my self that is then taking place. If I say, “this is true for >> the >> universe”, then I am also saying “this is true for me in the universe”. >> But >> I am also saying “My self is observing that this is true for me in the >> universe”. It’s the classic observer part of ourselves that observes our >> observing! >> >> There’s me (“I”), there’s the universe – and there’s also me in the >> universe and the universe in me. >> >> When we self-organise, we both organise as a collective self through >> community action (the collective circle) but we also observe into the >> circle from a standpoint that no one else in that circle can occupy. No >> one >> can be me. No one can refer to me as ‘I’ except for me! Of course there’s >> a >> danger that such an ego or self-focused view can turn into egotism, where >> the self is self-viewed as more important than any other self-views. But >> there’s also an opportunity to live what Rudolf Steiner described as a >> community life where, in the mirror of each human, the community finds >> its >> reflection and where, in the community, the virtues of each one is >> living. >> >> Self-organisation occurs when the self organises. In community it is a >> dual process of the self (the individual) observing into the circle from >> their unique standpoint and where, he or she, also imagines and reaches >> beyond that singular point, into the circle, a collective space, a >> community endeavour, where individual selves are also cells connecting >> into >> a large self-organising being. >> >> This happens sometimes so brilliantly in an improvisation troupe. We see >> moments of individual genius but also a contribution of each self to a >> bigger self – the group, and when this joins up and there is flowing >> collaboration, a synergy arises and the group performance is even >> greater, >> never quite explainable in terms of any individual performances. >> >> Yes, yes! The whole can be greater than the sum of the parts when the >> individual offers their self-part to become part of the community, >> allowing >> it to self-organise, beyond their own individual ego. We freely flow into >> the community, and no one knows or cares who, at that moment is blowing >> the >> wind. Equally, we step out of that circle and sing our own tune – the >> community self-organises, and sometimes we individually self-organise. >> >> Situations change, needs in communities and organisations change. >> Sometimes the lone voice is the only voice that needs to be heard. >> Sometimes the lone voice needs to quieten and listen to the circle. >> Sometimes a wonderful mess needs to ensue, a chaos for a while, sometimes >> it all needs to be neat. >> >> Open Space Technology brings lots of individual selves together and – in >> a >> way born of natural genius – creates a market place for selves to address >> themselves to a community need, and also for a community need to manifest >> in individual, group and even whole circle endeavour. Open Space is a >> wonderful bridge between individual and collective self. When it is truly >> flowing self-organisation is both individual and whole. The dynamic is >> musical, and often akin to dance – as dance that can been seen both on >> the >> stage and under a microscope, or even out in the starry heavens. >> >> But sometimes the technology needs adapting. For a very good and >> important >> reason that, ironically, lies deep at the heart of self-organisation >> itself. This is because, although nature itself reveals its laws as >> timeless, one little experiment in nature appears to elude that repeating >> consistency. To quote Steiner again, we will only really begin to >> understand the human self when we realise that each human being is a >> unique >> species of one. Each of us is a new universe, a new emergent day, every >> single second. There is no technology that can fully hold the space for >> our >> emerging selves. Self-organisation then needs to flex, flow and emerge >> with >> our own emerging mystery. For Open Space to embody a warm, loving truth, >> it >> has to expose itself to … open space. Open Space cannot sit outside of >> the >> emergent mystery of uniqueness. It may prove itself for a while as fairly >> resilient. But then it becomes dogmatic, rusty, nostalgic and even a bit >> sad. Self-organising open space technology has to be able include >> re-organising its-self! >> >> What are you scared of? >> >> Happy New Year, >> >> Paul >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> >> > _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
