Properties of circles

Chris Corrigan chris at chriscorrigan.com
Fri Jan 9 15:00:48 PST 2004


Hi folks:

I was writing out the basic script that I use for opening OST meetings
last night and while reading it I noticed that I spend a lot of time
introducing people to the ideas and properties of circles.  I think
circles are fundamentally important to process, and so I'm collecting
other people's notes and properties of circles.

So here is my script with the three things I usually do to bring the
circle to awareness.  Have a read and then ask yourself what you can add
to this.  What are the other cool properties of circles?

                Circles are really rather neat forms of geometry because
they force us to have a look at things in a particular way.   For
example in a circle, we don't really know who "the leader" is.  In fact
we may be forgiven for thinking that the leader is either not here, or
is each one of us.  And as a leader who is not here cannot do anything,
it must be that each one of is a leader.

                Also circles teach us that there are some things that
can only be done by groups.  For example, you will notice that this
circle of chairs isn't really a very good circle.  It's actually a
strangely distorted ellipse.  That is because for one person to set up a
perfect circle of chairs on their own is a nearly impossible task.  But
I'll show you a small miracle.  I'll stand in the centre here and ask
all of you to stand by your chairs.  Now square up so that you are
facing me and when you've done that check to see that you are sitting
slightly behind your two neighbours.  Now sit down.  Have a look around.
You have just made a perfect circle.  This is something only a group can
do and it took only a few seconds.  If I had had to do that it would
have taken me hours.  This is important to note.  It's as if we all
carry the coordinates for calibrating a circle within us but they can
only be activated by acting along with several others.

                Finally, here's one more thing about a circle.  If I
stand in the middle then you will all agree that you are looking at me.
But none of you will agree that you have the same view of me.  You can
see me, but your perspective is absolutely unique.  It is not shared by
anyone else.  We agree on the object of our observation but none of us
share the same perspective.  Remember that today as we work on these
issues.  Without each perspective we would not have a full picture.  If
you were all behind me then none of you could say with certainty that I
had a face.  By surrounding me we have the whole picture, but we have to
ask one another about the pieces that we are missing.  If you folks
sitting behind me want to know how many fingers I'm holding up, you have
to ask this person I'm facing.  That's how it is with problems too.
Remember that today.


So what else can we build into our openings about circles?

Chris

[PS Florian.some of this probably qualifies as "even"]



---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com

(604) 947-9236

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