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Sender: Evelyn Messinger
Subject: Re: Defintions of transpartisan
Date: Sat, Apr 19, 2014
Msg: 100938
Debilyn,
You make two interesting points. Empathy is crucial to understanding, but may not be "essential" for indentifying as a transpartisan. Empathy is something felt rather than done. Personal stories can generate empathy, but the best way to empathize is to get to know someone different than yourself. So maybe the answer is not that empathy is needed to be a transpartisan, but that becoming a transpartisan will make you more empathetic. That said, it may be essential to growing a Transpartisan movement, as a message with strong appeal to women in particular.
Victimization is really a tough one. It has been in vogue for some years now, but it also has a place in the American psyche: being victimized by the Brits led to a rebellion that created the most advanced democracy the world had ever seen. But we do have our better angels, and just as demagoguery plays on victimization, transpartisanship might highlight the great American values of self-reliance and toughness.
Thanks,
Evelyn
On Fri, Apr 18, 2014 at 12:27 PM, Debilyn Molineaux, Living Room Conversations wrote:
> This is for the Definitions of Transpartisan thread: > > One thing I find in all "transpartisan" conversations is empathy for those > with whom we are speaking. I'm wondering if this is an essential > ingredient? And if so, how do we develop more empathy in our society? > > As transpartisans, we begin conversations (not debate) around the > topics...and with empathy we look for and discover solutions that are not > possible from a debate, compromise or win/lose perspectives. This breaks > down all the labels (even from the quadrant model of Chickering/Turner) and > focuses not only on what is valuable to each of us, but to what our > desired, shared outcome will be. > > For instance, the topic of how big or small government should be could be > framed more broadly about how do we envision living our own lives and what > is the ideal balance between the needs of individuals, communities and > perhaps the planet / environment which sustains us all. What would a > government need to be to support the lives we want to lead? > > Another component that I am exploring is the ability to move beyond or > transcend the attitude of victimization by "the other" on an emotional > level. What does it take to realize we are co-creating the society within > which we live? How can we stop being victims and start being citizens? > > Debilyn Molineaux, Managing Partner > Living Room Conversations > debilyn@livingroomconversations.org > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the TRANSPARTISAN list, click the following link: > http://lists.thataway.org/scripts/wa-THATAWAY.exe?SUBED1=TRANSPARTISAN&A=1 >
-- Evelyn Messinger http://citizenschannel.org +1.415.377.6278
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