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SHARED PURPOSE AND RESONANT SEMANTICS
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From: Bruce Schuman
Date: Friday, April 4, 2008, 11:06 AM
Subject: Shared Purpose and Resonant Semantics
ID: 260360

Just a couple of thoughts --

For one -- maybe this space would be a good place to bring forward some innovative new ideas, that might be a little "outside the box" for most people....

Secondly -- a couple of subjects I want to discuss....

Shared Purpose as a Cluster

One -- is that it seems to me that we need to create a "statistical cluster" approach to "shared purpose". This business of defining purpose in rigid language -- which is inherently open to divisive interpretation -- becomes very confusing and fragmenting. If we want to create convergence, we have to recognize this, and employ more fluent methods. We can conceive and implement these methods.

In a situation like the Sophia WWC -- people are coming together for many reasons. This motivational energy is critical to the success of the project. Yet, in a context where it is felt that people must be forced into accepting simply-worded common language -- much of this very diverse motivation can be lost or weakened.

This doesn't need to happen.

It makes a lot more sense to say -- dear people, we can come together for any reason that anybody wants to come together. If you have five reasons why you want to be part of tis project -- list them. Get them stated in simple terms.

Then, others who share your purpose(s) can join with you in those particularly purposes. There is no reason that Sophia cannot be motivated by 100 different motivations -- instead of trying to force the process into a few rigidly-conceived statements that are open to divisive semantic interpretation.

Rather than fight over these issues -- we should recognize them as inherent -- and simply design solutions that accommodate these difficulties and move past them gracefully.

Resonant Semantics

In a global environment, it seems to me -- that we are just going to have to step up to a sophisticated semantics that recognizes that word definition is inherently dualistic.

"Where the lines are drawn, there the battle is fought."

If we don't want these battles, we have to stop drawing lines in language where the definitions are taken from our own private dictionaries. There ARE solutions to this problem. We have to step up and use them.

***

People are coming into this process with high-minded and sensitive motivation, that can certainly help us all advance the common good. We have to find ways to incorporate and embrace this motivation -- even if it is diverse. If the energy people bring is overlapping, with a common center -- even if that common center cannot be absolutely defined in some single phasing in some particular language, the energy and center of motivation is still vital and alive, and capable of moving us all forward.

Let each person configure their own personal motivation, and find their own reason for being part of the project. Some want to hold a major physical event. Some want to work to solve the problems the event is intended to address. Some want to build global networks and projects that address these issues in an ongoing way. Why not incorporate all these motives, and support and encourage them all?