is it still open?

[Chris Corrigan]

Larry Peterson wrote:


> I do think that “givens” are a myth, a social construction, at least at
> one level of consciousness.
>
> However, most of my clients have some substantial social constructions,
> including the “theme”, which gives shape, direction and boundaries to
> the self-organizing they want to accelerate or engage with OST.  They
> also have some personal and organizational “karma” that will still be
> around after an OST event and will affect what is done with the
> resulting ideas and cultural changes.  I find that some articulation of
> these ahead of time makes it more, not less, possible to move forward
> with what emerges during and after an OST event.  I have found that it
> frees people up to know where the sponsors are.
>

I totally agree Larry.  I have always thought of "givens" as really just
a clear articulation of what we have to play with.  If we understand
these well , then it invites people to be really creative in finding a
way around them.  There is a real art to communicating these in a way
that is inviting transformation rather than limiting engagement.

For example, I have used before the example of the givens of human
flight.  It is a given that gravity and our body shape prevents us from
flying.  But understanding exactly what gravity is means that we can use
our bodies to build a machine that will overcome these givens.

I think "givens" are not about the span boundaries of impossibility, but
  funnels which invite us to deeper possibility.

Chris

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