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This just in :

"Hadn't seen the Leary Circumplex or Leary Circle in a while. Made extensive use of it for years at HP while responsible for leadership development survey instruments. It's a very good tool."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_circumplex

Funny - I have used this tool and derivatives so many times over the years - and of course in turn - they have been used on me ... never once did I know that its origins lay with Timothy Leary.

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Jul 9, 2020Liked by John Philpin

Any discussion of the Interconnectedness of all Things (including People) should include mention of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin’s writings. From his perspective, which is both aspirational and a category of theological discussion, the concept of a “noosphere” can be imagined as the next phase of human spiritual development. For more information, see https://teilhard.com/2013/08/13/the-noosphere-part-i-teilhard-de-chardins-vision/

Chardin spent much of his Jesuit career seeking expression of the bridge between science and religion, long before second-generation cybernetics provided a technical (networked) metaphor. While I dare not claim a full understanding of Chardin’s theology, I have long admired his hopeful reach for human potential, and the possible role that networks might play in that pursuit.

In this metaphor, we are all “nodes” on the network. The implicit system of values (per our current discussion) is a worthwhile point of reference - what we choose to do, even in the face of uncertainty, is to act in manners that nourish and inspire our connectivity - not just for communication and commerce but for our healthier (howsoever lofty it may seem) future...

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Jul 9, 2020Liked by John Philpin

John, I appreciate your focus on PEOPLE in regards to the future. Most self-absorbed "futurists" (Kurzweil is the worst) focus on technology and science, and regard people as merely a foil or plot device, a background character. You are absolutely right in putting people front and center in discussions of the future.

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