This is the next in a series of posts on how to make our
democracy work better based on an article in The Intelligent Optimist magazine
(formerly Ode) by Tom Atlee.
“Unfortunately, involving millions of people in any
particular deliberative activity reduces the likelihood that a wise, inclusive,
coherent and legitimate voice of the people will emerge from it—unless the
activity includes citizen deliberative councils. Ideally, the wisdom generated by such well
supported mini-publics would inform the citizenship, conversations and activism
of the rest of us, thereby helping us to be collectively wise in the directions
we take our society and world.
“Without deliberation we don’t get public wisdom. Even in an
individual, wisdom does not come from experience or teachings alone. Individuals must reflect on their experience
and what others have told them; notice connections, consequences and
contradictions; and must test what they believe against challenges in their
minds, in conversations and, above all, in life in order to derive sound,
beneficial knowledge over time.”
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