Jack Hunter O'Dell
Education & Reflection Center
Creating Peace Strengthening Democracy
Reflection:
All
around the nation and the world individuals and organizations work tirelessly
for the betterment of society and humanity. In every community in the
nation people sacrifice time and energy to worthwhile and just endeavors.
Still, the conditions that make society and humanity increasingly in worse
shape-poverty, racism, war and violence, over development and environmental
destruction-continue to expand. If so much good work is happening in so
many places why isn't society and humanity improving?
Several answers apply to this question. Most of them, however, fit under the response, "We, the people, do not consistently and effectively inform our actions through disciplined reflection." In short, our actions are mostly reactions, not tied to our visions and values but tied to our emotional disgust at the situation.
Even progressive and so-called good folks in the United States generally consider reflection as antagonistic to and opposed to action. This position disempowers us by its general refusal to study the levers of power and to develop within ourselves as individuals and within our organizations personal and group power. Appropriate reflection provides everyone who seeks to improve his or her self, society and humanity with the fuel necessary to empower people and organizations.
The survival of peace, justice, hope, love, and community depend on our ability to reflect. We must utilize reflection with the purpose of humbling, balancing and deepening our ability to build a better world and develop a higher more noble self. Reflection develops the inner realm, while simultaneously deepening our interconnections to the rest of the world. Social transformation cannot happen without self transformation, our physical and moral courage has to develop along with ideological development.
Development
of the Whole Person
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Reflection and action are two elements of a single,
well-lived personality.
Action without reflection is disempowering and arrogant.
Reflection without action is weak and anemic.
Reflection does not prove our action,
but rather our action proves our reflection.
