Conversations For Transformation: Essays Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

Thank You For Playing

Alston Park, Napa Valley, California, USA

June 3, 2019

This essay, Thank You For Playing, is the companion piece to Invitation To Enroll.

It was written at the same time as Snake V.

I am indebted to Paul Roth who inspired this conversation and contibuted material.

Except for a few enlightened Zen masters, if you ask people why they do something ie if you ask them why they do whatever it is they're doing, you'll almost always ie you'll almost invariably get a because followed by a reason. "Why do you do this?". "Because ... (this reason).". "Why do you do that?". "Because ... (that reason).".

This particular paradigm ie this particular concept has never fit the doing which is the writing of these Conversations For Transformation. "Why do you write these Conversations For Transformation Laurence? Do you write them because ... (this reason)?". "No, that ain't it.". "Do you write them because ... (that reason)?". "No, that ain't it either.". "Well ... then why do you write them?" (the implication here is there's gotta be a because and a reason). "Like this: I write these Conversations For Transformation to write these Conversations For Transformation" is what I say. And if you insist there's gotta be a because and a reason, then try "I write these Conversations For Transformation because I write these Conversations For Transformation" - or even more pointedly, "I write these Conversations For Transformation because this is what I do" (all three of these variants are examples of Self-referential answers ie they're tautologies in which the thing is defined in terms of itself).

So I write these Conversations For Transformation to write these Conversations For Transformation. That's it. And that's all. There's no because. There's no reason. And there's no ulterior motive. It's very Zen (and I'm clear some people won't be ready for a Zen answer). Once I've written each essay then pressed [PUBLISH], followed by [SEND] to distribute the e-mail announcement, it's all over for me. It's complete.

I'm clear there's value which goeswith taking this approach (as Alan Watts may have said). Secondarily, the value is it allows people, at their leisure, in their own time, at their own pace, to taste transformation. And look: this is only a taste. It's only a pointer to the real deal (if you will). In transformation, the written word is always and only an approximation of the real deal. The authentic milieu for real-deal, thrilling, alive transformation, is always and only the face-to-face spoken word. With all that said, and with all that taken into due consideration, primarily the value of these Conversations For Transformation is they expose people to Werner and the work.

It's a natural concomitant of writing these essays (which is to say it's included in their creative DNA) that they're taken out into the world. Transformation's like that. Without any because, without any reason, it's just like that. Transformation taken out into the world goeswith the territory (as Alan Watts may have also said) of being transformed. You and I already got that. We play on, but we already got that. So to create a review, I invited people to participate in this process again newly.

On Thursday May 30, 2019 I made the following request to one thousand five hundred people plus worldwide by e-mail, asking for their input, inviting them to play.

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

Thank You For Playing

Alston Park, Napa Valley, California, USA

June 3, 2019

Bardessono, Yountville, Napa Valley, California, USA
Thursday May 30, 2019

Hello!

I'm Laurence.

I'm inviting your suggestions of ways to expand my Conversations For Transformation's website's readership.

Currently, the principle ways in which people discover these Conversations For Transformation are (in no particular order):

• random keyword googling which connect with metatags in the website's code;

• e-mail announcements of new essays;

• X announcements of new essays;

• referrals / sharing by current readers;

I'm fresh out of more ideas for additional ways to expand.

I've wondered if there are user-group bulletin boards with overlapping interests to which I could post announcements. I don't know.

I've wondered if there are user-group e-mail distribution lists which I could join. I don't know.

Please share your ideas with me.

Thank You for Playing (really).

Thank You for Your Listening.

Thank You for Your Relationship with Werner.

With my Love and Respect,

Communication Promise

E-Mail | Home

Permission

The responses were immediate, varied, intelligent, and generous. I've implemented many if not most of them. And I'm staying open to the rest of them. I'm careful not to favor any one specific platform. I'm aware that websites which are optimized to work well on smartphones, will be non-starters for technical luddites who still access the internet with a dial-up modem and an IBM OS/2 PC. The simplest code works on the most platforms, even if it doesn't promote the prettiest displays. I'm careful to invest my time in what I do best, which is writing Conversations For Transformation and recreating Werner, rather than expanding my skills as a webmaster.

Oh: I ongoingly request to be linked from other websites. In the process I've discovered that websites from which it may seem obvious to request links, have integrity guidelines and policies governing who and what they link (as they should). Similarity of content doesn't ensure a request to be linked, is accepted. For example, you can't go to the movies with a hand-held projector and assume it's OK to project your own film on the screen, even if there's some overlapping similarity in its content.

The most effective suggestions came in the form of offers from people who stepped up to link my Conversations For Transformation website from their social media pages: X, Instagram, Facebook et al. I calculate these new links have resulted in a 15% uptick in views of this Conversations For Transformation website since I extended the invitation. Given transformation in its essential form is a personally shared context, being shared via readers' social media and face-to-face spoken word, is the most appropriate way for these essays to be taken (further) out into the world. So if you've taken this on, I thank you. I experience it as a very personal gift.

You are invited to share this website freely with your family and friends and colleagues and associates.

Thank You for Playing.

Thank You for Your Listening.

Thank You for Your Relationship with Werner.

With my Love and Respect,

Communication Promise

E-Mail | Home

Permission