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      %INTEGRATIVE FOCUS PERSON COMMUNITY DICHOTOMY 911103

     To be people and communities of integrity  we need to
focus  our  attention upon integrative  realities.    What
kinds  of realities can be integrative realities?

     We may err  in thinking that some  kinds of realities
cannot  be integrative realities.  We may err in  thinking
that  only certain kinds of realities may  be  integrative
realities.

     Our  errors may  originate in our preoccupations with
other  than  personal  and  communal  integrity.   We  may
traditionally   have    focused    our    attention   upon
dichotomies   such   as:   good/evil,         right/wrong,
acceptable/un-acceptable,                should/shouldn't,
respectable/un-respectable,           permitted/forbidden,
conformal/non-conformal,   etc.   Given  our   traditional
dichotomous   preoccupations   there   are certain   kinds
of realities which have been the focus  of our attention.

     Dichotomies  have  to do with disintegration,  and so
the kinds  of realities upon which dichotomies have tended
to  focus   our   attention---as   often   as   not    are
realities associated  with disintegration.   To focus  our
attention  upon  integrative realities which may  well  be
new  to  us---we  need  to focus our attention upon a  set
of  realities which  include many new realities which have
not  been   the focus of our attention while we have  been
preoccupied  with traditional  dichotomies.   Thus we need
to let go  of  our exclusive  preoccupations with only the
kinds of realities which  have  in the past been the focus
of   our  attention because of our focus upon  traditional
dichotomies. We need to let go of our exclusivities.

     It  is  not  enough to consider issues  of  integrity
and disintegration  while  focusing  our  attention   upon
our traditional preoccupations. Using integrity as a basis
for  re-classifying   the   realities  upon    which    we
have traditionally focused our attention is not enough. We
need   to   be   more   inclusive   in  what   kinds    of
realities  we consider as potentially integrative.

     In   dichotomous  systems   of  classification   many
idealists  have    rarely   looked   with   favor    upon:
spontaneity   creativity,     authenticity,     affection,
honesty,    truth,  sexuality,   sensual pleasure,   hugs,
touching,  intimacy, etc.     In  dichotomous  systems  of
classification   many  idealists  have often  looked  with
favor   upon:    discipline,   conformity,    appearances,
propriety,  respectability,  facts,  thinking,   symmetry,
repetitious,  objectivity,  distancing,  etc.    Idealists
within  dichotomous systems are biased  as  regards   what
kinds  of  realities are appropriate foci  for  attention.
We  need to transcend the bias of  dichotomous  idealists.
We   do   not   need  another   dichotomous   system    of
classification  of the realities which are the traditional
foci of attention of dichotomous idealists.

     Some of what  we have regarded  with  disfavor may on
occasion merit favorable consideration;   and vice  versa.
Yet is is not  as  simple as finding in what instances  we
need   to reverse our sense of favor and disfavor;  for to
believe  it is  that  simple,    is to remain trapped in a
pattern   of  dichotomous    thinking.     We    need   to
transcend   our preoccupations with dichotomies.

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