Dialogue Terms

 Here are a half a dozen terms I have used to write of our dialogues.

                I have written a few words about each to remind you about their meanings.

Assumptions:

                We have differing experiences and so differing opinions and assumptions.We have differing views because of who we are.
We often come to interpret our worlds differently from one another.
We develop conscious and unconscious ideas about the ways of the world which are difficult for others to understand until they know more of our experiences.

Defending:

                Without the abundance of shared cultural meanings good dialogue brings, it is unreasonable to expect a peaceful society. Defending our own or another's opinions keeps us from laying out our assumptions were we can all look at them and try to appreciate their meanings  and so keepings from productive and satisfying dialogue we want an need. It is shared deeper meanings we seek. Also defending our assumptions consumes the energy we could better use to achieve a clear understanding  of the assumption of another.

Go-under:

                Without good dialogue we are likely to miss opportunities and lose understanding s. We are likely to miss out on good positions, to go under and lose out as individuals, corporations, families, nations, churches, parties. The shared meaning we gain in good dialogue helps us  maintain, grow, and strengthen party, church, nation, family, corporation, and self.

Coherent:

                For many, an important benefit of dialogue practice is experiencing the power of collectively shared meaning. Most ordinary talk in in society may well be called incoherent. Our dialogue practice is designed to promote areas of  coherence in the vastness of misunderstanding. The meanings we share a cohesion of understanding.

Group: 

                For a truly effective dialogue of of sufficient variety of viewpoint A group of between 15 and 40 seems optimal. It is possible to do preparatory work with a dedicated, active organizing group of say nine may be adequate. A long lasting group with regular meetings is called for.

Thinking Together:

                Is a frequent result of a dialogue group and ought perhaps be a aim of your group. We learn to stay close to the same page and to carry each other's thoughts forward. Individuals sharing common meanings in a coherent way have power for peace and creativity. Thinking together coherently calls for dialogue sustained  long enough to to share a body of coherent meanings. 

You strengthen culture, create it, enjoy it, and pass it on.



                                                                                                        By Richard for you.

Come to Terms With The Dialogue

Dialogue With RCS: Here are a half a dozen terms I have used to write of our dialogue groups

I have written a few words about each term to remind you of its meanings.

 

Assumptions:

                We have differing experiences and so differing opinions and assumptions.We have differing views because of who we are. We often come to interpret our worlds differently from one another. We develop conscious and unconscious ideas about the ways of the world which are difficult for others to understand until they know more of our experiences.

Defending:

             Without the abundance of shared cultural meanings good dialogue brings, it is unreasonable to expect a peaceful society. Defending our own or another's opinions keeps us from laying out our assumptions were we can all look at them and try to appreciate their meanings  and so keepings from productive and satisfying dialogue we want an need. It is shared deeper meanings we seek. Also defending our assumptions consumes the energy we could better use to achieve a clear understanding  of the assumption of another.

Go-under:

Without good dialogue we are likely to miss opportunities and lose understanding s. We are likely to miss out on good positions, to go under and lose out as individuals, corporations, families, nations, churches, parties. The shared meaning we gain in good dialogue helps us , maintain, grow, and strengthen party, church, nation, family, corporation, and self.

Coherent:

             For many, an important benefit of dialogue practice is experiencing the power of collectively shared meaning. Most ordinary talk in in society may well be called incoherent. Our dialogue practice is designed to promote areas of  coherence in the vastness of misunderstanding. The meanings we share a cohesion of understanding.

Group:

             Fora truly effective dialogue of of sufficient variety of viewpoint A group of between 15 and 40 seems optimal. It is possible to do preparatory work with a dedicated, active organizing group of say nine may be adequate. A long lasting group with regular meetings is called for.

Thinking Together:

Is a frequent result of a dialogue group and ought perhaps be a aim of your group. We learn to stay close to the same page and to carry each other's thoughts forward. Individuals sharing common meanings in a coherent way have power for peace and creativity. Thinking together coherently calls for dialogue sustained  long enough to to share a body of coherent meanings. 

You strengthen culture, create it enjoy it, and pass it on. That's what this dialoging is about.



                                                                    by Richard for you

Dialogue Practice Notes

Dialogue With RCS: Notes about the new kind of communication being used by many.

                I am kind of starting in the middle of this dialogue practice stuff because I do not know where the beginning is. Come to think of it, I believe that there is no end to it either. Is there and end to the practice of medicine?  Maybe, but so far, when the career of one doctor ends another doctor continues the practice. 

