Developmental Activity

   Group and Self

                There are those of us who know more about group than we know about ourselves. There are those who realize that knowledge of self and group are best developed in tandem. Or, perhaps better said, that it is best to realize that our understanding of one can be so far ahead of the other that our development in both is limited. Also that when our development in in one falls  enough behind that of the other, the  development in both slows; the quality of  both is diminished.

                It seems that most of us benefit by the ongoing development of our understanding of both self and that of group when we do not let our understanding in one get too far ahead of the other.

                Read the two paragraphs above again later.

                A prime injunction of wisdom teachings has been "know thyself." That injunction has been up there near the great teaching of Jesus about the nature of love. Wisdom teachings suggest that learning may be the prime purpose of being and also that our most important learning is of self.

                Learning seems to come before knowing and understanding. It seem to me that we have a lot to learn, to know, and to understand. It seems too that learning, knowing, and understanding often happen naturally, but with which we do well  to co-operate. We can learn to co-operate with the process of learning.

            Surely an important part of being is learning. Learning about the world around us can move us to learning about ourselves, much as learning about ourselves can be important to our understanding of our world. I believe that learning about groups is important to learning about self, our world, and our governance.

 

                My experience tells me that there are qualities of learning. Before going on you may what to consider the quality of your recent learning. There is no law against contemplating your experience or your learning. I hope you can pardon me. I have been a teacher, and sometimes a teacher can seem like a preacher or a know-it-all. Still it is no secret that governance is important to me. My personal governance, the individual governance of each of us, and out mutual governance continues to be important to me.

 

            Please feel free to ask for explanations  and to make comments in the "comments" section at the end of this post.

 

Participation in a group:

                Participation in a group is a learning experience; it is an opportunity, development and growth. That learning and experience can be of varying quality. Much of that experience can lead to valuable advance of self and of the world. Awareness of that possibility can aid the quality of your understanding and of your life.

 

                There are many groups of many kinds available to us. One kind of group has been a self aid group, these are vastly varied. These days I have become interested in groups interested in understanding doings and happenings related to governance, examples could deal with the government of utilities or schools. My particular interests in such groups is wide, but tend to be about understanding the democratic governance of groups, civic governance, active democracy, active citizenship and such. I am probably biting off more than I can chew. Not long ago I took a look at the democratic intent of the Constitutions of the United States and hope I am not among the last to do so. You may be interested in groups dealing with new ways of corporate management, fly fishing, music appreciation, finding a date fit for a mate, and things pleasant to imagine. There is no law in participating in more than one group. Each group can be a double experience of development and growth of self and understanding of the group and its interests, and more too.

 

                Of course, one group can be more interesting or useful to you than are others. Some will be much better suited to your personality or to your deeper self than are others. 

                Many groups are much more transitory than others. Many have proven lasting enough to prove useful and satisfying for many years or nearly a lifetime. A significant number of them may last long enough to become a sort of school well adapted to its members. Some may be an economic or political tool. Others may a kind of dance club. There are many more to choose from than I can write about in this life time. And you can form a couple of more should you care to.

 

 

Good groups have some things on common: 

 

                 A high level of participation by members has seemed important to a groups effectiveness and longevity and also be indicative of then satisfaction and pleasure it offers. A group of a democratic nature can be more effective and enjoyable in the long run.

                An organization is a more formal group and is often larger than many group. A set of several groups may be an organization. In groups and organizations it can be very important to the longevity of memberships and to the life of the organization, that each member know that he or she has an important place or job it. Being a practicing participatory democracy tends to increase the level of group participation. Seems natural that democracy has its benefits.

                You can have a group. You can join one and you can form one or more. You might find a reading group at the library. I find that local face to face groups are best. I have not yet found one online. One of the things I find important in  group is recognizing each member first by face than by their way of being. I have not found that to be readily available online. I like a group in which there is talk and like talk time to fairly and and equally shared. Its also very attentive listeners. Not all easy to find offline and I have not yet found it online.

 

                You can enjoy the power of the group and your development in it.  Remember it is fair to make/start/develop a group when you become so inclined.

 

 

Got a group?:

                 Try this: Analyze your group to better know and understand it and perhaps yourself. You could do it with a friend. Doing so can help you to participate in it more effectively and it can be fun just doing it.

 

                To start, you or you and a friend, can begin to carry out some of the activates I suggest here:  

~ Find out who in the group has the authority to implement group plans.

Doing so will lead you to many questions which may have illuminating answers. 

~ Know the action plan for the long range funding of your organization or group. This leads to interesting new questions.

