Inquiry Inventory - 03/23/22

Here at The Human School, a big part of what brought us together is a deep love of reading and learning. We commit, as part of our learning journey, to sharing our week’s reading with you and what influences our thinking and learning.

Each week, you will see a post with what we’re reading, a quote, and an insight from that reading that leads us to deeper thinking.

To learn more about what we are reading, please take a look at our Connection Catalog.

Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff

“When we lose track of figure and ground, we forget who is doing what for whom, and why. We risk treating other people as objects. Worse, we embed these values in our organizations or encode them into our technologies. By learning to recognize reversals of figure and ground, we can liberate ourselves from the systems to which we have become enslaved.”

I’ve been listening to this book, and when I heard the figure/ground metaphor, I was intrigued. It got me thinking about all places we move humans from being the figure to the ground. Certainly education is one of those areas…and it seems to be getting worse.

Does the idea resonate with you? What other systems (other than education) have we become enslaved to that have pulled a reversal of figure and ground?

The author, Douglas Rushkoff, also has a Team Human Podcast: https://www.teamhuman.fm/ Check it out!

—Randy

Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

“In a world where perfectionism, pleasing, and proving are used as armor to protect our egos and our feelings, it takes a lot of courage to show up and be all in when we can't control the outcome. It also takes discipline and self-awareness to understand what to share and with whom. Vulnerability is not oversharing, it's sharing with people who have earned the right to hear our stories and our experiences. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.”

In a discussion earlier this week with a few others around Atlas of the Heart, one of the members asked about vulnerability at work and how to be vulnerable without oversharing. We discussed the importance of being willing to have difficult conversations, being truthful and honest in your values and experiences with ideas, and being a safe space for others to share their feedback and ideas. To us, we agreed, being vulnerable at work does not mean confessing your deepest, darkest secret to everyone who walks by but instead by being willing to be wrong, to be accountable, and most of all to be open to growth and feedback and curiosity. When Brene discusses vulnerability, I feel deeply her point about not controlling the outcome and sharing with those who earned the right to hear about our stories. But I also challenge us to be vulnerable because it creates space for others to feel safe in being vulnerable as well, allowing us to truly share our humanity.

How can you be vulnerable in the coming weeks? What frictions might keep you from feeling comfortable being vulnerable? And how might you take steps to work toward vulnerability from wherever you are (assuming it’s safe to be vulnerable)?

—Rachel

Define Your Why by Barbara Bray

“Curiosity pushes a baby to want to crawl and then walk. Curiosity pushes all of us to want to learn. What I want to address is the importance of knowing your purpose now but realize that your purpose may be one thing at one time in your life, and then it changes with all the different experiences you have throughout your life.”

Our work at The Human School asks us to better understand ourselves and our capacity to change, grow, and lead. Barbara’s book is full of wonderful activities that not only provide opportunities to deepen our understanding of our self, but the book also serves as a model of storytelling. The more we share our personal learning journey and do so with others, the more likely we can create more human systems. What is your why? How can you leverage your why to tell a new story?

—Chad