What is AWA in practice?
We often think and act as others do
Conscious personality development can take place in many different ways. We want to inspire diversity, to make personality development more interesting, fun, more engaging and probably more effective. An important part of the process is dialogue and reflection according to certain basic principles (David Bohm, Donald Factor and Peter Garrett). Other important parts are the inner skills that should be trained and the organization of adult development.
Below are some possible activities that are followed by dialogue and reflection:
- a group of people watching a video about a global challenge, a societal problem, a human need, a value, etcetera
- a group of people play role-playing games that are about empathy, values, virtues, leadership, conflict management, etcetera, which can be inspired by a video, an actual event or a newspaper article
- a group of people gather to hear a lecture on, for example, conflict management
- a group of people read poetry, poetry and books and relate these to contemporary society
- a group develops one or more visions for the future
- a group watches a video about multiple global challenges and societal issues
- a group practices understanding historical causal chains
- a group learns to practice a work step in a practical profession
- a group goes out into nature with a nature guide to show how ecological systems work
- a group visits a slaughterhouse, an industry or a landfill
- a group tests to use their intuition
- a group practices different techniques for creativity and problem solving
- a group of people gather information on a topic on the internet to learn how to do source criticism
- a group practices writing a submission, making a podcast, writing slogans, or doing an interview, on a relevant topic
- a group uses art to talk and reflect on emotions, human needs and virtues
- a group embarks on a survival adventure over a weekend
Below is a description of the parts that can be included in wisdom development. These skills should be practiced in all types of public education activities, as well as in wisdom development in society.
Holistic view
In each situation, see the whole, for example of our / others' actions, societal problems and global challenges, systems, technologies, etcetera. It involves training in:
- integrate fragmented knowledge into a larger whole
- understand how I, others, groups, society, nature and systems interact
- understand how changes in fragments can change the whole
- understand subjectivity
- understand context
- understand history
Values, human needs, emotions
Understand how values, virtues, emotions and human needs affect our decisions, thoughts, words and actions. It involves training in:
- understand the importance of different social values, virtues and human needs
- understand the long-term consequences of different social values, virtues and human needs
- understand social values, virtues and human needs in different contexts
- understand how social values, virtues and human needs work in practice
- practice a conscious use of social values, virtues and human needs
Leadership
Lead themselves and others. It involves training in:
- understand oneself, others, organizations and society
- understand human motivation
- understand different ways to decide
- understand body, soul and mind
- create internal and external stability
- understand and implement different types of coaching
- understand the effects of uncertainty
Critical analytical ability
Be able to critically analyze everything we hear and see, and be able to see things from different perspectives. It involves training in:
- recognize problems
- understand the meaning of facts
- gather and organize relevant information
- acknowledge misunderstood assumptions and values
- understand and use language with accuracy, clarity and discernment
- interpret data, evaluate evidence and evaluate arguments
- acknowledge the existence of logical relations between proposals
- draw sufficiently reasoned conclusions and make relevant generalizations
- test the conclusions and generalizations that arise
- reconstruct their belief patterns on the basis of new broader experience / knowledge
- make correct assessments about specific things and characteristics in everyday life
Creativity and problem-solving ability
Be more creative and be able to solve problems. It involves training in:
- find hidden patterns
- connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena
- generate new ideas
- find relevant facts
- use intuition and emotion
- be non-judgmental
- understand logical barriers
- question
Empathy
Become empathetic, that is, get to know what it is like to be in other people's situation. It involves training in:
- know the feelings of other people and animals
- understand how other people's feelings affect their behavior
- understand how my behavior affects other people
- understand how other people's behaviors affect other people
Theoretical knowledge
Understand everything related to a sustainable society and much more. It involves training in:
- understand relevant theoretical knowledge
- understand theoretical knowledge in practical terms
- understand how to develop theoretical knowledge
- understand the history behind theoretical knowledge
- understand the consequences of theoretical knowledge
Practical skills
Become more practical, for example in cultivation, nature conservation, crafts, technology, etc. This means training in:
- understand practical skills
- practice relevant practical skills
- understand the implications of practical skills
- understand how to develop practical skills
Conflict resolution
Increase the ability to resolve conflicts. It involves training in:
- understand the causes of the conflict
- listen actively
- understand how the other sees the conflict based on their beliefs, perspectives and attitudes
- understand the other person's feelings
- understand how the other person experiences my behavior
- understand and use different conflict resolution techniques