This essay,
Easy Listening,
is the sequel to
Two By Four Tap.
It's now become very obvious (especially to those who've been
around Werner's work
for more than a few years) that we've surpassed the
critical mass
in transformed listening, which allows transformation and
transformed communication
and
conversations
to be listened effortlessly and easily. Often, when I overhear
arguments and debates about this, I hear it said that the current
iteration of
the work of
transformation
has been rendered gentler and a lot less confrontational. It's as if
there's been a re-thinking, a re-assessment, a re-write
(if you will) of how transformation is delivered, of how the
confrontational approaches of the past have been reworked to make them
more palatable, more attractive, more sale-able. That's tantamount to
the tail wagging the dog.
I would agree that the presentation of
the work of
transformation
today, is less confrontational than it was when it first boldly burst
onto
the world
stage nearly fifty five years ago. And yet I don't place too much stock
in the notion that
the reason
why the presentation has been reworked is to render it more palatable,
more attractive, more sale-able. And just so that we are clear here,
even if
the reason
were to render it more palatable, more attractive, more sale-able, I
wouldn't have a problem with that. I'd have no problem with
the presentation of
transformation as a business.
Both require skin in
the game.
The earlier, more confrontational approach was appropriate to its time
when a transformed listening wasn't yet
present
on
the planet,
as it is today. Indeed, the actual notion of whether or not it was a
"confrontational" approach to transformation, is in
question.
True, the earlier approach may have
occurred
as confrontational to some, when in reality it was just what is was,
whatever it was, without any accompanying assertion or justification
that a
transformative
approach had to be confrontational in order for it to work. When
people's
hearing becomes diminished, we speak louder in order to make ourselves
heard. Speaking louder is
a service
to them. If there aren't impediments to their hearing, speaking louder
will not be necessary. It's whatever the listening calls for.
I'll bet
good money
that whatever happened in the evolution of
the work of
transformation,
that's what accounts for the seemingly easier approach in the script in
later years. These days we no longer have to shout so loud because
people's
hearing is impaired, or because the very new ideas and distinctions of
transformation are
resisted.
Today the advent of transformation itself and its acceptance by
thousands and thousands and millions of
peopleworldwide
has ensured it. The latter-day gentler approach hasn't got anything to
do with making it more palatable, more attractive, more sale-able.
When
a child
plays too close to the traffic for it's own good, we'll shout for it to
be mindful. Once it has learned that lesson, it's no longer necessary
to shout so loudly or as often.
There's
one final thing
which I'd like to not overlook. Even if the earlier presentations of
Werner's work
did occur as confrontational, oh my: what grand, spectacular theatre
they were! Especially for all the shy meek church mice
people
who
participated
in
Werner's work
way back then, what an eye-opener that confrontational approach was!
What a
marvelousdemonstration
by example of the awesome power of
Self-expression
which all
human beings,
even the shy meek church mice ones, have at their disposal! So
consider
this: it wasn't
the work of
transformation
which was reworked in order to make it more palatable, more attractive,
more sale-able. It was your listening for it that got easier. Then its
erstwhile confrontational delivery was no longer necessary.