The Answer to how is Yes: Acting on what MattersModern culture's worship of "how-to" pragmatism has turned us into instruments of efficiency and commerce--but we're doing more and more about things that mean less and less. We constantly ask "how? and still struggle to find purpose and act on what matters. Instead of acting on what we know to be of importance, we wait for bosses to change, we seek the latest fad, we invest in one more degree. Asking how keeps us safe--instead of being led by our hearts into uncharted territory, we keep our heads down and stick to the rules. But we are gaining the world and losing our souls. Peter Block puts the "how-to" craze in perspective and presents a guide to the difficult and life-granting journey of bringing what we know is of personal value into an indifferent or even hostile corporate and cultural landscape. He raises our awareness of the trade-offs we've made in the name of practicality and expediency, and offers hope for a way of life in which we're motivated not by what "works," but by the things that truly matter in life--idealism, intimacy, depth and engagement. |
Contents
Acting on What Matters | 1 |
Part1 the question | 13 |
three qualities | 51 |
the requirements | 81 |
social architecture | 137 |
The Archetypes of Instrumentality and Desire | 149 |
The Role of the Social Architect | 171 |
Its a Mystery to Me | 185 |
192 | |
About the Author | 201 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstrac action affirms ambition answer archetypes of instrumentality Artificial Scarcity artist barter become behavior believe Bill Dan boss bring capacity Carl Jung choice choose Christopher Alexander citizen civic engagement commitment cost create culture decide defense define depth Designed Learning discussion economic employees engagement exit strategies experience expression Faust feel Flawless Consulting focus focusing freedom give home school human idea idealism important individual institutions instrumentality and desire intentions intimacy Ivan Illich keep leaders leadership live look Marshall Berman means measure mentor Mephisto methodology mindset nomic offer organizational organizations ourselves Peter Block possible postpone problem purpose pursuit relationship rewards rience right question role say yes self-interest shift social architect someone speed strategy talk things tical tion transformation values willingness workplace workshops Yes questions