| In the field of personal development I find that | | | | when I nod; my shadow does that much better. |
| some people like to collaborate and share ideas | | | | Even though we need collaboration, we also need |
| and learn from each other, which to me, is | | | | to analyze and evaluate ideas, knowledge, models, |
| personal and profession development and growth. | | | | and the application of those models. Collaboration |
| This got me thinking about collaboration, which got | | | | is not necessarily inclusion of all ideas and thus the |
| me thinking about collaborating with others who | | | | dilution of all ideas, but it is working together with |
| have thought about growth through collaboration. I | | | | others who offer new shoulders in which to |
| went on a search for quotes of others who | | | | stand, who can use our shoulders in which to |
| believed in the expansion of knowledge and the | | | | stand, and who together, we both offer a |
| collaboration of ideas and people, and thus, I | | | | shoulder for others to stand. |
| decided to write this in collaboration with those | | | | Newton took this even a bit further when he |
| same people. | | | | realized that even he, the great Newton was only |
| Personal development does not happen without | | | | able to succeed in what he was able to |
| the help of others. We can get lost in our own | | | | accomplish because he said - If I have seen |
| minds and ideas and thus never completely | | | | further than others, it is by standing upon the |
| develop if we do not collaborate with others. Each | | | | shoulders of giants. |
| of us has our own maps of the territory and thus | | | | We throw out this idea of Newton's if we do not |
| we need to constantly update those maps, | | | | collaborate. If we do not collaborate we cannot |
| because, the map is not the territory and when | | | | see further, we can only see as tall as we are, |
| we confuse the map with the territory, we begin | | | | for we cannot stand on rocks, but we stand on |
| to believe that we have the truth and that this | | | | people and look further into the territory, and |
| truth is what is real, yet, we don't touch that | | | | together, we have 4 eyes instead of two and |
| which is real, we map it. | | | | thus maybe the map gets a bit closer to the |
| Einstein said that - Intellectual growth should | | | | territory. |
| commence at birth and cease only at dying. | | | | Newton also recognized that we need this |
| How do we grow on an intellectual basis if we do | | | | collaboration and the sharing of ideas and the |
| not open our maps up to new ideas - when we | | | | synthesis of these ideas if we want to extend |
| realize that the map is not the territory and that | | | | knowledge and thus advance life along a positive |
| to learn we must think and do knowledge at the | | | | path when he said - We build too many walls and |
| upper levels of Blooms taxonomy and use | | | | not enough bridges. |
| analysis of ideas, an evaluation of ideas, and a | | | | A bridge is collaboration, a wall locks us in and |
| creation or synthesis of ideas - a collaboration of | | | | locks others out. A wall then not only hinders us |
| ideas and thus a collaboration of those who have | | | | from receiving what others have, but it keeps us |
| those ideas. | | | | from sharing what we have. A bridge allows for |
| He also stated that - Whoever undertakes to set | | | | the transfer of goods from one side to the other, |
| himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is | | | | a mutual exchange - collaboration is that bridge, a |
| shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods. | | | | wall is the seclusion of knowledge to furtherment |
| This one seems quite self-evident to the | | | | only of those who hold such, not to a greater |
| discussion. Basically anyone who thinks they have | | | | knowledge, but to false ego strength, built on |
| the truth and own the truth are laughed at by the | | | | faulty scales and weights. |
| gods. Every time we update our map or model, | | | | Ellison had this same spirit and said - Education is |
| we do so through neuro-plasticity and we | | | | all a matter of building bridges. |
| experience opportunity for new ideas because of | | | | Education gives information, information can give |
| these new extensions of our maps | | | | knowledge, knowledge if applied becomes |
| Plato is another that had something to say about | | | | pragmatics, and pragmatics can bring about |
| wisdom and thus about the collaboration and | | | | physical change. The sharing of this information is |
| sharing of wisdom when he said - Wise men | | | | the means toward the end of positive physical |
| speak because they have something to say; Fools | | | | change. Education, or information, is not meant to |
| because they have to say something. | | | | be a wall to keep some in and keep some out, |
| When people speak of ownership of truth or | | | | but to build bridges. |
| methods and there is no growth or new | | | | This theme of needing others and standing along |
| knowledge but a static model that is soon to be | | | | others can be seem through so many of the |
| an old saw, then the old ideologies supports the | | | | people that we hold in high esteem. The people |
| austere doctrinaire attitude of speaking to be | | | | who we think were great, realize that they |
| heard, and not hearing so as to be able to speak. | | | | needed to see and recognize greatness in others |
| Another person who did not believe that one | | | | who then inspire us to be great, in fact Twain said |
| person had the handle on all truth was Nietzsche, | | | | that - Really great people make you feel that |
| who said that - You have your way. I have my | | | | you, too, can become great. |
| way. As for the right way, the correct way, and | | | | Hall wrote about living with the attitude of |
| the only way, it does not exist. | | | | abundance. If we can have the hope and courage |
| Ah, sounds a bit like the territory/map distinction. | | | | to stand on the shoulders of other greats (lest |
| This quote could inspire collaboration of ideas and | | | | we fear of falling and bumping our heads), then |
| methods between peoples and groups, where | | | | we too can become great, and as we become |
| there is no ownership of ultimate truth, but a | | | | great, we have strong shoulders for others. |
| collaboration toward an ideology, and a semblance | | | | The last person I want to discuss is President |
| of truth that engenders the pragmatic end that | | | | Ronald Reagan he believed that - |
| we so desire. | | | | There are no constraints on the human mind, no |
| We can, through the habituation of use of certain | | | | walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our |
| ideas develop very ingrained beliefs about our | | | | progress except those we ourselves erect. |
| beliefs and this create a prejudice in us and when | | | | And thus we end this string of quotes from those |
| we come across new information we may suffer | | | | I just chose to collaborate with. Now, I could have |
| a form of dissonance and what is also called | | | | gone this alone and strove to write some wit and |
| confirmation bias, in fact Voltaire stated that - | | | | some wisdom, but I thought it apropos to |
| Prejudices are what fools use for reason. Einstein | | | | collaborate as we are discussing collaboration. |
| also recognized this type of prejudice when he | | | | Self-Actualization is a journey that we take with |
| stated - Common sense is the collection of | | | | others. We are not on it alone - all growth is the |
| prejudices acquired by age eighteen. | | | | results of how we map others maps, it is an |
| When we do not collaborate because we think | | | | interaction. The lower deficiency needs in Maslow's |
| we have the handle on truth it shows our | | | | Hierarchy are met through other people - we |
| prejudice toward that truth. When we identify | | | | need others for our physical needs, for our |
| truth with self, the challenge of that truth | | | | safety needs, for our social needs and love |
| becomes a challenge to the self and is defended | | | | needs, and even in part for our esteem needs, |
| as if the self is itself in danger- prejudice is when | | | | for without others, there is nothing to esteem - |
| this common sense (our truth) is so metabolized | | | | thus it takes collaboration for our self-actualization |
| and then becomes part of the self, the ego. | | | | - so, as for me, I want to collaborate with others |
| Plutarch realized that we need to collaborate and | | | | in this system of a journey, a journey that is |
| share ideas, update our models, and not just go | | | | mine, but is often traveled with others. May we all |
| with the crowd or just listen from those who | | | | collaborate, as those who give and those who |
| share are very ideas, he stated - I don't need a | | | | receive - a mutual self-actualization reciprocity. |
| friend who changes when I change and who nods | | | | |