Comments on: Tangled Threads and Cultural Beliefs that Damage the Quilt of Humanity http://www.guidingchange.org/blog/2008/01/01/tangled-threads-and-cultural-beliefs-that-damage-the-quilt-of-humanity/ Guiding Transformative Change Through Insight, Inspiration, and Empowerment Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:36:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Deb http://www.guidingchange.org/blog/2008/01/01/tangled-threads-and-cultural-beliefs-that-damage-the-quilt-of-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-48 Deb Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:47:22 +0000 http://guidingchange.org/blog/?p=10#comment-48 John, That speech sounds great. The idea that we are holding out-dated assumptions makes sense. One of the primary ways that we limit ourselves as human beings is by the limiting assumptions and negative beliefs we hold. Some of these beliefs may have made sense at the time we adopted them but when we continue to hold onto them long after our environment has changed, they become mal- adaptive and even toxic. In the U.S., one of the assumptions at the root of many of our problems is the idea of the "rugged individual." This concept alone is a major source of damage to the Quilt of Humanity. It leaves us unable to see how our actions impact others, unable to accept help, and unable to acknowledge the help of others, just to mention a few things. John,

That speech sounds great. The idea that we are holding out-dated assumptions makes sense.

One of the primary ways that we limit ourselves as human beings is by the limiting assumptions and negative beliefs we hold. Some of these beliefs may have made sense at the time we adopted them but when we continue to hold onto them long after our environment has changed, they become mal- adaptive and even toxic.

In the U.S., one of the assumptions at the root of many of our problems is the idea of the “rugged individual.” This concept alone is a major source of damage to the Quilt of Humanity. It leaves us unable to see how our actions impact others, unable to accept help, and unable to acknowledge the help of others, just to mention a few things.

]]> By: John Steinmetz http://www.guidingchange.org/blog/2008/01/01/tangled-threads-and-cultural-beliefs-that-damage-the-quilt-of-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-43 John Steinmetz Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:07:34 +0000 http://guidingchange.org/blog/?p=10#comment-43 Deb, your post puts me in mind of speech I stumbled across recently: "The New Renaissance" by Daniel Quinn (author of "Ishmael"). The <a href="http://www.ishmael.org/Education/Writings/The_New_Renaissance.shtml" rel="nofollow">speech</a> is about the extraordinary things that will happen soon, either because human beings change their way of living or because they don't. One key concept in the speech is that we currently-living people hold an assumption that was also current in the Middle Ages. Many of the assumptions people held in the Middle Ages are no longer current, but this assumption survived, and according to Quinn it is the most dangerous thing on the planet. The assumption is: "Humans belong to an order of being that is separate from the rest of the living community." Thinking about this has provided some good compost for growing fresh thoughts. I agree with you that we need some healthier assumptions! Deb, your post puts me in mind of speech I stumbled across recently: “The New Renaissance” by Daniel Quinn (author of “Ishmael”). The speech is about the extraordinary things that will happen soon, either because human beings change their way of living or because they don’t.

One key concept in the speech is that we currently-living people hold an assumption that was also current in the Middle Ages. Many of the assumptions people held in the Middle Ages are no longer current, but this assumption survived, and according to Quinn it is the most dangerous thing on the planet. The assumption is: “Humans belong to an order of being that is separate from the rest of the living community.”

Thinking about this has provided some good compost for growing fresh thoughts. I agree with you that we need some healthier assumptions!

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