an attempt at an answer

[Therese Fitzpatrick]

Raffi writes:  " The other part of me thinks that Harrison is not modelling
 "letting go." And I challenged him very forcefully on that score."

The depth of your assumptions and demands astonishes me, Raffi. Where
in the principles of open space technology does one member of a circle
acquire the right to challenge another member to let go?  What is this
letting go business?  And how is it that you have determined that the
time has come for Harrison to let go?  And how have you determined
that he has not let go?  or that he should?  You seem to think there
is something that is supposed to happen that is within Harrison's
control that has not yet happened.

Harrison has no responsibility to let go of anything.

And Harrison and no one has any responsibility to let go on your
timetable, Raffi.

And you, Raffi, has no authority to challenge forcefully.

I redirect your attention to Lisa's comment, Raffi, and renew her
suggestion that you are giving Harrison way too much power.

I have been personally acquainted with a handful of brilliant,
well-known visionaries and I include Harrison among them.  I have met
him a few times but don't really know him well.  Even so, I can tell
you that out of all the visionaries I have personally known, I have
never met one who comes close to Harrison's genuine embrace of
equality in collaboration.  If you are reading Harrison's words as
having more power than anyone else's, the power dynamic that you might
need to shift probably lies wtihin you, Raffi.  I am just about
certain that if you have a sense of uneven power between yourself and
Harrison, it is not coming from him.


Raffi also wrote:  "The whole 'what have welearned' thread and its
tone as started by Harrison screamed with attachment to outcome to
me."

In this statement, Raffi, you tell us quite a lot about you.  When I
read Harrison's invitation to write about 'what have we learned', I
experienced it as a genuine invitation.  I assumed it reflected a
genuine inquiry on Harrison's part to find out what others might have
to say. I believed Harrison asked because he wanted to hear what
people would say and that the only outcome Harrison was attached to
was whatever people wrote in response.

I challenge you, Raffi, to examine yourself and understand why you
heard an attachment to outcome in Harrison's very simple invitation.
The attachment, Raffi, is yours, not Harrison's.

I would actually like to know what outcome you, Raffi, think Harrison
might have been attached to when he asked 'what have we learned'?

I remain utterly amazed that you persist in thinking you, Raffi, know
what Harrison should do.  And I am flabbergasted that you think you
have the right to forcefully challenge him or anyone to let go when
you think they should let go.  You seem to think you are keeping the
cosmic clock for us.

How I wish that everyone would do things on my timetable and that
everyone would take it for granted that my beliefs about their
behavior should take precedence over their own.

*
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