The Village Idiot Studio
“Ashok, I actually think you are far more convincing in your account than the traditional social contract theorists. You have inspired me to expand on your ideas.”
Daniel Clarke-Serret:
Thinker, Writer, Teacher, Fan of Liberal Democracy.
Senior Fellow & Democracy Analyst at the Section 1 Think Tank.
Hi, I’m Ashok. After decades of dealing with very smart and accomplished people, one thing is abundantly clear. I’m an idiot. Only an idiot would try to teach people how to improve their thinking capabilities when everyone- from your TED Talking neighbor to her insufferable uncle- is either a genius or a certified thought-leader. The internet and social media have made us all experts- about everything. This would make for a funny standup routine except that our collective foolishness is also destroying the family, liberal democracy and society itself.
Having spent my professional life as a conflict mediator- trying to rid the world of prejudice, conflict and violence- today my aspirations are far more modest. All I want to do is to inspire ordinary people to THINK BETTER. I am conscious that many are unable to invest time or effort in doing so. If you are amongst them- go in peace and be safe.
Here’s what I have learned from teaching critical and creative thinking capabilities; managing complex disputes; and strengthening democratic practices: It doesn’t take much imagination to imagine and visualize a perfectly equal, just and humane society- any sophomore can envision one. However, it takes a responsible adults to know that: (a) Transforming dreams into reality requires more than imagination, rhetoric, or wishful thinking. It requires political will, resources and the ability to surmount opposition. (b) All dreams, even the most benign, have unintended consequences. Hence visionaries need to know when to stop chasing toxic and dangerous dreams.
Designing, repairing and sustaining organizations for over three decades, here are my: TEN STEPS OF SYSTEMIC COLLAPSE (also known as ‘WAKING UP’):
As someone who has taught creativity since 1988, I deeply respect innovation. However, I am also acutely conscious of the dangers of tampering with complex and time-honored social systems like families, neighborhoods and societies as I am of messing with our life giving biosphere. Human systems take generations of trial and error to settle into place, which is why traditional societies withstand conflict and upheaval far better than modern intentional communities. Unlike homogenous and autocratic societies with clear boundaries and hierarchies, Democracy, Multiculturism, and Pluralism are extraordinarily complex and sophisticated systems that require enormous knowledge, skills and resources to sustain. While most of us want to live in free and open societies- but we don’t realize how vulnerable and hence destabilizing they can be. Similarly, most of us would like diverse races, ethnicities and religions to live in harmony- but we don’t know how to manage their dangerous contentiousness.
12 years of strengthening liberal democracy. 25 years of conflict and diversity management. 35 years of teaching people how to think. Everything I teach comes from hard-earned experience. So, here’s what I do know: it would take an exceptionally well-resourced, mature and relatively homogeneous society to sustain a pluralistic and democratic society today.
