On Being Human: A Reflection

Susanne R. Cook-Greuter

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Theresli  4.1942  –  4.2014  

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Wisdom out of the mouths of babes and innocents

Theresli  self-­‐portrait  

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The Human Condition

What we share as humans 1.  The odds of our birth

  Specific social, cultural and linguistic conditioning into sets of values, beliefs

2.  The universal need to matter 3.  Appreciation of Beauty, Excellence and

story

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Ego’s life-affirming function:

  To secure a sense of significance   To create the illusion of permance   To mitigate the fact of our mortality

and possible insignificance given our position in the vast and unfathomable universe.

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On Being Human

  Excellence and beauty   Music, dance and ritual   Storytelling and guided

imagery (fantasy)

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h:ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrfRszXNepo  

Universal appreciation

On Being Human

Differences: 4.  Cultural and linguistic conditioning 5.  Level of ego maturity or vertical

development

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Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer

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