Inadvertent experiment

I turned Aeire's computer on to use her scanner -- and a wonderful scanner it is -- and discovered why my allergies kick up at my desk sometimes. And why it suddenly got worse.

Aeire's computer has powerful (and loud) fans. Those fans create a little whirl of dust particles in my cubical. For the short time I had her computer running, I could taste the dust.

At least the mystery is solved.

Insight

Given: People know us by what we do, and how well that lines up with what we say, and by how we do both.
Given: People will listen to gossip (sometimes it is well disguised.) They will, over time, confuse the gossip with reality to some degree.

I think those two are valid aspects of the way human beings deal the data of other human beings. We get bits and pieces of the picture and fill in all the rest until we have a coherent picture of what we think the world is about and who other people are.

So why do I bother with Landmark and HAI?

I'll start with HAI. During a HAI workshop, it is possible to let all the conditioning and learning go for moments at a time. And in doing so, we deal with the other person as a human being from our commonality. As much love and intimacy that happens at a workshop, I think it is very impersonal. I hadn't seen that until just now. I can look into someone's eyes and stroke their cheek without knowing anything about them at all. It will be very intimate, but it is just my core being and their core being. It has nothing to do with who we are in our everyday life. I highly recommend doing HAI workshops, but it's not a cure for what ails us as a society.

Landmark, though, I see has a much different point to make. And it is the one that I rebelled against when first introduced to Landmark Education all those years ago. I couldn't put my finger on my concerns. I had been consciously unhappy about the language -- not the exacting nature of their distinctions and such, but the "filler" language and the translations and metaphors. It seemed to me to be based on success -- especially monetary success. That may or may not be true -- depending on the person you are talking to at Landmark -- but what is true about their work just poked me the eye. :) I just didn't know how close I was to it. It points people in the direction of competence.

How, back to the Givens. If I follow the HAI model very closely, I will be seen as a loving man in general, but one who isn't available for a close relationship. Because HAI style love is impersonal.

If I follow the Landmark model very closely, I might still be seen as a loving man, but mostly I would be seen as competent -- even expert.

I have no desire to be seen as a kindly, but distant expert at anything. :)

Part two of the experiement.

Aeire's computer has been off for a bit of time now. And my allergy attack is over.

i may invest in an air filtering machine. A particle precipitator would be very nice.