TO: MOQ
RE: SUMMARY OF THE DECEMBER SEMI-MODERATED DISCUSSION (V3)
This is an extensive rewrite from the last summary.
THE QUESTION:
"We can't know for sure which changes are improvements until new ideas are
tried, however, there are patterns to success (In other words, we can't be
sure where DQ is, but we can be pretty sure where it is very unlikely to be
found. The solution isn't entirely random)
What do the patterns of higher quality have that those of destruction, decay
and disorder don't? That is to me the fundamental question arising out of the
MOQ."
THE ANSWERS:
In response, CLAY and SOJ stressed that we need to focus on the dynamic.CLAY
called it enthusiasm. ROB, on the other hand, suggested that the answer
lies with more toward the static side with survivability.
Most participants responded with a classic two-pronged static/dynamic MOQ
response. MARCO suggested that what patterns of higher quality have is an
ability to find answers that lead to new questions. BARD offerred that the
solution was compassion and passion. WIM referred to the two balanced forces
as stability and versatility. SAM simplified the issue as being "to preserve
the best of the old while keeping room for the new."
ROGER (plagiarizing BARD and JOHN) called the
static quality 'harmony across the greatest span and depth,' and suggested
that the route to this harmony was to establish a self-supporting
environment. He referred to the dynamic part of the solution as
'creativity.' MARCO found quality in the Span and Depth angle too.
JOHN commented on the inherent futility in reaching harmony across the full
span and depth, especially considering the disparities in the levels of
consciousness between people. But, as MARCO's
answers-leading-to-new-question approach shows, this isn't so much a problem
to be solved as one that we continuously improve upon.
THE PATH:
Quite a few participants addressed the issue of how to follow the path to
higher Quality from a more personal perpective. The recommendations were
startlingly similar.
BARD recommended 'good intentions', though he was careful to point out (amid
criticism) that his definition of good intentions requires "wisdom, tolerance
and patience."
ROGER and BARD stressed the path was to pursue harmony.
JONATHAN summarized the path to higher quality in a single word -- TOLERANCE
-- which captures patience, understanding, flexibility, responsiveness and
resilience in 9 easy letters.
WIM similarly suggested getting in tune with something bigger than one's
self, and to fit into a bigger pattern.
3WD also said we should 'attune ourselves,' that we should 'get in the zone'
and that the path was paved with static stones.
JOHN found value in 3WD's path metaphor and suggested that the key to this
path lies in discriminating what is from what is illusion, and that each step
leads to reconciliation of discrepencies and incompleteness. He commented
that the path is ultimately one of 'discarded illusion.'
JON mentioned that the path is working on one's motorcycle, CLAY suggested
that we open up to the broader universe, and SOJ wrote that we should be
silent and create an opening.
OFFSHOOT ON DESTRUCTION:
A spin off conversation involved a number of people, including DAVOR, CLAY
and JOHN, who argued that death, destruction and decay CAN be of high
quality. They gave numerous examples. However, ROGER countered each of
these and suggested that in every case people were either confusing
destruction with flexibility and adaptiveness, or they were citing examples
of circular processes where destruction was leading to reconstruction, and
that it was the reconstruction which they saw as good. RICK and MARCO agreed
with him, but those originally espousing this view never responded (at least
conclusively) to the counter. JOHN is possibly preparing a response....?
SUMMARY:
A clear pattern developed to the various answers to the question.
Participants stressed that higher quality involves a Dynamic/static balance
across the greatest range of patterns and levels. High quality patterns are
stable and harmonious across a wide span yet tolerant of change and
continuously exploring wider, deeper and better patterns of mutual support.
They are creative rather than destructive, flexible rather than ossified. On
a personal level, the path to higher quality comes from attuning, attending,
balancing and harmonizing with the broader universe and continuously creating
openings within our frozen constructs.
SUBSEQUENT CHALLENGE:
PLATT threw out "the Nazi challenge," and asked if our resolution could
separate quality patterns from patterns with the cancerous properties of a
Nazi Germany (he suggested that it couldn't). The Nazi's were of course the
antithesis of harmony, tolerance and creativity. They did not look to balance
individual quality with social quality with intellectual quality with dynamic
quality. They did not pursue harmony with their neighbors; they pursued
destruction and subjugation. The Nazi's were a powerful social pattern. But
they were extremely low quality according to our model.
Are there any other additions, corrections or challenges?
Rog
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