Obama wants to create unity in his country and throughout the world, unity and cooperation. He begins his battle against a government policy calls and polarization as a gay pastor at his inauguration to prayer. He celebrates his inauguration for a party where representatives of the most opposing groups to participate. He creates space for differences and will seek trust. Quite obviously he realizes that opposites can enrich and complement.
The crisis was mainly caused by a lack of confidence due to polarization and sharpening of contradictions in the social, cultural, political, ethical and even religious. Without trust and consistency, organizations ungovernable. Obama realizes that.
The power of spirituality is that it lies at a deeper spiritual level creates space for contradictions. At his level, each being unique, every event and every single organization is authentic. Someone from one part of a business is transferred to another department experiences this difference in environment. Contrasts are no impoverishment but an enrichment rather because they are different and can complement and reinforce each other.
A family starts with man and woman, the largest opposition which exists naturally. A family begins with a contradiction of gender and generation of a contradiction, for it is included in an in-laws with parents, grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts. Then there are children, grandchildren, yet another generation with its own identity. Despite all these contradictions is a family is a unit that can sustain life. How is this possible? Opposites enrich each other on a deeper level and they are a force to the diversity of spiritual unity.
That is also the power of spirituality in business, using contrasts to enrich each other and not to polarize. Obama at this point shows the greatness of his spiritual strength to America to make a cohesive unit and therefore the world.
| Kind regards, Paul de Blot Professor of Business Spirituality Nyenrode Business Universiteit |  |
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Dear Mr. de Blot,
Last Tuesday I had the privilege to find myself among your audience during the lecture "Mysticism of doing business" in the Odd Fellow Lodge to Emmeloord.Ik'm so free from your site, a single question in response to this, a question that perhaps that evening too far forward.
Even if you have little or no bustled about, but I could not help thinking that your thinking is very close to, or strongly influenced by the thinking of Levinas.
Question 1.: Or is it that Christianity (since you're Jesuit) and Levinas are essentially very close together, you Tuesday expressed as (paraphrased): "Responsibility for others is the power and essence of life" and as: "There is only one dogma (the Jesuits?): incarnation of God in creation. All other dogmas derived only led to religious wars. "
Question 2: On that account said to you: "If you just somebody helps you humiliate him." Related to this: "There must always be reciprocal and that applies to both doctor and patient-nurse relationship as example (with emphasis on concept of" relationship ") teacher-student.
A statement in Levinas that I never come across. The opposite is stated by him: the responsibility for others is endless and the relationship is inherently asymmetric. So instead of something in the fair congruence of Martin Buber), is in the reciprocal nature of the relationship. On what basis you choose this? Or have I misunderstood?
With interest I see your reaction towards.
Kind regards and thanking you in advance for the trouble
Leen Duivenboden
Leen @ Duivenboden: Thanks for your comment Leen. Levinaz writes about an ethics how God can meet. Martin Buber speaks of love and that is reciprocal. I have both studied and influenced me.
Nice to read and wisdom to see, to experience, to match, enter apply, enjoy, learn and especially with each other can share.
Thanks Paul for us at your beautiful and wise way to alert me to the words of another wise man!
@ Portengen Petra: Petra, thanks for your comment
Tell anyone who polarizeert:
"The World is One"
If everyone does that, he will soon learn
Kalff @ Hans: Hans you're right
Someone who is rigid and stiff, it is easy to unbalance. Someone who is flexible and supple remains intact.
The 81 poems Tao Te Ching of Lao Tse.
QUOTE
Rigidity and power occupy the inferior position;
Smoothness, softness, tenderness and weakness
occupy the strongest position.
Unquote
@ Ronald Molendijk: Thanks for your quote from Lao Tzu: it is very true