                The practice of medicine is important. By reading on you may discover that many consider the practice of dialogue more important than that of medicine.  The practice of dialogue is certainly serious.  It is also interesting and fun.

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                Plunging right into a serious part of  dialogue practice I can say the following:
After a time of dialoguing we can better understand how a certain opinion or assumption of another participant has come to be held. That's serious isn't it? Have you never thought to yourself, "How can that person have such a belief or opinion!?"

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            Dialogues of the kind I have been speaking of have been called Dialogue For Peace, Magic Table Dialogue, Fair Fighting dialogue, and just plain Dialogue Practice.  I have thought of calling it Dialogue For the Creation and Preservation of Culture, but have not done so until just now. This practice has also been call a Listing Practice.

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                I have been writing these bits about dialogue as though we were the dialogue practitioners and plan to continue doing so.

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                We will bring our assumptions to our dialogue for peace practice group for it is impossible not to bring them. Those assumptions will come up.  Our purpose  is not to judge them, not to suppress them, not to believe them or to disbelieve them.
Our purpose is not to see them as good or bad. Our purpose is to listen for them, to hear them, to recognize them, and to accept  their  existence.

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                There are lots of rules for good dialogue practice, but not much enforcement of those rules. One may take them as very valuable suggestions. 

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                The idea in our practice group is not to change anyone's mind.
The aim is try to see  what each assumption means. The purpose is to understand the experience which gives a particular assumption it's birth and which supports it 

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                So we are here coming to see that dialogue practice entails a listening practice of a group of listeners. One person talks for a bit and gets to be well heard. Than another talks and is well heard. We all become better listeners. Some  have mistakenly thought that a dialogue practice is only for and between two persons. In our dialogues there are many great listeners who all listen to one person at a time.  You will be that person who is well listened to and well heard.

                Thank you reading. Your visit is important.

 

 

                                                                                    RCS

 

Assumptions in Our Dialogue Practice

Dialogue With RCS: The question of assumptions for those who have begun the practice.

 

                Assumptions may not be the top reason for your interest in dialogue. Neither are they among the first human behaviors that drew me to dialogue. However, the greater my experience with the practice of dialogue the more important I saw my assumptions, and those of others, to be.

Below is a list of observations related to assumption:  

~ An assumption is much like an opinion or belief and probably as important.
~ As assumptions come up in our dialogue we avoid believing or disbelieving them.
~ Many of our assumptions are unconscious.
~ We want to better know what each assumption means.
~ Many of us want to more of the experiences which lead to the creation of  of the assumption. We want to know what is on each others' mind while keeping our conclusions and judgments in abeyance. 
~ We can each take in many assumptions and not our personal reactions to each of them.
~ We want to keep our dialogue on a level whereat our assumptions come out somewhat freely.
~ We what assumptions to be out where we can where we can all look at them with little discomfort.
~ In Magic Table Dialogue we put them on The Table as gifts from which each and all of of us can take as much and as many as we wish.

                     Thank you for your visit.

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                                                                                                      by Richard

Not a Public Forum

Public forums are great. Our dialogue practices are social, but usually not public. They are more focused on meaning and understanding than is much of our discourse.  

             A public forum is of great value to a people. It is a place for news and information to be exchanged, and may be a place to convince others of the value of one's positions. It may even be a place for economic or religious contention. Such forums are important tools of democracy, nation, and community.

        Members of dialogue practice groups often support public forums. The public forum is a place for the practice of free speech wherein the limits are so broad so that it seems that anything goes. The debate found there is often valuable. Our practice groups are less interested in bringing another to our point of view and more interested in truly understanding the meaning of what the speaker has said.

        In our dialogue groups we aim for higher levels of meaning, understanding, and ability to think together. We aim for greater respect and valuing for the assumptions and opinions of others. With appropriate modesty, we aim to better understand the meaning what others are saying for us.

        We like our group to be inclusive. We are interested in sharing peace, meaning, and understanding. In our groups we practice talking among ourselves using rules for, and ways of,  carrying on our talk effectively.

        To beginners our talk sometimes seems purposeless. We seem to have no agenda, to have little authority or hierarchy. However, with our rules, ways, and skills, we limit fear, anger, and contention as we enhance understanding, meaning, and peace. At times we are pleasantly surprised by evidence of a new power of thinking together.

        Check out the other posts on this kind of dialog on this blog. A new post is on the way.

        Thank you for reading.

        

                                                    by Richard Sheehan