just wondering

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Thu Oct 2 13:49:31 PDT 2008


Michael said: I love Harrison Owen's observation that "Whereever space is
opened, peace breaks out" AND in parallel with that it seems to me possible
that Open Space could be used for people to self organise to evil ends as
well as to good ends (remember the famous TV Character, Maxwell Smart's
comment, "If only he had used his powers for good instead of evil").

 

 

Interesting question - Could evil people use Open Space for evil ends? I
think the answer is: Certainly. But we might need to go a little deeper and
recognize that my "evil" could well be your "good," and visa versa. No need
to disappear into the mists of moral relativism, but I think we all might
agree that what the American revolutionaries perceived as a profound "good"
- was seen in very different terms by the British Crown. And I would believe
that had the Americans and the Brits known about and utilized OST both
groups could have achieved infinitely higher levels of group cohesion and
effectiveness. Unfortunately, this achievement would have meant (at least in
the short term) that they could have killed each other with greater
efficiency. This might make the Generals happy but does little to advance
the cause of humanity, to say nothing of the long term survival of either
party. 

 

I think we might add another thought to the discussion - no system exists in
isolation. The Americans needed the Brits and visa versa. And actually they
(we) formed a system, albeit a rather dysfunctional one. Where to go? How
about getting the whole system in the room! Open some space. Imagine what
might have happened. . .

 

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

Open Space Training  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com


Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com 

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Michael
Wood
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 12:24 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: just wondering

 

Marty

 

Interesting question you raise. I certainly don't have a clear answer, but
just a few thoughts.

 

At San Francisco this year someone convened a very interesting conversation
about what happens when communities "self organise themselves into
dictatorships"...or words to that effect. I didn't attend that conversation
but it did get me thinking.

 

I love Harrison Owen's observation that "Whereever space is opened, peace
breaks out" AND in parallel with that it seems to me possible that Open
Space could be used for people to self organise to evil ends as well as to
good ends (remember the famous TV Character, Maxwell Smart's comment, "If
only he had used his powers for good instead of evil").

 

So I think that what OS does is to bring things out into the open more
transparently so that we can see what we're actually dealing with. And I
presume that this does not remove the fact that governing bodies still need,
at the end of the day, to make public policy decisions which will involve
more or less government intervention, depending on one's political
persuasions...and this is what constitutes part of the boundaries of the
Open Space.

 

Michael Wood

Perth, Western Australia

 

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Martin
Boroson
Sent: Wednesday, 1 October 2008 9:43 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: just wondering

I am wondering .

 

The philosophy of Open Space seems to promote a genuinely free market for
ideas.  The underlying belief, as I understand it, is that allowing each
person to follow his/her passion is the best way to discover the best ideas
and solutions.  It's efficient, just like a market.  This sure sounds like
the 'invisible hand' and laissez-faire capitalism to me.

 

I have even sold Open Space to some corporate execs by pointing out that
since they value the free market so dearly outside their company, they might
want to try a free market for ideas inside their company. 

 

So I have often wondered if people on this list believe as passionately in
the free market for the economy as they do in Open Space.   In the current
economic crisis, as the world clamors for greater regulation - i.e. more
rules and limits on the freedom of markets - I am wondering if any of you
have any thoughts or insights to share.

 

I imagine Harrison will remind me that Open Space runs on freedom and
responsibility. yet the responsibility asked of participants in Open Space
is pretty minimal - naming their passion and showing up for their sessions
and respecting others' freedom to do the same.   It's well short of
socialism.

 

Marty

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priory End House

2 North Street, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5NZ

United Kingdom

+44 784 344 5746 (mobile)

www.martinboroson.info

 

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