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 at length in my book, … Read More
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, especially if they involve other … Read More
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 efforts. Most blogs are not … Read More
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 and to our cooperative partners. … Read More
(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 one of the many rocks … Read More
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, had the privilege of moderating … Read More
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 verification. Recently, however, “Alternate Facts,” … Read More
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 many of us think about … Read More
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 commercials and admire exceptional athleticism. … Read More
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 with the natural world.“ In … Read More