Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Secrecy in Cohousing

[Michael Barrett (mbarrett]

Norm,
Thanks for your response. I did and do not wish to treat you unfairly.
In my experience living for 6 years in two cohousing communities, open 
meetings (and data) are definitely the norm. Closed meetings and secrecy 
(except for some limited and very personal  issues) implies to me that 
something is definitely wrong - in that a division of opinion or conduct has 
arisen which is resisting the conventional consensus seeking methods of 
cohousing.  In my opinion successful living in cohousing definitely requires 
giving up on some ego, and setting the community's overall happiness at 
least equal to, if not over, ones own.  This of course needs to apply to 
every member of the community.
Best wishes, I hope resolution is achieved with a minimum of pain and 
hardship.
Michael