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 %REFLEXIVE OPEN HONEST DIALOGUE COMMUNAL INTEGRITY 890606

     Reflexive  dialogue  is  essential  to  personal  and
communal integrity.  Yet,  reflexive dialogue is inhibited
by   the   preoccupations  of  a  compulsively   objective
community.    Reflexive  considerations are  essential  to
making wise decisions,  but compulsive objectivity diverts
attention away from such considerations.

     Reflexive  considerations make reference to  people's
own welfare:  physical, emotional, psychological,  social,
economic, political, spiritual, sexual, intellectual, etc.
It  is impossible to be objective about one's own  welfare
or the welfare of those near and dear to oneself.  Most of
the   practical  considerations  of  life  are   reflexive
considerations; not objective considerations.

     If   a  compulsive  preoccupation  with   objectivity
inhibits  open  and honest reflexive dialogue,   then  the
members of a community can not be well informed about what
is  essential  to their personal and  communal  integrity.
Compulsive  preoccupations  with objectivity can  lead  to
neglecting      communications     regarding     reflexive
considerations; and/or to communicating in misleading ways
about  reflexive  considerations.   Both  the  absence  of
reflexive information and misleading reflexive information
will inhibit wise decisions and actions.

     Needless   to  say,   reflexive  communications   are
inherently  reflexive  in nature;  perhaps more  reflexive
than  the content of the communication.   Communication of
objective  facts  which pertain to  personal  welfare  are
reflexive communications;  e.g., a communication about the
imminent  death  of one of the communicants.   So  also  a
communication  of  an  embarrassing  subjective  piece  of
information  is  reflexive  in  character.    Compulsively
objective    people   often   pretend   that   all   their
communications  are objective in character;  by pretending
that their content is purely objective and by avoiding the
more  embarrassing/reflexive  contents.    Thus  scholarly
writings  tend  to avoid confessionals,  and other  highly
reflexive  writings.    Writings which are  confessionals,
testimonials  and  highly reflexive in character  are  not
regarded as scholarly; for scholars aspire to objectivity.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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