More uncommon sense

Reid, Clark, Wightman, Boyd

One section of the Caledonia Centre for Social Development website deals with “Countervailing power and globalisation”.

The section offers articles and information dealing with forces that stand against the sometimes exploitative and unjust practices of the 'establishment' and of corporate elites at local, national and international levels.

The section goes beyond the current, narrow, official view of globalisation as the free movement of capital, deregulation of trade, privatisation, restriction on patents and intellectual property.  On offer are more wide ranging, holistic and diverse perspectives grounded in (a) the concept of elegant power and its countervailance, and in (b) the development of uncommon sense. Three of my short essays cover the main points (see below) and there are many articles by other authors.
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Hegemony and the hidden persuaders - the power of un-common sense (June 2002)

“It is not by accident that we come by our 'common sense'. People who think freely and independently are quick to realise how they have been taught to imprison and enslave themselves. In breaking free they become the champions of un-common sense. May their thoughts be clear, fruitful and infectious.”
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The Vanguard for Social Change (Nov 2007)

“When I think of people being in the vanguard of a new development, I assume they are involved in its most advanced part. They are trail-blazers and trend-setters; the advance guard at the forefront and on the front line. They are the abnormal few with uncommon sense and counterintuitive understandings. They act as a countervailing force to the status quo.”
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Disciplined Democracy (July 2008)

“Discipline is what causes you to behave this way rather than that. In a democracy there are rules about how to behave. In a well disciplined democracy there will be forms of both external and internal discipline and these can be thought of as more or less right or wrong. The following box suggests four main patterns” 
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"Mastering others is strength.
Mastering yourself is true power."
[Lao Tzu]

Such was my view up till five years ago. Since then my understanding of the concept of uncommon sense has taken a more transcendent, holistic and consilient turn.

The idea is that everyone has a value system driven by mainly unconscious feelings and intuitions that guides and supports their rational intellect which they fondly suppose to be driven by facts and evidence and to be in the driving seat.

However, those who make the quiet time to stand and stare become adept at slowly and thoughtfully responding to events rather than hurriedly and instinctively reacting to them. Those with this more uncommon sense are the potentially planet saving cool dudes.

The move from fast to slow (ref Kahneman) is the essence of the spiritual journey. Seven of my short articles dealing with my version of the journey are available in the compilation “Towards uncommon sense – a spiritual journey (25 March 2013)”. Amongst other things it considers the power of whims!

“There was a time when I thought I was in control of what went on in my mind. These days I realise that the mind has a mind of its own and that it is (a) deeply conditioned by my particular place in time and space and (b) hard wired for ‘mystical’ experiences.”
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