Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Consensus, Majority Vote, "Blocks" [was Report on Survey of Cohousing Communities 2011. Just released. A must read!

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 24 Sep 2011, at 9:26 PM, Sharon Villines wrote:

> An objection must be based on one's personal ability to work enthusiastically 
> and energetically toward the aim of the group. An objector is saying "if you 
> make this decision, it will negatively affect my ability to be fully 
> committed the community."

Another point is that the person with objections is making an individual 
decision based on their own ability to support the aim of the group and in the 
context of the aim, to support this decision. The group is composed of 
individuals who act independently. Even when acting cooperatively, I act as 
individual. I can't act as a group. 

When people say "for the good of the group" it is hard to see that as anything 
other than majority rule. This person obviously doesn't think this decision is 
in the best interests of the group. Unless some objective definition exists, 
the "good of the group" is an individual decision. If there were a clear 
definition, it would also be clear what the "good" was and it wouldn't require 
a decision. 

Even if 99% of the group members believe something should be done for the "good 
of the group" that doesn't make it so. It just means the majority wants the 
person to drop their objections to go along with them. Even if they do, is that 
good for the group?

(I had previously used "objector" to make it easier to distinguish this person 
from that person without using gender loaded  pronouns but that was also 
labeling.)

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org