The Answer to How Is Yes

1. Shift from "How?" to "Why?": Prioritize purpose over practicality

Transformation comes more from pursuing profound questions than seeking practical answers.

Danger of "How?" The persistent question "How?" often expresses our doubts and seeks answers outside ourselves. It can be a defense against action, leaping past questions of purpose and intention. By focusing too quickly on practicality, we sacrifice the pursuit of what truly matters to us.

Power of "Why?" Instead of immediately asking "How?", we should first explore questions of purpose:

• What is worth doing?
• What do we want to create together?
• What refusal have I been postponing?
• What commitment am I willing to make?
• What is my contribution to the problem I'm concerned with?

These questions help us connect with our deeper values and intentions, ensuring that our actions align with what truly matters to us. By prioritizing purpose over practicality, we open ourselves to more meaningful and transformative possibilities.

2. Reclaim idealism: Challenge the culture of cynicism and self-interest

Idealism is the willingness to pursue our desires past the point of practicality.

Costs of cynicism Our culture often dismisses idealism as naïve or impractical. This cynicism leads us to:

• Prioritize self-interest over collective well-being
• View relationships and commitments as transactional
• Lose touch with our deeper values and dreams

Reclaiming idealism To act on what matters, we must:

• Reconnect with our childhood dreams and desires
• Pursue meaning and purpose, even when impractical
• Challenge the belief that self-interest is human nature
• Value virtue, sacrifice, and commitment for their own sake

By reclaiming our idealism, we open ourselves to a more passionate, purposeful existence. This idealism becomes a source of resilience and inspiration, allowing us to pursue what truly matters even in the face of cultural pressure to be "practical" or "realistic."

3. Cultivate intimacy: Resist the virtual and embrace direct experience

If we could agree that for six months we would not ask How?, something in our lives, our institutions, and our culture might shift for the better.

Dangers of virtual experience Our increasingly digital world often leads to:

• Detachment from the physical and emotional realities around us
• Substitution of genuine human connection with simulated experiences
• Loss of direct engagement with our environment and communities

Cultivating intimacy To counteract this trend:

• Prioritize face-to-face interactions over virtual communications
• Engage fully with your physical surroundings and sensory experiences
• Invest time in building deep, meaningful relationships
• Practice vulnerability and emotional openness in your interactions

By cultivating intimacy, we deepen our connection to ourselves, others, and the world around us. This fosters a richer, more meaningful experience of life and helps us stay grounded in what truly matters amidst the distractions of the digital age.

4. Choose depth over speed: Invest time in reflection and understanding

If we want depth, we need to step out of time.

Tyranny of speed Our culture's obsession with speed and efficiency often leads to:

• Superficial engagement with important issues
• Neglect of deeper reflection and understanding
• Prioritization of quick fixes over lasting solutions

Choosing depth To counteract this:

• Make time for regular reflection and contemplation
• Engage with complex ideas and challenging questions
• Resist the urge to rush to solutions or conclusions
• Value the process of exploration and discovery

By choosing depth over speed, we allow ourselves the space to truly understand and engage with what matters most. This deeper engagement leads to more meaningful insights, more authentic actions, and a richer experience of life.

5. Claim full citizenship: Take responsibility for creating your environment

To be a citizen, in the political sense, is to have voting rights, membership rights, and the right to create systems that support, not deny, our freedom.

Passive consumerism Many of us relate to our workplaces and communities as passive consumers, waiting for others to create the changes we desire.

Active citizenship To claim full citizenship:

• Take responsibility for creating the environment you want to inhabit
• Engage actively in shaping your workplace and community
• Speak up about your values and vision, even when it's uncomfortable
• Collaborate with others to bring about positive change

By claiming full citizenship, we move from being spectators to active participants in shaping our world. This empowers us to create environments that truly reflect our values and support what matters most to us.

6. Educate yourself holistically: Design your own "humanities" curriculum

We need a learning curriculum that we, alone, have designed.

Limitations of conventional education Our education system often prioritizes practical skills over holistic development, leaving us ill-equipped to navigate life's deeper questions.

Self-directed learning To address this:

• Design your own "humanities" curriculum
• Explore ideas outside your professional field
• Read widely in philosophy, literature, and the arts
• Seek out mentors and engage in peer learning
• Treat your workplace as a classroom for personal growth

Key areas to explore:

• Following your heart's desires
• Learning about ideas outside your field
• Finding mentors on your own
• Making peers the point of learning
• Treating the workplace as a classroom

By educating ourselves holistically, we develop a richer understanding of ourselves and the world, enabling us to act more wisely and purposefully in all areas of life.

7. Redefine your relationship with authority: Let go of ambition for approval

Growing up means seeing the world as it is. Really growing up means realizing that the world really may be as I see it.

Dangers of seeking approval Our desire for approval from authority figures often leads us to:

• Compromise our values and ideals
• Pursue goals that don't truly matter to us
• Give away our power and freedom

Redefining authority relationships To reclaim our autonomy:

• Recognize that your boss doesn't have what you really want
• Let go of the need for institutional approval and recognition
• Trust your own judgment and intuition
• Be willing to disappoint others to stay true to yourself

By redefining our relationship with authority, we free ourselves to pursue what truly matters to us, rather than what others expect or demand. This shift allows us to live more authentically and purposefully.

8. Care for the whole: Commit to something larger than self-interest

The answer to barter is generosity.

Limitations of self-interest A narrow focus on self-interest:

• Erodes community and social bonds
• Leads to short-term thinking and unsustainable practices
• Diminishes our sense of purpose and fulfillment

Caring for the whole To counteract this:

• Commit to something larger than your individual interests
• Consider the impact of your actions on the broader community
• Look for ways to contribute to the common good
• Value generosity and service over personal gain

By caring for the whole, we create a more sustainable and fulfilling way of life. This commitment to something larger than ourselves gives our actions deeper meaning and helps create a world we truly want to inhabit.

9. Integrate engineer, economist, and artist mindsets: Become a social architect

The task of the social architect is to design and bring into being organizations that serve both the marketplace and the soul of the people who work within them.

Limitations of single mindsets:

• Engineer: Focuses solely on efficiency and control
• Economist: Reduces everything to monetary value
• Artist: May neglect practical considerations

Social architecture integrates these perspectives:

• Combines practical efficiency with human values
• Balances economic considerations with social impact
• Incorporates creativity and aesthetics into organizational design

Key aspects of social architecture:

• Convening: Bringing people together purposefully
• Naming the question: Framing issues to engage everyone
• Initiating new conversations for learning
• Sticking with strategies of engagement and consent
• Designing strategies that support local choice

By becoming social architects, we can create organizations and communities that are both effective and deeply satisfying to be part of.

10. Embrace mystery and imperfection: Accept the paradoxes of human systems

Human systems are imperfect, the homes for unsolvable problems.

Dangers of seeking certainty Our desire for certainty in human affairs often leads to:

• Oversimplification of complex issues
• Frustration and disappointment when perfect solutions aren't found
• Neglect of the human, emotional aspects of situations

Embracing mystery and imperfection:

• Accept that some problems don't have clear solutions
• Recognize the value of paradox and ambiguity
• Appreciate the diversity and unpredictability of human nature
• Find beauty and meaning in imperfection

By embracing mystery and imperfection, we free ourselves from the impossible task of controlling everything. This allows us to engage more fully and authentically with the complex, messy, beautiful reality of human systems, leading to more humane and effective ways of working and living together.

Last updated: November 17, 2024