The Social Virtues in Action
The best way to understand Cooperative Wisdom is to see the social virtues in action. On this page, we’ll call attention to people who exemplify:
We invite readers to comment on our cases and contribute examples of their own.
Beyond Partisanship
VOTE! In the run-up to the election, that message is everywhere from billboards to social media. Sometimes it seems like a routine exhortation. Other times it feels like voting has been weaponized, a way to... Read More
Customer Service and Cooperative Wisdom
Cooperative Wisdom can show up in the most unexpected places. Recently, I had to make two customer service calls. Nobody enjoys these calls. They happen only when something has gone amiss. In one case, a... Read More
What It Means to Be a Neighbor
Fred Rogers was ahead of his time. Fifty years ago, in one of the first episodes of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, King Friday the 13th built a wall and prepared to go to war in order... Read More
Why Do Some Small Towns Thrive?
Small towns exercise a particular hold over the American imagination. Many people imagine life would be idlyllic in a place where you run into people who knew your parents or even your grandparents whenever you... Read More
How Can Montecito Recover from This?
The Monday after the Thomas Fire, everyone in Montecito knew it was going to rain. As a resident of neighboring Santa Barbara, I’ll admit that I felt grateful. The fire had created toxic particles that... Read More
10 Resolutions for a New Year
Every New Year is an opportunity to renew our sense of purpose. For us, that means thinking about how we can become more compassionate, discerning, imaginative, integrated and courageous in practicing Cooperative Wisdom. After a... Read More
One Way to Prevent Sexual Misconduct
The flood of allegations about sexual misconduct is, at its least, a teachable moment, especially for men. Many are anxious about whether they have crossed lines in the past and confused about how they should... Read More
When Things Fall Apart
Hurricanes. Earthquakes. Wildfires. This has been a season of extreme events. The media present graphic images of destruction, and heartbreaking stories of people who have lost everything. Often, we also hear stories of first responders,... Read More
The Power of One Cooperator
Last week, I heard a story about Creative Courage at a luncheon for our local chapter of Girls, Inc.. Their mission is to help girls become strong, smart and bold. And, if the young speakers... Read More
Double Down on Cooperation
“Most people try to do the right thing most of the time.” That’s the first line in our book, Cooperative Wisdom. Recent events in Charlottesville force us to be explicit about the corollary: Sometimes, some... Read More
The Beauty of Intentional Imagination
What makes a community project sustainable? I spent my career in philosophy trying to distill the principles that allowed people to cooperate in ways that persist over time. Those principles, including Intentional Imagination, are described... Read More
Making Good Use of Regret
Every day we make decisions. Some are inconsequential. Some move us closer to our goals. And some will lead to regret. Researchers say the most enduring regrets are the result of things we didn’t do,... Read More
Sustainable Blogging
We started this blog one year ago, because it seemed like a promising way to bring attention to our book, Cooperative Wisdom: Bringing People Together When Things Fall Apart. Now, it’s time to reappraise our... Read More
Learning from Conflict
From time to time, we reprint essays that capture an important feature of Cooperative Wisdom. In this essay, Belinda Noyes explores what we call Deep Discernment, the process of understanding what really matters–both to ourselves... Read More
A Few Words about Catastrophic Molting
(Photo first appeared on Elephant Seal Notes. Used by permission of nature4peace.) The little seal didn’t look good. The first time I passed it on the beach, I didn’t even see it because it resembled... Read More
Tips for Communicating in Contentious Times
How to Communicate Effectively in Polarized Political Environments. That was the timely topic for the March meeting of the Santa Barbara chapter of the Association of Women in Communications earlier this month. Co-author, Carolyn Jabs,... Read More
Fake News, Inconvenient Truths & Alternate Facts
Americans are having a lot of trouble agreeing on what is true. This isn’t surprising to philosophers. For centuries, they’ve been debating how we know what we know and what counts as acceptable forms of... Read More
Taking Heart
From time to time, we ask permission to share essays by people whose experience gives them unique insight into Cooperative Wisdom. This essay by Cynthia Zanti Jabs seems especially appropriate for February, a month when... Read More
Super Bowl Wisdom
On Sunday, millions of Americans will be united in watching the Super Bowl. Across divisions of income, politics, ethnic background and even gender, people will gather with friends and family to devour nachos, comment on... Read More
Honoring Carson’s Courage
A new documentary on Rachel Carson is showing on PBS stations this January. Presented by the American Experience, the program honors Rachel Carson’s courage as a “woman whose writings revolutionized how we understand our relationship... Read More
Lessons from a River for Turbulent Times
The inauguration of a new President is always a time of uncertainty. The American system is strong in part because it recognizes the reality of change. Each President gets a fixed amount of time to... Read More
Respecting King’s Dream
Many Americans will celebrate Martin Luther King Day this month. Much has changed since King proclaimed his dream at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, but the resonance of a true celebration is in its contemporary... Read More
Wise Resolutions for a New Year
