Re: Using Silence in Meetings LO3524

jack hirschfeld (jack@his.com)
Mon, 30 Oct 1995 20:18:29 -0500

Replying to LO3468 --

Jim, Senge often reminds us that there is no learning if there is no
action. What I take from your post to be "the learning" has to do with
being alert to all that can be learned from the world at every moment of
our own "story". ("In the here and now" is how some folks put this;
"mindful" is also sometimes heard)

I agree that this learning is often triggered by observing one's children
grow, but I am sad to report that most people - and almost all
intellectuals - do not learn it anyway.

First, one must have a theory -- that is, a story about the meaning and
value of being present. Some people come to this through religious study,
especially Buddhism, others through philosophical study, others simply
through dialogue (I think of David Bohm conversing with Krishnamurti),
still others by analyzing their experiences and synthesizing their
lessons.

Then theory needs to be followed by practice -- and as we have said here
before, practices which get you to this particular learning do not
necessarily look like they will (from which I have generalized, declaring
on this list my belief that the same holds true for all learning). In my
opinion, any approach to learning which does not focus on practices is
missing the point. What attracted me to The Fifth Discipline was the
subtitle - The Art and *Practice* of the Learning Organization.

--
Jack Hirschfeld         Whoa! I want to know, how does the song go?
jack@his.com