*“You learn more and more that everything exists at once with its opposite, so the contradictions of life are never-ending and somehow the mediation between these opposites is the game of life.” Milton Glaser *
On Saturday, June 27, 2015, Harrison via OSList < [email protected]> wrote: > Paul – I cannot dispute that something called “Harrison Owen” was present. > But I was just giving you an “inside report” of my experience. I never > doubted my presence, but how, why, or for what purpose I showed up remained > pretty much of a constant mystery to me prospectively. Retrospectively it > all seems to make some sort of sense, and with a little effort I can spin a > marvelous tale. Or at least I enjoy it. > > > > Specifically, I never got a job that I went after. I never went after a > job that I got. I did “choose” a career, but that blew up in the first few > years. Very honestly, I always seems to be well on my way to the next part > of my life before I had even a small clue. Talk about life plan. Is that > self organization? I don’t know, but it works for me. > > > > Harrison > > > > Winter Address > > 7808 River Falls Drive > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > 301-365-2093 > > > > Summer Address > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. > > Camden, ME 04843 > > 207-763-3261 > > > > Websites > > www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com> > > www.ho-image.com > > OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives > of OSLIST Go to: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > *From:* OSList [mailto:[email protected] > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','[email protected]');>] *On > Behalf Of *paul levy via OSList > *Sent:* Saturday, June 27, 2015 3:10 AM > *To:* Michael Herman; World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Cc:* Harrison > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] 30 Years ... and Counting! > > > > Harrison > > > > You had everything to do with it. You were there, and it could never > happened without you, for you are it-self. > > > > > > Warm wishes > > > > Paul > > On Saturday, 27 June 2015, Michael Herman via OSList < > [email protected] > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','[email protected]');>> wrote: > > i want to add something to what you're saying about acting UPON the system > and acting IN the system, paul. i think there's a third way. > > > > it's common, as you say, for people to separate and try to have some > effect UPON the Self, the circle, the system. we call it managing, > directing, imposing, controlling, and improving – and the shape is the same > even if we're trying to improve "open space." it's all outside and > unsatisfied. then there is, as you say, acting IN the system. people > announcing sessions, floating around as butterflies, and so on. > > > > the third way takes a certain kind of person and/or a good deal of > practice, maybe even a little luck (a few martinis, perhaps?). the third > way is when little individual separate selves manage to speak up AS the > Self. this is just the opposite of the manager self attempting to speak > for the Self. > > > > in those moments, mostly fleeting, of necessity, because it's hard to hold > that form, hard to stay on that wave, (or maybe because there's often so > little that can or must be "said" or "done"), when we speak AS the gathered > Self, we are still our selves, but our selves are not in charge. we do and > become things, as harrison suggests, that we might not otherwise choose or > intend or even want. but whatever happens... > > > > the wave of Self picks us up and moves us AND we are that wave. we must > always and everywhere be holding space for ourselves and diving for cover > in Self, or is that holding space for ourSelves and diving for cover in > self? <grin> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Michael Herman > Michael Herman Associates > http://MichaelHerman.com > http://OpenSpaceWorld.org > > > > On Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 5:40 PM, Harrison via OSList < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Paul... Being the contrarian that I am, I rather think that the “Self” in > question is -- itself -- a product of self organization. Weird, I guess – > but that has definitely been my life experience. The “self” that I am > definitely was not the product of my intent or design. It may not have > happened “all by itself,” but I didn’t have too much to do with it, as > least as I am aware. How about those bananas? > > > > Harrison > > > > Winter Address > > 7808 River Falls Drive > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > 301-365-2093 > > > > Summer Address > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. > > Camden, ME 04843 > > 207-763-3261 > > > > Websites > > www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com> > > www.ho-image.com > > OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives > of OSLIST Go to: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > *From:* OSList [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf > Of *paul levy via OSList > *Sent:* Friday, June 26, 2015 8:01 AM > *To:* Harrison; World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Cc:* Steve Piersanti > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] 30 Years ... and Counting! > > > > Harrison > > > > I do like this little phrase "organising - all by itself" > > > > I've wondered, via this list, before: what is this "self" that organises? > > > > When, I stand, as a self (called Paul) and behold the world process (in > which I stand) - I stand apart as the beholder, but also behold the wonder > that I am part of that world process as well. > > > > Apart and belonging. the universe seems to have within it, an ability to > behold its-self. (Itself - Its self) > > > > Here's a poem I wrote a while back, in a little book called The Poetry of > Change: > > > > Cleft... > > > > Like a cleft stick > > You are no longer > > Whole > > See? > > Yet even > > Whole > > You were ripped from > > A tree. > > > > It's easy to forget that the ability to behold self-organisation and to > share it so eloquently on this list, as Harrison does, requires a self to > behold it (and to know it is a self doing the beholding). When we behold > self-organisation, we necessarily behold ourselves at the same time. > Self-organisation is an act of self organisation (not the lack of a hyphen > in the second one). Organisation is beautiful and the distaste for it is > silly and pointless. Because organisation and self-organisation are one and > the same thing. > > > > There is a form of organisation however where the self imposes its > temporarily separate will onto other selves and, in the process forgets > itself. It forgets that it is part of the system it is imposing its will > upon. There can be many reasons for this which I won't go into here. When > one or more selves