For all of you seeking an image, symbol, or story to help you understand the mysteries of confirmation bias, I offer this YouTube presentation of a woman advocating for deer crossing signs to be moved to places safer for deer to cross. (sent to me by Steve Maybury, further confirming my sense of his humor) "Underneath the many variations of collective folly lie at least two fundamental patterns that alert us to the potential of folly’s emergence. The first pattern is a moveme

<h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>Becoming Conscious of Capitalism: <br />The Death and Rebirth of Prosperity&#39;s Dream</em><br />a serial narrative by Alan Briskin<br /><a href="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/6a0134809b7f05970c017617302d71970c.jpg" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Dragon-wtbk" border="0" src="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/6a0134809b7f05970c017617302d71970c-800wi.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: aut

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family:  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.   ~ Jane Howard One of the stories featured in The Power of Collective Wisdom is about the Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI) in Oakland, California.  Co-founded by Mona Afary, the center has been a tribe and network for Cambodian refugees and their families, many of whom escaped from the brutal regime of Pol Pot and the killing fiel

A serial journal of cogent reflections and irreverent insights on the social effects of capitalism and the roots of partisan politics.  Pairing prose with HDR photography and “flash points” drawn from current and historical perspectives,  the author seeks to recover lost wisdom and courageous action beyond the shouting and noise of today's headlines.  Chapter One: Eight-Leaved Clovers of the World, Unite London, 1847 n a bleak November day, two men trudged along Great Windmil

Alan Briskin will be a keynote speaker on June 10th at Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Public Conference on Transformational Leadership .   Pacifica Graduate Institute Presents: Re imagining, Re newing, Re inventing Leadership – A Public Conference June 8-10, 2012 with keynotes by Mathew Fox, Betty Sue Flowers, Carol Pearson, and Alan Briskin Join us and learn how to tap into your deeper wisdom and authentic ways of being and relating; cultivate your capacity for curiosity and

I will be speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Breakfast Forum in San Francisco on Sunday, March 11, 2012. My topic is "The Heart of Collective Wisdom". Come join me! Martin Luther King Jr. Room First Unitarian Universalist Church 1187 Franklin St. at Geary   Breakfast begins at 9:30, program begins at 9:45 and ends at 11:00

<p style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong> <a href="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/6a0134809b7f05970c0162fc4a3f56970d.png" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Spiral" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0134809b7f05970c0162fc4a3f56970d" src="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/6a0134809b7f05970c0162fc4a3f56970d-800wi.png" title="Spiral" /></a></strong></span></em></p> <p style="text-align: cente

Reflections of an Inspired Talk by Joan Halifax I am told that Buddhist sutras open with the word Nyozgamon, which means 'I heard it like this.'  Hideo Takahashi titled his book on the spiritual teacher Masahisa Goi with these five words. What I like about these five words is that they make room for the listener to reflect back what was treasured while still adding new depth and meaning.  In this way wisdom becomes collective because it is not a possession of any one person.

ALAN JONES WRITES IN THE SOUL’S JOURNEY: “We need to go to hell by entering that place where our longings and desires are trapped. What particular hell do we need to confront? What or who in us is lost and crying out for help? James Hillman implies that going to hell is vital for the soul because 'the cure for the shadow is a problem of love'. How far can our love extend to the broken and ruined parts of ourself, the disgusting and perverse? How much charity and compassion ha

<p>This is not a post about Michele Bachmann so much as a reflection on the interior of a nation generating leaders who are reflections of our own most discomforting emotions – vengefulness, paranoia, rigidity, fear, and most disturbing, an addiction to the light.&#0160; And by addiction to the light I mean a wish to believe that there is one path to the divine and that path must be obeyed without reservation.&#0160; Ms. Bachmann calls this path Jesus or Christian but I stron

For anyone who wants to believe in the humanizing possibilities of a connected world,here is your anthem. -- Chris Anderson , TED Curator The composer Eric Whitacre invited his online fans to participate in an ambitious attempt to create the world's largest virtual choir. Featuring 2052 performances from singers in 58 countries, the Virtual Choir 2.0 - singing Whitacre's "Sleep" - is the largest assembled online in history, and far surpasses Whitacre's original goal of 900 vo

Check out John Hunter talking at the TED conference on solving the world's problems with his fourth grade class... it's entertaining and touching.... and suggests that in the emergent nature of self organizing groups, there is a human capacity for wisdom that is not written in any manual. Recommended by Noah Blumenthal

<p>In the Jewish tradition, there is a song beloved on Passover.&#0160; It’s called Dayenu (pronounced DI A NU) and its meaning is that even in the most difficult of times, it is critical that we appreciate what we have – that what has been done for us is sufficient.&#0160; Loosely translated, dayenu means “it would have been enough.”&#0160; It is a song sung to God and I remember this song more than others because on Passover, as a child, I sung it with such exuberance, bang

"One of the essential qualities of collective wisdom is a palpable sense of connection with each other and to larger forces that is found, for example, in nature, in relationship to our ancestors, and even in relation to a physical place…. People who talk about their experiences of collective wisdom often report a sense of openness and awareness of something larger than themselves. The ability to communicate seems broader, and people are often astounded by the creativity that

<p>The following exercise was developed by Marty Kaplan:</p> <p><strong>Collective Wisdom:</strong><br /><strong>Activities for Attunement, Discernment and Calibration </strong><br /><br /><strong>Name:</strong> Hula Hoop Activity<br /><strong>Number of People</strong>: 6-10<br /><strong>Materials Required:</strong> Hula Hoop<br /><strong>Space Requirements:</strong> Sufficient space for 6-10 people to stand in a circle<br /><strong>Time Requirements:</strong>&#0160; 25 - 35

<p style="text-align: center;"><a style="display: inline;" href="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/6a0134809b7f05970c0147e2c51277970b.jpg"><img class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a0134809b7f05970c0147e2c51277970b" style="border: 3px solid #333333;" title="Aikido" src="http://www.alanbriskin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/6a0134809b7f05970c0147e2c51277970b-800wi.jpg" border="0" alt="Aikido" /></a> <br /> <em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Aikido World Headqua

To Remind Us Life is Odd Enough to be True and False: (Caution:  Not for viewing during a rational mood) What if animals spoke English? (there's no embed code for this one, but if you click it a page will open with the video) (Sent by Maija Rothenberg) This is my attempt to be topical: (Sent in by Peg Umanzio)

photo by Alan Briskin “Humanity is hungering for wisdom. That is the word I hear most: not compassion; not love; not peace; not kindness—but wisdom. The other words all have deep meaning and their own unique power. But wisdom is the one that seems to magnetize people across the broadest spectrum around the world. I found myself drawn to this word because it is a cross-cutting theme in so many of the very diverse settings in which I am traveling.” ~ Mark Gerzon

This poem was created out of fragments of speech over a three day period, drawing from individual conversations and group discussions I had or witnessed at the annual Berrett-Koehler Publishers Author Co-op retreat.  The language used was specific to the situation but I have been encouraged by others who were not there that it may have a significance beyond its original setting.  I hope it tickles your fancy: Collective Poem We’re running short on time but don’t knock yours

A poem based on phrases and fragments of a speech* given by Deepak Chopra: My grandchildren are here today the most important part for me. Here is my question: What if consciousness was not a byproduct of our brain? What if instead it is the ground of Being, the basement of the Universe in geometric space-time where all co-exists as possibilities. The great Rishi wisdom teachings tell us consciousness cannot be imagined but makes the imagination possible. Can you imagine?