[Neurons] Meta Reflection #44 (sent out a day early)

[meta]

L. Michael Hall

Meta Reflections #44

October 1, 2007 





TRANSCENDING CULTURE #5





In the last Meta Reflection, I ended by saying, 

What's needed is a new and higher level of social and cultural consciousness.

And, what is that new and higher level of consciousness? It is first and foremost a particular realization, a realization that sets a whole new frame from what's current in our world. It is the realization that there is but one species of humans on this planet.

I mentioned this in the first reflection on this subject, referring to Korzbyski's use of the adjective "racial" to speak about the human condition. What does this mean? It means that on planet earth there is only one race-the human race. We all belong to the same species, there are no others.

Now, when you realize that, when you realize that we are all members of the same human family, something happens to you. You are then able to begin to transcend your culture, your ethnocentric self-definitions and perspectives. And this also enable us to begin to treat each other with the respect, compassion, and deep democracy that will bring an end to wars and interpersonal conflicts.

Idealistic? Yes, of course. But is it not also a vision worth establishing and pursuing? After all, it is not differences in personality, styles, looks, shapes, expressions, values, etc. that create conflicts and wars. No. It is being disrespectful and hateful about our differences. Differences can be worked through, understood, disagreed upon, accepted, etc. Of course, to do so necessitates some high level skills: seeking to understand skills, accurate empathy skills, conflict resolution skills, getting accurate information skills, meta-modeling skills, defusing skills, etc.

It is when we dis-value a person and treat the person as if he or she is not from our family, our human family that's creates conflict and turns a disagreement into something hurtful and nasty. At the same time it prevents us from even seeking to understand and hold the kind of conversation which can create solid resolutions.

Conversely, when we rise above our individual and separate cultures with a new level of cultural consciousness that we can move above "party-lines" politically, economically, and socially, above the small-minded feuds. This is what then enables us to begin to create a truly good society. Ah, a good society. And, what makes up a good society? 

First and most fundamentally is the attitude of treating people as persons, as valued and respected persons who are first and foremost human beings. Once we have that frame established, then we can begin to re-construct and re-arrange our cultural expressions. Then we can make new arrangements politically and socially where everybody can have a chance at satisfying the basic needs.

Any social arrangement that prevents this and which has inequality built deeply into the very fabric of a society is the very thing that invite desperation, futility, aggression, hostility, and crime. And where do these come from? Such arise not because human nature is evil, bad, deprived, or corrupt, but because of our biology. Biologically we are designed to fulfill these needs for safety, security, order, protection, connection, respect, etc. It is frustration of these needs that bring about desperate frustration and then from there angry aggressiveness.

In this, to build a good society, we need to create what Maslow called the necessary "good conditions" that allow human beings to develop as healthy persons. What else does this include?

It includes making the society synergistic in structure. Maslow following cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict said that a good society is one that is set up so that virtue is rewarded. That is, in that culture, it pays to be good. A culture is synergistic when what benefits one individual contributes and adds to all members of that society. In that case, the whole society would have a vested interest in the well-fare, well-being, and success of every single member. Your success contributes to me. It makes my world richer, fuller, better. My success contributes to you. It is a win/win game, not a zero-sum game. In this analysis, we can examine a culture to see if it is growth-fostering or growth-inhibiting.

A good society is a society that fosters the essential growth of humans so that we become all that we can become. Maslow wrote:

"What are the effects of living in a dishonest world, an evil world, an ugly world, a split, disintegrated world, a dead, static world of cliches and stereotypes, an incomplete, unfinished world, a world without order or justice, an unnecessarily complicated world, an oversimplified, over-abstract world, an effortful world, a humorless world, a world without privacy or independence?" (1971, p. 136)

There's a goal for transcending our individual cultures. That goal is to create good societies. It is to create truly human cultures that are respectful of all humans, democratic, creative, loving, and that provides structures whereby everybody can find ways to gratify the basic and higher human needs.

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Coming in 4 weeks!! 
Join us for the Meta-Coaching Modules in Sydney Australia

---  Oct. 23-25, 2007  --- Module II:  Coaching Genius (or APG)
--- Oct. 27- Nov. 3, 2007 --- Module III: Coaching Mastery

     Contact Colleen or Michelle ...  cshephard at equilibrio.com.au  or michelle at equilibrio.com.au

    http://www.meta-coaching.org/expert_coaches.asp
    www.equilibrio.com.au

    http://www.meta-coaching.org/AustraliaOct2007Facts.asp
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The Ultimate Self-Actualization Workshop: Unleashing Potentials for Peak Performance is the newest Neuro-Semantic Training . We launched it in Portland Oregon with Rich Aanrich and Cat Wilson of Apositiva and the second training of it has just finished in Gold Coast Australia with Martin Urban of Inspired Focus. 

2007 Schedule 

7) Oct. 1-6, 2007. Geneva, Switzerland sponsored by Brief'r Formations (Info at pnlcoach.com www.pnlcoach.com). 2 day training. 

8) Nov. 20-22, Lisbon, Portugal. EvoluiTech Formacao e consultoria. Amalia Duarte, aduarte at evoluitech.pt 

9) Nov. 23-24, London, England, NLP Conference. Jo Hogg, Director, jo at nlpconference.co.uk. Three hour workshop: Actualizing Your Highest and Best.

10) Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, 2007. Avignon, France sponsored by Formation Evolution et Synergie and Gilles Roy, Neuro-Semantic and NLP Trainer. gilles.roy2 at orange.fr www.coaching-pnl.com 33 (0) 4 90 16 04 16. 

11) Dec. 7, 8, and 9, 2007. Italy, Bologna. Sponsored by an Institute of Neuro-Semantics and Lucia Guiovannini and Nicola Riva. lucia at blessyouitalia.eu nicola at blessyouitalia.eu www.blessyouitalia.eu +39 348 229 2562.





If you or your organization would like to sponsor the Ultimate Self-Actualization Workshop, contact me. I'm looking to present it as far and wide as possible.

2008

1) April 4-7, Portland OR. sponsored by Apositiva, Rich Aanrich and Cat Wilson (www.apositivechange.com rich at apositivechange.com). (503) 525-0595. 

2) May 17-19. ID Com. International, Montreal Canada. Isabell David. Phone: 450-224-5398 / 514-815-5457. idcom at cgocable.ca / idcom at idcominter.com

Web: www.idcominter.com 

This training will be delivered in English and simultaneously translated to French. 80% of the participants in 2007 spoke both English and French; with 20% speaking only French and 10% speaking only English. Come and enjoy a taste and feel of Europe in Montreal as you self-actualize.






L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.
Neuro-Semantics Ltd., Executive Director
ISNS - International Society of Neuro-Semantics
P.O. Box 8
Clifton, Colorado, 81520 USA
www.neurosemantics.com 
www.meta-coaching.org
www.self-actualizing.org 

Email: meta @onlinecol.com @acsol.net @mindfocus.co.za
(970) 523-7877
(970) 523-5790 FAX
(877) 686-2867 toll free in the USA only
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