In sports and in life, CONNECTION is as important as everything else put together.
We find ourselves heavily reliant on technology based connection that encourages us to align our thoughts to the point we connect by playing fixed parts in a fixed sum of the parts.
Because our failure to do our fixed part stops others from getting the fixed sum parts, it becomes selfish to want to do anything elss other than our fixed part. Disrespectful to decline an opportunity to play a fixed part in the fixed sum of parts. Arrogant to question the group's agreed-upon fix sum of parts. We lose awareness of there being anything else other than making sure we don’t stop everyone from accessing the fixed sum of parts.
This connection feels hollow, empty, because we connect as if we are machines. It leads to stagnation; we don’t know why we keep engaging in a repetitive cycle of familiar actions, even when we realize they are ineffective.
We fix this by putting all attention onto the connections that only humans can have, only in face-to-face interactions. These are connections that create something greater than the sum of parts, a phenomenon known as *Gestalt*. We observe one another’s actions, wait to see what happens, and then we step in to present a previously unseen alternative just as someone's option begins to diminish. This dynamic interaction cultivates a deep sense of connection, as we move into the unknown believing we can accomplish anything together. We feel more human.
But, when we put our attention back onto doing a fixed part so that we don’t stop everyone involved from getting the fixed sum of parts, we lose awareness of what else is possible. If we don’t keep practicing Gestalt, our technology-based connection will return us to connecting as though we are machines.
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St Albans and surrounding areas - not for profit - community events
All-ability adults play Basketball (1)Sun 01 MarWatford- Older adults and adult beginners play Basketball (1)Wed 04 MarLoreto College, St Albans
Conversations to break stagnated connectionTue 17 MarLocation is TBD
Late paymentThu 31 DecAL3 5LH
All-ability adults swimDate and time is TBDLocation is TBD- League-level BasketballDate and time is TBDLocation is TBD
Our
Story
A Journey Through Connection and technology
In the 1990s, I was tasked with pinpointing the elements of human connection that could be effectively integrated into an innovative online collaboration platform known as Lotus Notes, as well as identifying those that could not.
I classified the forms of connection into two categories: measurable and immeasurable. The measurable connections are for aligning thoughts so that people connect by playing fixed parts in a fixed sum of the parts. These were moved online. The immeasurable connections could only be done face-to-face and involved creating something greater than the sum of the parts, described as Gestalt.
As the Internet and Google began to rise, I shifted to using my connection skills to assist struggling technology projects on the verge of failure.
After that, I dedicated my efforts to helping young individuals with Autism forge joyful connections. It appeared that the autistic brain recognized the presence of a Gestalt connection; they desired it and needed it, yet found it challenging to access. Teachers attempted to create pathways to a Gestalt, but the young people often interpreted these pathways as rigid parts to play within a fixed sum of the parts. As a result, the more they tried, the more they felt rejected. Consequently, I discovered how to offer an immersive experience of Gestalt. It turns out that young people with Autism can learn to connect to a Gestalt when they truly experience it.
Today, I see how our heavy reliance on technology for connection is making us all too comfortable playing fixed parts in a fixed sum of parts.
The ability to connect to create something bigger than the sum of the parts is a crucial life skill of the 21st century
St Albans, UK
SkillsofWow.org is the governing body for those who coach the skills of Wow.