It makes sense to me, and I would add that Maslow had another "layer"
at the top of the triangle, that is rarely shown in the graphics we
see. It is "Values of Being" or "B-Values", as descriptors of peak
experiences, and you can see the list in Appendix C to his book
"Religion, Values, and Peak Experiences."
Maslow's list of B-Values include: truth, reality, goodness, beauty,
wholeness, dichotomy transcendence, aliveness, uniqueness,
perfection, necessity, completion, justice, order, simplicity,
richness, effortlessness, playfulness, and self-sufficiency. It's
worth reading the appendix, which is only 6 pages long.
Diane
Diane Brandon, M.Ed., Coordinator
Community Wellness/KEYS Coalition
Landmark Hill Community Resource Center
518 Rte One Suite 4
Kittery, ME 03904
207-438-9100
Fax: 207-439-8764
di...@keysregion.org
www.keysregion.org
On Feb 13, 2007, at 4:13 PM, Bui K. Petersen wrote:
I have heard it mentioned many times (and Harrison mentioned this
again recently) that we don't exactly why OST works. I believe that
there are several theories that can explain why it works so well.
Suzanna offers one explanation (a theory that I did not know
before), but I am sure there are many others.
Coming from a conflict resolution background, I can think of at
least a couple of possible explanations myself. I am not a theorist
so I am not going into detail. One of the most popular conflict
theories is based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The Hierarchy
consists of (the lower ones being more basic):
-Self Actualization Needs (full potential)
-Ego Needs (self respect, personal worth, autonomy)
-Social Needs (love, friendship, comradeship)
-Security Needs (protection from danger)
-Physiological Needs (warmth, shelter, food)
(Wikipedia has some more information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs )
I am myself not convinced that this order applies to everyone, and
at all times, but nevertheless OST is a great vehicle for people to
satisfy many of the "higher" needs.
Another factor that mediators (and facilitators etc.) always have
to play close attention to, is the dynamics of power, and many (if
not most) group decision-making processes have to deal with the
challenge of some people trying to dominate with their power and
others trying to compensate for their lack of power (often through
disruptive means).
The amazing thing with OST is that the Law of Two Feet takes care
of all this. You don't have to be dominated by someone else because
you can always leave. You can join whatever group you want. You can
also propose your own topic and take responsibility for it too.
Very empowering.
I say all this without having experienced an OS event yet myself,
but it all makes complete sense to me. I am sure there are others
that know theory a lot better than I do, I would imagine that if
someone so desired, it would be very possible to make a detailed
theoretical explanation of OST.
I hope this makes sense.
Búi
Suzanna Stephan wrote:
Hello all,
I guess I feel initiated enough to jump in after attending my
first os event - the New England SOS hosted by Frank Deitle and
facilitated by Blake Mills (confirming my suspicions after being
an oslist voyeur for quite some time that you are a wonderful and
unique group of people - it was a lovely experience) so I'm going
to jump in and add to the concept of os as therapeutic...
As a student of The Human Design System I've become quite keen on
the dynamics at play when we are not living in accordance with our
design. (The Human Design System has scientifically documented the
authenticity of not only the impact of the time of birth on human
behavior but as importantly confirmed that we each have a genetic
blueprint that impacts our system energetically, manifesting
itself as personality preferences, traits, challenges and
purpose.) Hopefully I haven't lost you yet, please stay with me...
So much of our experiences in life conditions us away from our
nature, our natural rhythms. We get lost in the have to's,
shoulds, etc., that we lose the sense of these natural tendencies.
Our current social indoctrination and subsequent organizations
that we work for/with just reinforce the enslavement. So an os
event may sometimes be the first time in a very long time that
adults get permission to reaccess their inner authority. When I
came across ost and ai last summer, it immediately clicked that
these were opportunities to provide the environment to reaccess
our nature without necessarily having to get into the details of
the esoterics which can scare a lot of mainstream folks. The law
of 2 feet to me is people acting on that inner authority (which
may accurately be called the Law of Self Responsibility) and will
not only keep you healthy but at the right place at the right
time...which some might describe as fulfilling your purpose. Who
doesn't feel better when you get to follow your own natural
rhythms vs the dictates of others.
Challenge is, like a caged animal that never leaves once the door
is opened, we have to relearn what we shut down. I saw this in
action when people are first given the opportunity to operate in
open space, many looking for permission that what they want to do
is ok. Over time you could see the loosening of the constraints.
So from my view the os process is like training wheels back to our
true self. Quite theraputic indeed.
Thanks for the opportunity to share and for the richness that you
all bring both here and to the world.
Please keep me posted on any events happening or facilitation
needed in the Mid Atlantic Area.
Warmly,
Suzanna Stephan
Virginia Beach, VA
757.621.3560
I know that there are many such stories in the OS chronicles - such
'liberation' is a joy to see and costs nothing in therapeutic fees -
a quiet (and inexpensive) revolution indeed!
Cheers
Brendan
* * ==========================================================
osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To
subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/
archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST
FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
--
Búi K. Petersen, Cert. ConRes.
mediator and facilitator
--------------------------------
c.solutions
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Phone: 604.724.4954
Web: www.buildconsensus.ca
* * ==========================================================
osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To
subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/
archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST
FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
*
*
==========================================================
osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist