Chris: >From unreliable memory, isn't a circle geometrically the shape that contains the most area with a given amount of boundary. So there is an analogy about it being the way to include as much material as possible. And that's the spirit of the circle, to include perspectives not exclude.
By the way, I found your final element (how the group can make a perfect circle) breathtaking. I couldn't believe it when I read it, I had to get a pen and draw an arc to understand it. I assume from what you say that this works pretty much everytime you do it. Quite brilliant. Thanks for sharing it ! John -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Chris Corrigan Sent: 09 January 2004 23:01 To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Properties of circles Hi folks: I was writing out the basic script that I use for opening OST meetings last night and while reading it I noticed that I spend a lot of time introducing people to the ideas and properties of circles. I think circles are fundamentally important to process, and so I'm collecting other people's notes and properties of circles. So here is my script with the three things I usually do to bring the circle to awareness. Have a read and then ask yourself what you can add to this. What are the other cool properties of circles? Circles are really rather neat forms of geometry because they force us to have a look at things in a particular way. For example in a circle, we don't really know who "the leader" is. In fact we may be forgiven for thinking that the leader is either not here, or is each one of us. And as a leader who is not here cannot do anything, it must be that each one of is a leader. Also circles teach us that there are some things that can only be done by groups. For example, you will notice that this circle of chairs isn't really a very good circle. It's actually a strangely distorted ellipse. That is because for one person to set up a perfect circle of chairs on their own is a nearly impossible task. But I'll show you a small miracle. I'll stand in the centre here and ask all of you to stand by your chairs. Now square up so that you are facing me and when you've done that check to see that you are sitting slightly behind your two neighbours. Now sit down. Have a look around. You have just made a perfect circle. This is something only a group can do and it took only a few seconds. If I had had to do that it would have taken me hours. This is important to note. It's as if we all carry the coordinates for calibrating a circle within us but they can only be activated by acting along with several others. Finally, here's one more thing about a circle. If I stand in the middle then you will all agree that you are looking at me. But none of you will agree that you have the same view of me. You can see me, but your perspective is absolutely unique. It is not shared by anyone else. We agree on the object of our observation but none of us share the same perspective. Remember that today as we work on these issues. Without each perspective we would not have a full picture. If you were all behind me then none of you could say with certainty that I had a face. By surrounding me we have the whole picture, but we have to ask one another about the pieces that we are missing. If you folks sitting behind me want to know how many fingers I'm holding up, you have to ask this person I'm facing. That's how it is with problems too. Remember that today. So what else can we build into our openings about circles? Chris [PS Florian.some of this probably qualifies as "even"] --- CHRIS CORRIGAN Bowen Island, BC, Canada http://www.chriscorrigan.com ch...@chriscorrigan.com (604) 947-9236 * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
