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Fran, what an awesome diary!  Awesome in itself, and awesome in the great thread and comments it has spurred.

First, we need a compassionate vision...
Second, we need endurance and will-power...

Indeed.  This is a question I have been wondering about a lot.  There is much, much work that needs to be done, but I am pessimistic that incentives that are not ego-oriented (such as money, power, fame, awards, honors, etc.) will be able to motivate in large enough numbers to get done.  How can we create systems and organizations that are not based on personal gain (again, such as money, honors, power, etc.) but that are driven by, as you write, compassion, and that are sustainable over a long enough period to solve or at least reduce as much as possible the problems that are out there?

This past New Year's Eve, I was fortunate enough to go to an old friend's wedding where I was reunited with many of our closest friends from high school.  We are all 35-36 years old, and so most of us are married and having children (me being one of the few exceptions).

The morning after the wedding/New Year's party, I stumbled into the hotel dining for brunch, my head pounding from a toxic mixture of champagne, wine, port, vodka, and beer, and as I entered the dining room, I was greeted by the overwhelming sound and sight of about 30 little babies and kids eating and playing and crying and running.  My hangover shifted up into fourth gear.

But through the euphocacophony of children's voices and old friends greeting each other and sharing stories and sharing tips on how to get over hangovers and making plans to catch up soon, etc., I observed with growing fascination how all the young mothers were so engrossed and involved in not just taking care of their own babies -- many of whom actually were at home with grandparents or babysitters -- but with each other's children, and even with those of total strangers.

What was so striking to me was this: The complete and spontaneous attention, affection and -- how can I put it? -- competence or diligence with which they applied themselves to those kids.  What is more, how they did so cooperatively and with added pleasure in that cooperation.  And furthermore, with absolutely no sense of competition or possessiveness or jealousy or insecurity amongst one another (e.g. "I don't want her holding my baby for so long," or "My baby was cuter/smarter/more advanced/etc. than her baby is at this age," etc.)  At least, no such negative feelings that my hung-over still half-drunken senses stupid, childless male brain could detect.  In short, at the risk of idealizing/simplifying/obfuscating a more complex, less pleasant reality, I found this cooperative, spontaneous teamwork of child-oriented love and affection to be the complete opposite of the ego-oriented, competitive, guileful, often manipulative and deceptive world of business in the stereotypical predominant male mode.

Could, I wondered, this incredible mindset that "drove", so to speak, these young women to take care of theirs and each other's babies -- and each other, in fact! (e.g. by giving each other advice, sharing information, etc.) -- be a mindset at the foundation of organizations that are built and run to solve problems that conventional, traditionally business-like incentives (the money, the power, the fame, etc.) that may not be suitable for the problems aimed at by Victoria Hale and other NGOs/NPOs/charities/etc.?  If so, how can we nurture and harness that?  How would it work?  How would it hold its own in a world that is so deeply based on the individualistic, materialistic, competitive, aggressive, ego-driven mindset?

Truth unfolds in time through a communal process.

by marco (cowannar at gmail punkt com) on Tue Jan 2nd, 2007 at 11:38:56 AM EST
Thanks bruno-ken.

I think you are on to something with your observation. It made me think of the concept of vertical and horizontal thinking. I think it was De Bono who coined these terms. Your example of the mothers would fit the horizontal thinking. In my opinionen most companies are structured according to the vertical principals. I think if more horizontal or simply women, or right brain, or emotional Intelligence or how ever on wants to call it, would be included maybe there could be a shift, to a more community process intsteat of competition process inside companies. Maybe wishful thinking too. Best would probably be a balance of both approaches. But I have to think a little more about it.

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jan 2nd, 2007 at 01:26:15 PM EST
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