~ Find out who is involved in developing your strategic plan. You may now be learning some diplomacy and developing new questions, like What plan?  What strategy?  What involvement? What's going on?

~ Know your membership trends. Is membership increasing or decreasing? Why?

~ Consider the nature of the the grouop's benefits for you and for others.

~ Know who is doing the bulk of the work to accomplish the group goals.

What goals? What work?

~ Know what people do the work. There are always jobs to do. Who makes the meeting place available and ready to use? Where are these job doers Identify them.

~ Make sure you know the engine of your group. How are members motivated? What keeps them coming back?  

 

                A group is a kind of organization; both or either one can keep you busy. Your group ought to feel congenial an be able to keep you as busy as you want to be.

 

You can set out to find the answers to the following questions as aids to your growth, pleasure, and power and that of other members of your group:  

~ What questions do you have about your organization and your membership in it?

~ How will you get answers to those questions?

~ What will you do about your questions and answers? What can you do? What would you rather do with the help of other members?

~ What makes your group operate? What makes you operate? What makes you and other members co-operate?

~ What motivates you and other members?

                Keep in mind that in a group it is not mandatory that you answer all of your questions by yourself.

                Enjoy your growing ability and that of other members to do for one another.

                Lean more about you!

                Thank you for reading.

 

                                                                           Richard Sheehan

 

      

                 

                

We Can; Let's

EsoExo: Sharing knowledge multiplies knowledge. Knowing and understanding are good doings.

 

 

            Let's be positive. Let's affirm the good, the better, and the best. We can act to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. We can become more knowing and understanding.

 

            To know is an activity, a doing, a process. We can know and also have some ability to share our knowing.

 

            A positive doing, a good way to live, is  to know and to share our knowing. It is useful to observe, to be conscious, and aware. Being so can be a purpose of ours. We can find joy in increasing our skills in the arts and ways of civilization. We can live better by sharing information and knowledge. We can look at what is going on and better interpret that which we see. We can keep an eye on that which is happening so as to better plan our doings. We can recognize our common humanity and know that can be and do enough. We have the power to do on purpose. We can learn to trust ourselves and one another more appropriately. We can learn how.

 

            Truth and reality can be sign posts pointing the way to the good, better, and best. They may even point to bliss and security. But, honesty is the best policy and a great attribute.

 

            We can share. We can learn to share well. We can practice sharing. Sharing can be a way of multiplying. We can honestly say that sharing knowledge multiplies knowledge.

 

            Perhaps sharing similarly multiplies the useful such as: information, ways and means, arts and crafts, governance, consciousness, awareness, understanding, meaning. 

 

            As human beings we can learn and share our learning on purpose. We each have our experience to share.

 

            We can free ourselves from ignorance. Our civilization implies culture, which necessitates common memory, a history, shared stories, the power of the word. We free ourselves by practicing the sharing of knowledge. We have the wonderful power of learning from each other, from one another.

 

            Art goes back to putting together. Art is often a skill of putting together in a variety of ways. Putting together can be a move toward knowing, understanding, and meaning.

 

            "Wit" has to do with see and know. With some that includes humor, good humor. It is good to know that we can use our minds and wills, to judge, sense, and understand with good humor.

 

            We have will, so we can act with purpose. "Purpose" contains a a bit of "propose" and so goes to "put forward," "declare," narrate." Purpose can have to do with our words to our self. Let's make our words to ourselves honest and positive.

 

            Are we coming to agree that knowing and understanding are good doings. When we would do so, we can come to better see what is going on. We can trust our ability to learn to better interpret our senses and experiences. We can let more meaning into our lives.

 

            We are using words as well as we can. We are coming to know that the verb "to know" points to a doing of our volition as and act of will and purpose. To know is to approach understanding. We know that understanding is a process we experience.

 

            Our will and purpose can be set in the direction of freedom, truth, honesty, and understanding. Doing so can allow more meaning into our lives. 

 

Truth may free us and honesty is a good start. The real beginning is with self-honesty.

 

            Can it be that we are kind and faithful to ourselves and to others by sharing the honest information and awareness we have within ourselves and with others?

            It hurts little for us to regard, to look at the happenings and doings around us. We can regard humanity, civilization, culture, art, awareness, organization, information, but we don't have to.

We can choose to do that which we can do. 

We can choose to be aware and informed.

We can choose to understand and share. 

We can chose to support beauty and health.

We can choose to be honest with ourselves and others.

            More efforts to come.

 

 

                                                            RCS