forget they are part of the thing they are imposing > their will on, the whole system can go into a state of suffering because it > temporarily loses its wholeness. This can happen in a conference when a > small group of selves impose an agenda on the whole "self" of the > community. The smaller group of selves have temporarily attempted to place > themselves outside of the whole system of which they are always a part. > > > > When we use open space technology, we restore the wholeness of the system > by allowing each self to act both separately and together in the > world-process. There's a harmony because both beholder and beholded come > closer together and even show themselves as the same thing. The circle > represents its well. It feels like a remembering (Re-membering - we put the > "whole body" back on again). > > > > What's beautiful about open space is when each of our separate selves gets > up and temporarily acts as if it is separate from the world-self. "i want > to lead a session on" or "I use my my two feet" or "I become a butterfly. > Not the world temporary. Control is often benevolent when it is transient > asnd temporary. > > > > In Open Space, these passing acts of separate self ('lovely selfishness' I > call it) are very close to the experience of whole self-organisation - > because the circle is strong - self and Self are very close together in a > kind of playful dance. > > > > Also self and Self are close together in Time. We are creating the agenda > as selves and as a collective SELF in an improvisational way. Improvisation > is the way the universe breathes and moves. > > > > In a traditional conference, those little acts of each self (cooking up > the agenda way in advance) becomes separated in time from the agenda that > is experienced together (as a together-self). We act as if our little > selves are separate from the whole. We try to act UPON the system from > outside instead of IN the system. Here organisation becomes something in > which selves role play being separate. There is no circle. The universe if > "over there." At best we hold the whole circle or community in imagination. > > > > The day of the conference arrives. If there is energy, self-organisation > manifests anyway and the conversations happen in the coffee breaks. Even in > open space events, where we create the agenda on the day, the conversations > happen in the coffee breaks. we even create our own extra or different > coffee breaks outside the formal timings, using our two feet. > > > > Oh no. I beg to differ. Self-organisation doesn't happen all by itself. > Self-organisation happens out of itself. And itself is a beautiful thing. > Self-organisation is a process of ORGANISATION. In the human realm it > happens as an act of synchronous improvisation. We organise and we control > but we just do it closer to the moment and out of an experience of the > whole. Temporary, separate "selfishness" becomes synonymous with play. > Individuality and Community weave a lemiscate pattern. > > > > Each individual self acts both separately and collectively all of the time. > > > > The universe was made so that human beings could self-organise it. > > > > (Dives for cover) > > > > Paul Levy > > > > > > > > > > On 24 June 2015 at 18:46, Harrison via OSList < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Come this 4th of July it will be 30 years since something called Open > Space Technology happened. At the time, we (that would be me, for sure) > didn’t have a clue what it was or where it was headed. Since then it seems > like a lot of good stuff has come down. Of course we need to remember the > learnings from the ‘60’s – “Never trust anyone over 30.” Well... we just > got there! Everybody should be well advised that what happens next is > TOTALLY their responsibility... Or something. > > > > What happens next is definitely your responsibility. Having entered into > my 80th year, I am well past the age of discretion. But I do have a few > thoughts that may, or may not, be germane. > > > > I don’t think this is the end of something. I do believe it is the > beginning. And... There will always be a time when “the first timers” (as > participants or facilitators) gets the WOW Experience (Thank you Tom > Peters). Kind of like the first ride on your bicycle. Millions of people > have done it before you. But your First Ride is always unique (for you). > > > > There will always be times when bits and pieces of our common experience > in Open Space are held out as “singularities” – something strange and > unique. The latest version is called, “Liberating Structures (Thank you > Henri!).” Wonderful Idea, I think, but just a very small part of the whole. > > > > And for all those wonderful people who are attempting to wed Open Space to > Agile (Dan et al you know who I am talking about) – I say Three Cheers! And > I also hope that the day will come when it is recognized that truly Agile > organization are fully, consciously, intentionally – self organizing. At > that point, you don’t have to wed anything to anything. Just be what you > already are. Which is another way of saying that SCRUM (along with all the > other “techniques”) sound nice, but are yet one more example of “working > too hard.” > > > > And What Next? Truly, I am out of crystal balls. But I rather think the > beginning will begin when we call “Full Stop” on any attempt to organize > anything. And in that momentary space (Open Space?) just notice what is > organizing all by itself. Amazing! And we didn’t do a thing. Which leads > naturally to the next question... How do we take advantage of the winds of > our existence to bring our ships to harbors of fullness and greatness? > > > > And then we may take a lesson from Sailors and the Sea. Sailors do not > create the wind or the Sea. Although many have tried. All have failed. But > they have learned to ride the winds and the seas to their advantage. We > have the same opportunity. > > > > On this 30th Birthday, and as I approach my 80th – Good Luck and Carry On! > > > > Harrison > > > > > > > > > > > > Winter Address > > 7808 River Falls Drive > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > 301-365-2093 > > > > Summer Address > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. > > Camden, ME 04843 > > 207-763-3261 > > > > Websites > > www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com> > > www.ho-image.com > > OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives > of OSLIST Go to: > 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 > Past archives can be viewed here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > Past archives can be viewed here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > -- *Skye Hirst, PhD* President - The Autognomics Institute *Conversations in Radical Self-Knowing* www.autognomics.org @autognomics New Phone Number: 207-593-8074
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