A Ministry of Fools who sleep on the street with the homeless. Kevin, what has that got to do with triple bottom line social ventures, or Life Coaching, or Inspired Philanthropy, or The World We Want, or Success to Significance, or Values-Based Planning? Everything. Unless you realize how dead are our cliches, how moribund our "paradigm," how sick our concept of normal, how debased our concept of success and how asinine our concept of significance, how can you ever become a true Fool? We are engaged in the cure of souls. Clerics in the Houses of Worship seldom even attempt it anymore. The consider it presumptuous. Parishioners like clients and World Leaders are content to be corrupt. They are feeling no pain on that score. Their need is not felt. If the Priest or Rabbi does have the temerity to seize a Parishioner, much less a President, and attempt to drive out demons, those of Self-Deception, Hubris, and Vanity, those of Brands and Propaganda, he might be arrested for assault or treated as an Enemy of the State. If we are to cure the souls of our clients, or victims, much less our leaders, we must first cure ourselves of vanity, and of fear. The first sign of wisdom is Motley. Anyone who thinks that The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people and the like are enough is a Fool, and bad one, lacking humor. Ignorance, dogma, and complacency, bourgeois striving for measurable results denominated in inches, ounces, or dollars are virtues up to a point because they connect you to the mass market and the mass mind in a society devoted to base enjoyments. But to cure yourself and others you must go a lonelier way. From which study and self creation you must appear mad. Only then, under the aspect of a Madman, might you offer moral counsel to a King, a CEO, or a President, and even then at your own risk.
You have a way of drawing people into a dialogue that is quite amazing, Phil. I guess my only response would be, I'm not waiting for a cure. Wounded healer, if even such a designation is not too presumptious. If I waited till i knew what to do I wouldn't do much.
Here is the way I learn. I was in India about four or five years ago. I saw a snake charmer. Now i know what that game is about; they have to keep up a totally random rhythm for hours, because the snake is trying to engage them in a rhythm where it can accurately assess the striking distance, bite and likely kill them. I watched for a while. bought a pipe and sat down in front of the snake. I did my best funky shaking thing, the kind of rhythm women typically find it impossible to follow when i dance.
Within 30 seconds, the snake and i were the most perfect dancing partners I'd ever experienced. i looked briefly in its eye; and bailed out behind the real snake charmer. I'd already figured out where I'd put my right hand, how I'd spin, etc. He had to take over because i'd put him between me and the snake. He'd probably never seen such a crazy American. I don't know. But i discovered that charming a deadly cobra is not really a game for amateurs. So.. i guess you'd call that my learning style. Jump in with the snake and see what happens.
Which is to say, I don't wait to plan things out before i move. Most times it works. Some times, and more often in the non profit, socal sector world than in the business world, it blows up in my face. But despite my basic predelictions, it seems to be working out pretty well. Looking at the snake story, I mean, if you are asking for a fool, who but a fool would try to charm a cobra?
Posted by: Kevin Jones | October 06, 2007 at 01:54 PM
Caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar."
Posted by: Kevin Jones | October 06, 2007 at 02:12 PM
Moral dialog with a stranger, a powerful stranger, in the public square - snake charmer - perfect. Thank you for that. It perfectly captures how it feels. Yes, if the antagonist can see where you are coming from, the predator strikes and it is all over. The partner/adversary must almost know, but not quite, how to locate the target. Bull fighting must be like that too. This is an ancient ritual, an ancient game. It would not be worth watching if the snake were not venomous or if the bull had no horn. What the Fool tells the King would get any Courtier killed.
Posted by: Phil | October 06, 2007 at 04:12 PM
so that's what i was doing!
Posted by: Kevin Jones | October 06, 2007 at 04:17 PM
Yes, practicing in a relatively safe environment.
Posted by: Phil | October 06, 2007 at 04:52 PM