First off, congratulations. Just by recognizing that the others are out there somewhere, you’re off to a very good start. Too many people try to go it alone. Here’s what you have to do. 1. Know yourself. 2. Identify your intent or, better, dream. Aim…

Whoa.

I started off using facebook as a way to find people with interesting ideas for the purpose of expanding my own mind. I began to notice that most groups had very few people in common. Since then I have intentionally been trying to move ideas across boundaries.

Those who were “before their time” on this topic exist, because it’s as “old as dirt.” It is also true that this started happening “without intent” on a much larger scale than almost anyone but a handful of people could spot. But there are people who have seen far before this moment – who already got busy dedicating their lives to its development – and died. As a result that they were, in a sense, looking at the same arena, there is quite a bit their ideas have in common. Of course, they expressed it uniquely.

Here’s few who I have taken the time to learn about first-hand…the most similar to what you’ve been talking about is David Bohm, who came up with an idea he called “Dialogue.” (Similar to how Vanessa is curious if a larger “Junto” can be designed.) Bohm’s experiment is a fascinating model for how people come to know each other in social situations. The freedom of Dialogue also reveals core values, motives and other indicators of how specific people would react, if working on a project. (An interesting online conversation website that I’ve been participating in has http://www.pandalous.com – but that arena is still limited to people who write with a computer and do not interact personally, other than to correspond.) The in-person experience of David Bohm’s Dialogue groups are amazing and can be seeded in any community…and Dialogue results in the community bonding together.

I believe that David Bohm style Dialogue outlines the social arena of the work that F.M. Alexander did in a more personal arena. F.M.’s Alexander Technique deals with human reaction while directing intent during movement – how to continue learning indefinitely and “keep the brain empty” as Dibyendu De suggests. Both Dialogue and Alexander Technique have quite a bit in common with the work of creative thinkers, such as Edward de Bono. This author, (still alive) had the distinction of successfully predicting the way the brain works, (in his book “Mechanism of Mind,” written before the research was available to back up his models.) Still designing, de Bono comes up with ways to compensate for the brain design limitations such as argument and linear thought. (He invented the concept of “lateral thinking.” I’m part of his social networking site at debonosociety.com)

Generalists like Ben Franklin and Leonardo di Vinci have fallen out of fashion in our rapidly aging era of independence and specialization. The myopic specialists will the last to know what is going on, and may even fight changes. Specialists still have no idea of the meanings us generalists point to in these “coincidental” parallels between religions, the art of training, psychologists, physicists, artists, mind-body disciplines, project managers, negociators, and even career counselors such as Barbara Sher.

For instance, I had attended a talk on string theory. When I asked the person giving the talk for examples how the science of this content could be expressed in other disciplines, he looked at me blankly. I suggested a book published in 1992 by Mararet J. Wheatley; “Leadership and the New Science – Learning about Organization From An Orderly Universe.” How could he NOT be interested?!

Brains are habitual – they want to shuffle off the “work” of thinking to the automated control of a faster habitual response area as a complete package. A trigger of recognition is attached for when the habit should fire off. But it’s a nuisance to have to update a habit; (many don’t know how either.) Questioning the needs for creating so many habitual routines in the first place pays off. This happens from paying attention, which is how learning continues indefinitely.

Perhaps while we study brain science, music, creative thought in action (and maybe learn to speak Hopi?) we can resurrect and “sell” some respect for the generalists…

I’d like to hear what you have to say about one of the very real changes that has just occurred through technology. Now, any of us can be an author to get what we have to say out into the world. It’s a revolution similar to the printing press revolutionizing the written word.

p.s: if you want to check out my more personal writing about me, it’s at http://franis.blogspot.com