In public discourse, how did the liberal/conservative or democrat/republican lens get so deeply entrenched? Virtually all commentators or politicians and their comments are thrown into one camp or another. Once this occurs, the thoughtful and receptive audience is cut literally in half, at least in this country. Then a competition begins between the vague, opposing world views that were labeled by the lens. The result is a gridlock, one that tips slightly one way or another depending on how people vote.
I have a very strong belief about the predicament we find ourselves in, both as human beings and as a country. We face a series of local, regional, national, and global issues that are unprecedented. If the perspectives, thoughts, ideas, and solutions that already exist could solve these problems, then we would not be in the position are. I think the macro problem we face is NOT which political view is the correct one, but rather how do we generate the level of consciousness that can lead to real solutions. This is a problem of a wholly different order.
In my last blog, I argued that personal experience and personal reflection are essential ingredients to building a constructive dialogue. When we pause and reflect, we also open ourselves to listening to others. The energy created when people truly listen to each other is some of the most fertile and potent energy we have on this planet.
I gained this insight from teaching. I teach in a variety of contexts but not in a traditional school. I teach as a public speaker, at a yoga studio, at yoga conferences, in rehabilitation centers, in hospitals, and hopefully when I am interacting with my nine-year-old son Paul. This week I leave for a series of venues - the Yoga Journal Conference in Lake Geneva, WI, at the University of Buffalo, and at the Yoga&Pilates conference in Toronto, Canada.
In each place, I am teaching about the mind-body relationship. I definitely have things I would like to teach. But I know that my success depends upon my ability to also be an attentive student. To watch and learn from the people I am supposedly teaching, to let their questions push what I know to new places and new realizations. What does the bulk of the teaching is not my knowledge but the quality of attention that exists in the ensuing dialogue. My knowledge, the unique things I know about yoga and the mind-body relationship, fall to the floor like a lead balloon if a nourishing give-and-take exchange does not exist between my students and me. Quality teaching - at its heart - requires mastering the art of giving and receiving.
There is a lesson here for creating any constructive dialogue. Dialogues are for learning and exploring, especially when there is a need for generating innovative ideas. They are not for winning and competing. Imagine a teacher winning over his or her students. Creating thoughtful and considerate dialogues, dialogues where there is not a rush to label or judge is something we can practice in our everyday lives. Who knows...maybe we will come up with a wonderful solution to a difficult problem. But at least we would be gaining from the ride.
