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Bateson

Posted on 22nd February 201027th August 2018 By Leo Casey No Comments on Bateson

These days this is my favorite book.

I have blogged previously on one of Bateson’s “Metalogues” – look here to review. Bateson’s metalogues are styled as father daughter conversations.

Here’s another one I would like to consider – this is a short extract from the opening:

Mealaogue: About games and being serious

Daughter: Daddy, are these conversations serious?
Father: Certainly they are.
D: They’re not a sort of game you play with me?
F: God forbid … but they are a sort of game we play together.
D: Then they’re not serious!

Through this conversation Bateson goes on to introduce many ideas about how we “play” together.  The core of this idea is not new – there are always unspoken rules associated with how we communicate.

For me, the most useful question is: “What’s going on here?”.  Ask yourself this question when attending meetings, participating in decisions or even writing (as I am now).  Frequently, we interpret a situation at an immediate and shallow level.  Often, what’s really going on can only be appreciated by interpreting what’s being said along with the unspoken rules of the encounter.

posted by Leo Casey

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Philosophy & Science of Learning Tags:Gregory Bateson

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