Wonderful thoughts! Yes, yes, yes. Wish I'd said this.
I have experienced what I understand John is describing here. I have
always had more to read than I could ever read in one lifetime, and now
that I am a member of about 20 listservs, it becomes clearer how my
skills have to be improved. This serves me well! Since I cannot
possibly read it all, I must learn how to decide quickly which messages
are for me (at the moment) and which ones aren't.
Will I miss gems? Yes, just as I have passed up wonderful books as I
walked down the aisles of library stacks. Not only do I not have time to
read it all; I really don't want to.
Thank you, John. I particularly liked the part about dialogue. I am
finding that dialogue on a listserv can hone my dialogue skills more
quickly than in-person interchanges.
Edryce Reynolds
On Thu, 12 Mar 15:46:41 -0500 John Dicus <
jdicus@OURFUTURE.COM> writes:
>Dear list members,
>
>Here's a few thoughts on why I think that list membership might be one
>of
>the best "teachers" at our disposal:
>
>1) It gives us practice in handing the information immersion that we
>all
>are learning to deal with in nearly every aspect of life -- business,
>learning institutions, communities, families.
>
>2) Now that we have much of the openness and unfiltered information
>flow
>we've been asking for, it gives us practice is finding what we
>personally
>need to know right now at this point in time (realizing that this
>changes on
>a daily basis).
>
>3) It teaches us that while the world looks as though it is changing
>too
>fast for us to keep up, it also remains very much the same -- just as
>it has
>throughout the centuries. This allows us to use much more of what we
>already know than we might think -- rather than the proverbial
>"throwing the
>baby out with the bath water."
>
>4) It shows us that all messages are not new information per-se --
>rather
>many are an important reframing, bringing new insights and providing
>context
>enabling you to learn for the first time what others might already
>know.
>
>5) It helps you learn that you cannot hear and know everything --
>that you
>don't need to hear and know everything. We are too small compared to
>the
>greatness of life to try and know everything. In turn, this helps us
>realize that we are participants in the dance of life, not
>controllers. Can
>learn to live in the "learner's story" instead of the "victim's" or
>the
>"conqueror's" stories?
>
>6) It helps us practice the art of dialogue wherein we hold the
>thoughts of
>others suspended (without judgement) in our consciousness alongside
>our own
>thoughts -- giving space for both. Time and the powerful workings of
>the
>subconscious brings us to unforeseen understandings not otherwise
>possible.
>
>7) Simply scanning the messages without the self-imposed need to "do"
>something with them has the potential of increasing awareness and
>opening
>pathways that is beyond simple explanation.
>
>8) Remember the CB radio craze? Suddenly everyone could talk to each
>other. A sense of community developed. But the roots and
>understanding
>(and who knows what else) did not mature, leading to everyone being
>turned
>off. I know this is a simplistic version of those days, but is the
>same
>thing happening in cyberspace? If one hope for the future is virtual
>organization and virtual community, then here (this list and others
>like it)
>is one important place where we must learn and understand. People
>such as
>Charles Handy doubt the ability to achieve virtual community without
>face-to-face encounters. If they're right, then what does this mean
>to the
>future of education and organization?
>
>
>There are many more reasons why I believe this is a golden opportunity
>to
>learn our way into the future.
>
>To use some appreciative inquiry, how do you all see this list as
>beneficial? I guess I'm asking how many blessings can you count?
>
>Thanks for hearing my thoughts,
>
>John Dicus
>
>--
>
>John Dicus | Cornerstone Consulting Associates
>Providing Experiences In... Teamwork - Systems - Stewardship
>
jdicus@ourfuture.com |
http://www.ourfuture.com
>800-773-8017 (in US) | 330-725-2728 (voice/fax)
>2761 Stiegler Rd, Valley City OH 44280
> **Join an Online Dialogue --
stewardship@world.std.com**
>
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