We're honored to welcome Alan Briskin
and the book that is the beginning of a movement that will bring
wholeness and sustainability to our communities and organizations: The Power of Collective Wisdom and the Trap of Collective Folly. Alan
was our November VisionHolder Interview and is our Conversation Starter
for both the December and January Thought Leader Gatherings.
What enables us to collectively make wise decisions and sound judgments instead of splintering apart? When human beings gather together a depth of awareness and insight, a transcendent knowing, becomes available. We have the potential to tap into an extraordinary co-creative power that exists in every group. How can we do this more reliably?
Collective wisdom refers to knowledge and insight gained through
group and community interaction. At a deeper level, however, it is
about our living connection to each other and the interdependence we
share in our neighborhoods, organizations, and world community.
Based on nine years of research The Power of Collective Wisdom
shows how we can reliably tap into the extraordinary co-creative
potential that exists whenever human beings gather together. Stories
and historical examples illustrate how collective wisdom has emerged in
a range of cultures, settings and traditions, and we offer a set of
practices to help readers realize the key lessons of the book. Equally
important, the book describes how to recognize the pitfalls of
polarization or false agreement that lead to collective folly.
Ultimately, this work emerges from a deep conviction that we all have a
stake in each other and that what binds us together can be greater than
what drives us apart.
We see our efforts as part of a larger
social movement. Everywhere we look, we see groups, networks, and
communities rising up to address common challenges. What all of us
share is a collective outlook and a desire for wise action. We seek
what human beings have always sought: to find what is best in ourselves
and what is best in and for the group.
What a wonderful conversation to be engaged in. Please join us by listening to the VisionHolder Interview, attending a TLG, commenting on this post, contacting Alan.
-Patricia & Craig