The end-of-year holidays call people out of their usual routines. For most of us, it’s an opportunity for gratitude and reflection. We spend time with family and friends. We enjoy moments of celebration and happiness.... Read More
Seeking Sustainable Peace
During the holidays, many people reflexively wish for “Peace on Earth”. The message shows up on old-fashioned Christmas cards, social media memes and television ads that feature softly lit windows or snow falling gently in... Read More
Secrets of Collaboration
A version of this essay first appeared in ASJA Magazine, a publication of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Like most freelancers, I’m accustomed to writing alone. Of course, I do interviews and I’m... Read More
Discernment at the Dinner Table
Many people are dreading holiday meals. In the wake of the recent election, they fear that conversations about politics will become contentious and angry. Major newspapers like the New York Times, the Washington Post and... Read More
Caring for Caregivers: A Story of Creative Courage
Most of us want to help our neighbors when we can. And often we have very specific ideas about what kind of help is needed. These assumptions can actually work against us, leading to false... Read More
After the Election…
No matter what happens next week, one thing is certain. After the election, our country will need Cooperative Wisdom to recover from an especially corrosive campaign. Regardless of who wins, there will be a change... Read More
A Cooperative Feast for Sister Cities
It was a cooperative feast. Edamame and guacamole, savory meatballs and delicate sushi rolls, deviled eggs and spicy chicken wings, olive bread and kale salad, cellophane noodles and Turkish delight. Santa Barbara has seven sister... Read More
Finding Cooperative Partners at Intersections
Churches. Retirement Communities. Franchise Businesses. At first glance, it doesn’t seem as though they have much in common. But look more closely. All of these institutions make long-term investments in real property. Driving down the... Read More
Finding Solutions to Insoluble Problems
Cooperative Wisdom describes five principles, social virtues if you will, that are highly effective in finding solutions for problems that seem insoluble. One of the earliest demonstrations of the power of these virtues in my... Read More
Recycling 101: Lessons in Cooperative Wisdom
Every fall thousands of students migrate from home to campus, leaving in their wake millions of boxes and packing containers. This year, at Bowling Green State University, residents of one campus learning community introduced newcomers... Read More
The Power of What If
In Cooperative Wisdom, one of the essential social virtues is Intentional Imagination. When we face problems that are likely to result in conflict, we can often change the dynamic by challenging premises. One of the... Read More
Intentional Imagination and the Power Grid
Cooperative Wisdom starts with the understanding that environments, both natural and social, are always changing. The changes may be rapid and obvious; they may be slow and subtle. In both cases, Cooperative Wisdom directs us,... Read More
The Power of Community Solar
Editor’s Note: We are very happy to have this guest post about community solar from David Dwyer, President of American Renewable Energy. Dwyer will speak at the Building Big Solar in Ohio conference to be... Read More
Honoring the Solar Nun
Editor’s Note: There will be a short tribute to Sister Gonzalez before the 4:30 panel discussion led by Dr. Scherer at the Building Big Solar Conference to be held on August 25 in Bowling Green... Read More
Elon Musk and the DC Dividend
When Elon Musk combined SolarCity Corp. with Tesla Motors Inc., he created an integrated renewable energy company. Not only can he sell solar panels to homes and businesses around the world, he can also sell... Read More
Finding Our Way Through Fog
The other morning, I stepped out the front door and realized that I was standing directly under the dividing line between clouds and clear sky. If I turned one way, I saw dense fog. If... Read More
What Jazz Really Teaches Students
By Guest Blogger, Dan Schunks, Director, Mineral Area College Kicks Band Concert This has been a difficult summer. The divisions and fault lines in our country have become more obvious, exacerbated in many cases by... Read More
The Power of Specialized Perspective
When faced by conflict, most people wonder what they can do to make things better. This can be a complicated question. Most of us have highly specific knowledge about a relatively narrow part of the... Read More
“Look for the Helpers”
“Look for the helpers. There’s always someone trying to help.” That’s the advice Fred Rogers got from his mother many years before he became a beloved figure on children’s television. It’s comforting to children,... Read More
Goodall’s Wise Response to the Death of Harimbe
The tragic death of Harimbe, the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, became an occasion for conflict as people lined up to defend and vilify both the zookeepers who shot the animal and the mother whose... Read More
Getting Beyond Blame
Most people sincerely try to be good. They work hard. They make themselves trustworthy by honoring commitments and keeping promises. They try to uphold their bargains. And yet problems, often serious problems, still occur. Think... Read More
“The Dumbest Kid in the World”
A boy walks into a barber shop. “This is the dumbest kid in the world,” whispers the barber to the customer in his chair. “Watch. I’ll prove it to you.” The barber holds a dollar... Read More
When Referees Won’t Help
People often see conflict as something that requires a referee, someone who can reliably decide what’s right and what’s wrong. That may be true in sports. But, in other settings, picking winners and losers doesn’t... Read More
Over Countless Cups of Coffee
Cooperative Wisdom began with a conversation. A “mature learner” found herself in a seminar being taught by an emeritus professor. He had developed an interesting approach to conflict resolution. She wanted to know more. When... Read More