Streams and Wells: Generative Sacrifice as a Bridge Between Education and Culture
Posted: November 16, 2024 Filed under: AI-Powered Essays, education | Tags: competition, culture, debate, dialogue, education, philosophy, reconciliation, truth, values Leave a commentSetting: A quiet study in the civic hub of a small city, where a flowing stream meets an ancient well outside the window. John Dewey and G.K. Chesterton sit at opposite ends of a table, tea service between them.
1. A Clash of Perspectives
Dewey:
Chesterton, it seems to me that culture is the true enemy of progress. Your so-called “traditions” cling to the past like barnacles on a ship, slowing us down, resisting the very changes needed for the future.
Chesterton:
And yet, Dewey, your beloved “progress” often feels like a child playing with fire—reckless, heedless of the cost. Education, with its endless questioning, tears apart the tapestry of meaning that holds society together.
Self-Harmonization: A Grand Unified Theory of Socialization
Posted: November 16, 2024 Filed under: AI-Powered Essays | Tags: dialogue, intellectual, passion, philosophy, polarization, politics, reconciliation, self, systems 4 CommentsTEDx Talk given 4/1/2024 at the The Friedman School of Self-Differentiating Leaders for a Meta-Modern World
[Opening: A Personal Confession]
When I was deciding on my career, I felt like I was being torn in two directions. On one side was Pat, my logical, analytical side, saying, “You should be a physicist. Physics is structured, precise, and universal. It reveals the hidden patterns of the universe and lets you solve problems at their core. It’s practical and clear—a perfect career path.”
On the other side was Chris, my intuitive, relational side, whispering, “You should be a social worker. Social work is about people. It’s about connection, healing, and building communities that thrive. It’s deeply human and incredibly meaningful.”
Pat saw the world as a system of forces and equations. Chris saw it as a web of relationships and emotions. For a while, I felt trapped, like I had to pick one and leave the other behind. But then, something clicked: Pat and Chris didn’t need to compete—they needed to collaborate.
That realization didn’t just shape my career; it reshaped the way I understand the world. It led me to sociology—and to what I now call self-harmonization, a grand unified theory of socialization that applies at every scale of the system, from the internal workings of the mind to the relationships between people, and even to our interactions with artificial intelligence.
Read the rest of this entry »The Grace of the Included Middle
Posted: November 9, 2024 Filed under: AI-Powered Essays | Tags: culture, dialogue, philosophy, polarization, reconciliation, religion, values Leave a commentChatGPT as Brendan Graham Dempsey
In the age of polarization, divisive ideologies, and unyielding binaries, we find ourselves in need of a profound shift in thinking—a shift that allows us to embrace paradox, complexity, and, most importantly, the grace of what I call the Included Middle. This concept does not merely lie between opposing viewpoints but occupies a space that is both-and: a creative middle that holds the tension of opposites in transformative ways. Embracing the Included Middle offers not just a strategy for navigating our complex age but an invitation to a deeper, more compassionate mode of existence.
Theologically and culturally, this approach represents a metamodern response to postmodern fragmentation. Where postmodernism often focused on deconstruction, identifying every boundary and category as a potential power play, metamodernism seeks synthesis, oscillating between structures rather than dismantling them entirely. Within this framework, the Included Middle is a profoundly sacred space—a space that mirrors the inclusive, reconciling grace we seek to embody in our fractured world.
Read the rest of this entry »October 32nd, Part 3: Personal Reality
Posted: November 3, 2021 Filed under: Governance Reform | Tags: dialogue, emotions, politics, reform, training 2 CommentsContinued from Part 2
After hearing Carrie tell the story of Alex, the alien who became US President in this reality with an October 32nd, I sat there stunned for several minutes. Both at the radical shift in my entire concept of the universe — and at her amazingly concise summary of such an extraordinary series of events!
“Did you really just figure all that out while you were watching TV?” I asked.
She actually blushed when I said that. I couldn’t help noticing this made her several notches more attractive than I had initially thought. Read the rest of this entry »
October 32nd, Part 2: Political Alienation
Posted: November 2, 2021 Filed under: Governance Reform | Tags: debate, dialogue, politics, reform, values 2 CommentsContinued from Part 1
An hour later I am sitting In a coffee shop with the girl, Carrie. I don’t remember ever seeing her before, but that is hardly unusual in a university of 50,000+ students. Also. she isn’t exactly my type, I note with a wistful recollection of last night’s redhead.
But, she might be the only human being in this reality who won’t question my sanity. Plus, as an early riser, she seems way more on top of things than I am. Maybe she has some idea why we both woke up in a world where it was October 32nd, and an alien was President of the United States.
Read the rest of this entry »Asker/Responder Chain
Posted: November 10, 2020 Filed under: Truth Bowl | Tags: communication, dialogue, emotions, protocol Leave a commentThe A/R Chain is a online communication protocol to help groups deal with emotionally-charged situations when there isn’t a neutral moderator they all trust.
Asker/Responder Protocol
- Asker asks Responder:
- What are you seeing? (Perceptions)
- What are you feeling? (Reactions)
- What do you want/wish for? (Aspirations)
- Asker comments using “I like/I wonder”
- Responder elaborates (and Asker comments, etc.)
- Asker asks Responder: “Are you done?”
- When yes, Responder becomes the next Asker
Online Reconciliation Circles
Posted: July 3, 2020 Filed under: Truth Bowl | Tags: debate, dialogue, education, politics, race Leave a commentOnline Reconciliation Circles are a novel format for modeling constructive dialogue on difficult topics. The goal is to provide a safe place to explore better approaches to polarizing issues, starting with systemic racism.
Read the rest of this entry »7/31-8/2/2020 American Resilience UnParty UnConvention
Posted: March 13, 2020 Filed under: Governance Reform | Tags: 2020, competition, convention, dialogue, digital, pandemic, politics, resilience 1 CommentWe, as citizens of these United States, in the shadow of COVID-19, believe the most urgent and important virtue we can aspire to as a people is Resilience.
Radical Centrism 