Properties of circles

Sat Jan 10 11:47:10 PST 2004

Thanks for the image, Alexander, of sitting in a sphere in a gravity free
space.  I want to be able to do that.

>From: Alexander Kjerulf <alexander at KJERULF.COM>
>Reply-To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Re: Properties of circles
>Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 19:06:21 +0100
>
>What do circles do? Here are some of my observations:
>
>I've noticed that circles put you in there 100%. There is no place to
>hide in a circle, which can be quite disconcerting to somebody who comes
>to a meeting expecting to just sit back and zone out. You can read an
>account by a participant in an Open Space meeting I facilitated here:
>http://benaaron.multics.org/2003.04.htm to get a taste of how this can
>feel (the story also happens to be really funny).
>
>Geometrically, circles minimize the surface to area ratio. If you want
>to fence in as large an area as possible and you only have a set amount
>of fencing materials make your fence a circle, this will give you the
>largest possible area inside the fence. What this means in a group
>process is not totally clear to me, but maybe it minimizes the
>"exposure" to the world outside the circle, keeping most of the
>attention inside. The reason that igloos are round (or spherical,
>rather) is that the round shape gives you the smallest possible surface,
>and thus the smallest heat loss.
>
>Circles can also create a lot of resistance. A lot of people react
>adversely when asked to sit in a circle. Some people think kindergarten,
>others think 12-step meeting. Usually this resistance evaporates after
>about 5 minutes, though.
>
>In my opinion, many of the benefits we see from circles are largely due
>to the fact that there is no table between participants. I'm pretty sure
>that sitting at a round table is only marginally better than sitting at
>a square one. I'm sure this is not news to anybody on this list, but to
>me, having no tables means:
>* a smaller distance between participants
>* you can see the whole body-language
>* you can't slump over the table and zone out
>
>Here's a funny thought: If you had Open Spac meetings in space (in
>zero-g) you participants could sit in a sphere, rather than a circle.
>That would fit even more people in :o)
>
>Cheers
>
>Alex
>
>Alexander Kjerulf
>alexander at kjerulf.com
>www.kjerulf.com
>+45 2688 2373
>
>Adress:
>Tagensvej 126, lejl. 613
>2200, Copenhagen N
>Denmark
>
>
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Chris
>>Corrigan
>>Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 11:09 PM
>>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>Subject: Re: Properties of circles
>>
>>Hi Michael, and others:
>>
>>Okay, let me rephrase this.  I'm not looking for a script for opening,
>>I'm looking for more perspectives on what circles do for process.  It's
>>a theoretical question, not one of practical significance!  How's that
>>for candour?
>>
>>Seriously, I am interested in this primarily because I am currently
>>looking at how process is a significant arena of colonization and why
>>recovery and transcendence of indigenous process is a truer and deeper
>>form of decolonization than simple systemic change.
>>
>>As part of this inquiry, naturally I have been working with circles,
>>both in Open Space and in other process, including many indigenous
>>processes here in Canada.  And I have noticed that circles have
>>important impacts on process both from an observational view and from
>>the perspective of a participant.
>>
>>And thus my inquiry about what other have observed circles "doing."
>>
>>So?
>>
>>Chris
>>
>>
>>---
>>CHRIS CORRIGAN
>>Bowen Island, BC, Canada
>>http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>>chris at chriscorrigan.com
>>
>>(604) 947-9236
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
>>>Pannwitz, Michael M
>>>Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 3:18 PM
>>>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>>Subject: Re: Properties of circles
>>>
>>>Dear Chris,
>>>just walk the circle and get people to focus on each other.
>>>Skip the rest.
>>>Greetings from Berlin
>>>mmp
>>>
>>>
>>>On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 15:00:48 -0800, Chris Corrigan wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>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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>>>>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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>>>
>>>
>>>Noch 8 Plätze zu vergeben zur 3. Lernwerkstatt für open space-
>>>BegleiterInnen vom 25. bis 28. Januar 2004 in Vlotho. Jetzt anmelden
>>>www.michaelmpannwitz.de/o_lernwerkstatt2004.htm
>>>
>>>Michael M Pannwitz, boscop
>>>Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
>>>FON: +49 - 30-772 8000   FAX: +49 - 30-773 92 464
>>>www.michaelMpannwitz.de
>>>www.openspace-landschaft.de
>>>
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