Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Emotion, consensus, and power.

[Fred H. Olson (fholson]

On Tue, 19 Oct 1999, Stuart Staniford-Chen wrote:
..
> 
> My question is: isn't this really a massive hole in the idea that consensus
> decision making is democratic.  We do not all have equal power, because we
> are equipped with widely varying abilities to sustain dissent.  I'm sure we
> all know this intuitively; I'm trying to surface it and formalize it somewhat
> so it can be examined.

Interesting commentary Stuart and I think I concur.  I personally have
have a level of "emotional power" that varies not only with the topic etc
but unpredicatably - some days I simply have more than other days and I
assume it is some where in my bio-chemical makeup.

Tho Lynn Nadeau has already mentioned the following suggestion (among
several), I think I'll re-emphasize it.  I am specifically thinking of the
"circle process" in which people sit in a circle facing each other and
take turns in a strict rotation addressing the group in a very unhurried
manner.  Each person given as much time as the want and free to be quiet
and collect their thought before talking.  I found it amazing how this
setting elicits comments that would otherwise be unlikely to be expressed
and thus would seem to compensate a little for differences in "emotional
power".

For more info see the "related links" at:
http://freenet.msp.mn.us/people/fholson/circles-MN

Fred
--
Fred H. Olson  fholson [at] cohousing.org    Minneapolis,MN   55411  
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