Re: Subject: [C-L]_ tipping point (was: alternatives to sanctions)
From: Robert Moskowitz (robertmknowledgetree.com)
Date: Fri, 5 May 2006 11:26:53 -0700 (PDT)
Robert,

Your points are well taken! It may be too late for Stone Curves Cohousing since the folks who were in partnership with the developer and builder had a profit interest which was in conflict with establishing guidelines for purchase requirements. I really hope it's not too late for us. We're just a year and 1/2 old.

I hope you will post your cogent argument for "limiting membership" to the cohousing listserv as I think it would prompt some very good conversation.

All the best in finding or building what you have in mind.

Christine

On Wednesday, May 3, 2006, at 09:37 AM, Robert Moskowitz wrote:

I don't think you can influence people very much, even with overt compulsory influences like jail time or financial incentives. In basketball, you can't coach height. In service industries, you can't coach friendly temperaments. In cohousing, you can't coach cooperation and willingness to work toward group fulfillment and actualization. The right way to proceed, in my view (and totally theoretical since I am just now involving myself with cohousing groups that are "forming, although I have much experience in groups of other kinds) is to limit membership to people who are basically aligned with the program. In other words, to have a warm, friendly, cooperative group, you must keep out the assholes, jerks, selfish morons, and sociopaths who will not put group values ahead of their immediate self interest. It's cruel. It's difficult. But to avoid this culling process is to condemn very nice people to living with people who will take advantage of them. In which milieu would you prefer to live?
Robert





Results generated by Tiger Technologies Web hosting using MHonArc.