Writing the Books
The Referrals
The Contemporary Wisdom Strategies you can read about in
the books are derived from stories of people and couples living wisely. I call them
the "Wisdom Makers." The Wisdom Makers™ come from different
communities and walks of life on all parts of the planet. The referral process
adds an exciting element to this project and to the books: a very public, community,
convergence of thought about what wisdom looks like in our world today. Please
visit the referral page to meet some of the Wisdom Makers and to refer
a person or couple you know.
Folk Views of Wisdom
You will notice that I don't offer you an "official" definition
of wisdom. Instead, I ask you to use your own good judgment, drawing on your
internal theory of wisdom. I trust this process because as ironic as it sounds
(given the bewilderment of scholars and philosophers as they puzzle over the
definition of wisdom), most people indeed know wisdom when they see it. I trust
your good judgment. Besides, the goal of Wisdom Out is to uncover a contemporary
story of wisdom as it emerges through the multiple voices of ordinary people
in the world today, not to prove a preconceived notion of ancient wisdom.
No One Has Ever Looked at Wisdom in Couples Before Now
Books abound about how to save or divorce-proof your marriage. But never before has wisdom provided the entry point to understanding great relationships. Just as most of us seem to recognize wise people when we meet them, so too do we recognize couples who seem to be wise as a result of the alchemy of their relationship. Why not talk to those wise couples and find out how they make their life together work?
The Narrative Interview Process
Wisdom Out presents Contemporary Wisdom Strategies™ which have been rendered
from the stories of people and couples nominated as being wise and combined with
insights from the vast stores of literature about wisdom. Interviews of the wise couples will also be videotaped.
Story
The only way we see wisdom is to hear the story of "what happened." "Story" provides
a frame through which the wisdom in a person's life is made visible.
Through story we come to understand what started it all and how the person felt. We see the driving motivations
and desires, the antagonistic forces, the crisis, choice, loss and
the redemption.
Qualitative Discovery of the Contemporary Wisdom Strategies™
If what you are after is absolute truth, qualitative discovery is fraught with
trouble – this is especially true when interviewing romantic couples! Narrative analysis is undeniably subjective and is both a burden and a privilege to any author. For what the protagonist thinks to tell, and what the author chooses out of that to write about, are both unavoidably influenced by each of their lives so far.
What I promise is to listen well, suspend my assumptions, and serve as a conduit
and translator for the wisdom that emerges.
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