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ANDlightenment: Polarity Thinking, from Self to Society
This is a simple book with a powerful idea, that seeing and leveraging polarities can change our lives and our world. Shifts happen when we see two ideas and recognize them as interdependent pairs. Polarities serve a higher purpose when they are integrated - like Performance AND People, Stable AND Dynamic, or to Challenge AND Support others.
Managing polarities is one of the best tools we have for managing complexity and thinking more expansively, i.e. to look for a larger purpose and an integration of ideas. What is unique about this book is the buffet of polarities offered for exploration, from ones we deal with internally, when partnering with others, in organisations, and across society.
Polarity thinking helps us be better dancers with ideas and people, in our interactions, meetings, etc.
Carl Jung reminds us of the larger purpose for this book and other explorations of polarities, when he articulated the potential energy that exists for every level of the system, from the intrapersonal all the way out to the “The greater the contrast, the greater the potential. Great energy comes from a correspondingly great tension of opposites.”
Managing polarities is one of the best tools we have for managing complexity and thinking more expansively, i.e. to look for a larger purpose and an integration of ideas. What is unique about this book is the buffet of polarities offered for exploration, from ones we deal with internally, when partnering with others, in organisations, and across society.
Polarity thinking helps us be better dancers with ideas and people, in our interactions, meetings, etc.
Carl Jung reminds us of the larger purpose for this book and other explorations of polarities, when he articulated the potential energy that exists for every level of the system, from the intrapersonal all the way out to the “The greater the contrast, the greater the potential. Great energy comes from a correspondingly great tension of opposites.”
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2024
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January 21, 2026The writer O'Loughlin quotes : If you are seeing a polarity or a paradox, then your frame is too small".
But it will be idealistic or ignorant if I don't see that people and systems and the world is polarised . This books aims to give us the bigger frame and to have practical ideas and processes to work that frame to include differing views.
The starting point is crucial. You are not asked to solve the problem but first invited to self-check the being - the person in me - one could be confident and yet must work on being humble.
The chapter on managing polarity as a leader has good useful leads - managing task and relationships - the leadership of driving hard with a soft touch (Max DePree).
Challenge a person with the same vigour, support him
Be candid but also be diplomatic.
This book invites you to a bigger frame.
But it will be idealistic or ignorant if I don't see that people and systems and the world is polarised . This books aims to give us the bigger frame and to have practical ideas and processes to work that frame to include differing views.
The starting point is crucial. You are not asked to solve the problem but first invited to self-check the being - the person in me - one could be confident and yet must work on being humble.
The chapter on managing polarity as a leader has good useful leads - managing task and relationships - the leadership of driving hard with a soft touch (Max DePree).
Challenge a person with the same vigour, support him
Be candid but also be diplomatic.
This book invites you to a bigger frame.
Displaying 1 of 1 review