Participatory Inquiry, episode 57: Reflections
“In a network, in transition: dissonances, reflections, response-ability, reach, resonance, reflexivity, resilience.”
@johnkellden
Everything hinges on how you reflect on what dissonances you experience, inside yourself and in others.
Dissonances
In a network, dissonances are usually referred to by a euphemism: opinion. The more uninformed an opinion, the more it is disguised and the more dissonance it catalyzes. A rich source of situational awareness.
Reflections
“A selfie by any other name,
would look as sweet?”
Shu: Consuming
Lots of content, regurgitating lots of opinion. Eventually though, you as a caterpillar will have turned one billion strangers into 153 friends.
Ha: Muddling Through By Design
This is you cocooning, leaving your old, pre-digital skin in favour for a more virtuereal presence. If you do this by default, you will sign up for a few classes in the school of hard knocks. If by design: graph traversal. Going places. Allow others to help you deal with some of the hard knocks — how to reflect, get back up and back into the flow of things.
Ri: Presence
- This Shu Ha Ri, applied to networking, is there a point?
- Yes. Story.
Your optimal niche, beyond catgifs, beyond curmudgeon, expertise and broadcast, is you and your social presence. Your story, the strategic outcome.
Response Ability
Once you are sharing your story, you will become increasingly able to (re)weave your circle of concern with your circle of influence. Less catgifs, less pithy quotes on pretty pictures, more visual storytelling making a lasting difference for digital discourse.
“Before it’s too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it.”
— Jhumpa Lahiri
Reach
In order to reach your full potential, you need to hold a generative space where others can reach theirs. This means that you need to let go of the temptation to game others, ie, you need to do less content marketing, more authentic story.
Resonance
Here is where you change in earnest, where your informed opinion co-evolves with your ability to transform seeming dissonances to opportunities, moments where you become increasingly clear both about boundaries as well as deeper resonances in and between stories, yours and others’.
Reflexivity
Reflexivity is where your reflections turn increasingly authentic, your vulnerability becomes a source of strength, your very digital participation providing an unspoken permission slip for others as well.
Resilience
Full flowing frontal participation in digital discourse. Circles of confluence.
An infinite play disposition co-evolving with thrivability.
- Ok, so what is the outcome?
- Networked flow and connected intelligence turned situational awareness and social presence.
Your Story, Others Stories. Go Do
To be clear, all the above stages are invaluable, there’s no such thing as a bad catgif. All pithy quotes, all selfies — all grist for our 8bn wrongs turning one write. Turn life, art. Share your story in a way that help others share theirs.
Participatory Inquiry, episode 57: Reflections
