My Profile on TED

My Profile on www.ted.com

Yesterday I made a profile on the TED Conferences web site.  I did this so I could comment on Paul Gilding’s presentation last week.  Paul, once the global CEO of Greenpeace, has written a book called The Great Disruption.  His presentation at TED was called “The Earth is Full”.

Here is Paul’s presentation:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/paul_gilding_the_earth_is_full.html

It’s a good thing that TED posts the presenters online.  The folks who actually pay to go to TED could, in fact, be the wrong audience.  Generally speaking, a person who can pay $7500 to attend is comfortable with the status quo.  Am I wrong, or am I a soured grape?

Bio / CV – Maximum 5000 characters

Born in 1954, Bob often feels as though his arrival was timed a century too early.  His gaze on reality often takes the form of looking back from a future that most seem unable to comprehend.  Occasionally he did encounter voices that seemed to make a bit of sense, and he clung to their words as though they were life rafts.  (Check the "I'm passionate about" section.)  As a teacher of adults and older adults, Bob is quite articulate in his chosen subject.  Nonetheless, when he tries to describe things like the Future, the Hyper-system, time and value, it is as though he has arrived in a foreign land.  Strangely, the inhabitants share a common language with him, yet they seem unable to understand anything he says.  So he smiles, gently, and waits.

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I'm passionate about – Maximum 200 characters

The Limits to Growth Studies, Annie Leonard, Buddha's middle path (if you want to call THAT passionate), and knowing myself.

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An idea worth spreading – Maximum 1000 characters

We can view ourselves not as agents, but as instruments.  To be an instrument is to be used.  The question is, "Used by whom or what?"  It is clear that after thousands of years of taking from our mother, the earth, that we owe her a large, large debt.  Therefore, when humanity has chosen to be a servant of the earth, and to serve her, then we will have finally begun to grow up.  We will have transformed our existence from viewing ourselves as the pinnacle of creation to being catalysts for creation in the broadest sense possible.

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People don't know that I'm good at... – Maximum 200 characters

Compassionately viewing the elements of human society--people, buildings, commodities, information flows, inventions--as organelles of a grander organism that is growing, developing and evolving.

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My TED story – Maximum 1000 characters

I have been privileged to live a series of unique learnings.  Unique not in content but in the way they taught me to consider flipped points of view and possibilities that would, at first glance, be ridiculously outlandish.  Here are a few of them: Time flowing backwards and forwards through human consciousness.  Eating as a conscious act of consecration with unfolding potential.  A body whose cells are more conscious than it is.  Noble generosity as the foundation for a new economic system that complements a system based upon the principle of reciprocity...  Why, it would take a book to describe such a life story.  The problem is, there are already too many books, too much information.  To make a contribution would require a more direct connection, a shared experience.  To make a contribution would require teaching a new skill set.  To make contribution would require a humble acceptance of not knowing and elevating the Student to Teacher.

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