Contemplate!

Beauty, Goodness and Truth

The Ancient Greeks divided the nature of existence into three areas: Beauty, Goodness and Truth which we can categorise as self, culture and nature.

For a long time, we have been able to contemplate difference in the third of these area – nature – with equanimity i.e. new discoveries in science do not trigger red zone responses (except perhaps in some extreme groups such as religious fundamentalists). This ability to stay in the blue zone despite new information that might challenge our world view is due to the rise of science – a means of seeking out and accommodating difference - and can be dated back to the time of Galileo.

This is the reason that we can readily develop cognition, we can accommodate a changing view of nature, the real world, without triggering a red zone response. We can very readily devise successful projects for ‘taming’ nature – fracking for oil and gas, underground mines, incredibly tall structures.

However, in the areas of culture (e.g. religious beliefs, economic systems, social behaviour, personal relationships) and in the self (e.g. my own opinion of my talents, my own view of my place in the world) perceived difference e.g. questioning a Belief system, criticism of my work, a partner preferring someone else, typically all trigger strong red zone responses making the integration of new information very difficult, if not impossible.

The fact that we can contemplate difference in nature, the real world, with equanimity gives confidence that we can develop this ability more generally in the other areas as well, in the self and in culture.

These are abilities that we need to have to address the pressing problems that the world faces.

We need to be able to operate in the blue zone more and more often, whatever the situation.

John Corrigan is an expert in helping individuals to bring their whole of mind to their daily life and increase their effectiveness and the effectiveness of those around them. This expertise scales from the individual to the team to the organisation. At the core of this work is the practice of encounter.