Issues we face - Change is possible, in fact it's essential! Part 3

How have we been learning so far?

We can be critical of individuals in terms of how they present information or respond to various issues that are presented in the public domain. The reality is that they are the result of an education system, that most of us agree that doesn’t serve society well.

Children and young people are taught to remember and not really to think, and therefore those we might think lack the capacity to think critically, are merely a result of the system they have participated in, or rather have been recipients of.

A study (involving 1,600 children)[1] carried out in 1968 by George Land (with Beth Jarman) tested the creativity of participants to come up with as many ways to use the paper clip as possible. The level of genius (more than 150 ways) was achieved in the following age groups:

among 5-year-olds - 98%. Children
among 10-year-olds - only 30%. children
among 15-year-olds, only 12% of children
adults reached only 2%

Renowned education expert Sir Ken Robinson, attributed this to an education system, in which children are taught to replicate information and where problem solving is based on the search for one correct answer. He goes on to say that the teaching methodology is not adapted to modern children, and the assessment system does not provide effective feedback that encourages curious learning.

Looking forward

With a population hurtling towards an estimated 9.6 billion by 2050, can we even begin to countenance how we bring people around to the point of achieving a collective approach to address the most pressing issues we face? There are of course some indications that humanity does indeed possess the potential to change.

The rise of human potential measurement (social capital is one example), positive psychology and increasing interest in personal development
Identification of the need for ‘emotional intelligence’ in the workplace
The desire for authenticity, integrity and transparency in the companies we do business with
Increasing business focus on identifying and developing qualities of leadership
The decline of many institutions that we previously relied on for a service of security, purpose, and belonging, e.g., religion, educations systems, postal services, civil services, large companies, jobs for life, etc
People looking elsewhere for security, belonging and purpose as they pursue ‘portfolio careers’ and move towards greater independence and personal freedom
As people become more time-poor, attention-starved and value-focused, the quality of their life experience become more important
Rumour of shortage – shortage creates need – need creates demand – demand creates competition – competition creates adversaries – adversaries lead to ‘us and them’ and we know how ‘us and them’ panns out - a greater recognition of this enables us to contemplate a shift in thinking

How do we address this? In his book, Humankind: A Hopeful History, Rutger Bregman helps contextualise change needed when describing where we need to move from and get to - from: -

Cynicism to Engagement
Polarisation to Trust
Exclusion to Inclusion
Complacency to Citizenship
Corruption to Transparency
Self-Interest to Solidarity; and
Inequality to Dignity.

He goes on to offer us a few tips as to the steps we need to take to achieve this:

1. When in doubt, assume the best

2. Think in win-win situations

3. Ask more questions

4. Temper your empathy, train your compassion

5. Try to understand the other even if you don’t get where they’re coming from

6. Love your own as others love their own

7. Avoid the news

8. Don’t punch Nazis [this can apply to any ideologue] – it only validates and reinforces them

9. Come out of the closet – don’t be afraid to do good

Another example might be those taken from Valley of Experience Basic principles. The core of education - 'I am enough' - connects 8 pillars:

Curiosity - to have and stimulate interest - to discover, research, analyse, search, learn
Courage - to start and finish something; self-discipline; try something new; to stand out; to err, to be right; represent their point of view; be authentic
Creativity - to know your talents and use them, and to see things from different perspectives
Communication - with yourself, your peers, your mentors (teachers), family, community, your planet – [keep it] positive, loving, respectful and understanding
Critical thinking - to analyze information and be objective - not to cling to words, information, images, stereotypes, to separate facts from interpretations
Connection - connecting learning with reality, connecting different aspects of learning with each other, feeling self-connected and having a connection with the wider world and purpose
Sincerity - to oneself, peers, teachers, family, community, and the entire planet - through feelings, words, actions, thoughts
Collaboration is the ability to connect with others, to pursue common goals or objectives in a harmonious way, using different skills and experiences

Perhaps another way to help is to ask the right question. Some years ago, I started ‘collecting’ questions, which sounds a bit odd perhaps but often we look for answers but a lesson for me over time has been that unless we ask the ‘right’ question or a very specific question, we will not find the answers we are looking for.

Below is a list of questions I have compiled which I believe can help us get ‘to the bottom of things.

What exactly is bothering you?
What are we assuming?
What aren’t you telling me?
What do you need me to understand?
How am I presenting myself and my ideas?
What is it I really need to engage with this conversation?
What are the things we need to prioritise and why?
What did you see first of all and second, what thoughts came to mind?
It is reality for you, but is it actually reality?
What are the things that have influenced my life and what made me the person I am?
Do we practice so much we become reckless? Do we practice so much we neglect the risk?
What keeps you awake at night?
Do we ever have complete success?
Every journey starts with a first step, but can you take the first step?
What do you need/not need to happen to make this work for you?
How do we get to the point where we don’t ask questions that are structured around the reward of feeling 'in the right?'
What will be the one area where you sustained your passion and creativity to make a difference?
Why do we let the knocks get to us, but more so how do we react and what underpins our resilience?
If little children demonstrate the characteristic of Clarity – presence, joy, creativity, connection, resilience, etc – why is that so often not the case in older children, teenagers and adults?
Where do the deep, rich, profound feelings in life come from? What are the factors determining whether you’re aware of them or not?
What would happen if you decided not to treat yourself as a ‘thing’ to be improved, and instead open to the possibility that it’s your nature to continue learning, growing, and evolving?
What recent events / movements / concepts / ideas give us hope for the future?
Can we enrich ourselves but in a way that enables the community around us to thrive and prosper?
Why have you framed the question this way?
Are we individuals just a continuation of lives that existed before us? Are we the extensions of behaviours inherited from those who have passed?
What is it you can offer me or what is your counteroffer?
If you died tomorrow suddenly what wouldn’t people know about you or what might they learn about you from others?
Are we meant to be finding out the things we are finding out?