A Shot Heard Round the World - with Werner Erhard

8/2/2019 A Shot Heard Round the World - with Werner Erhard

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A Shot Heard 'Round theWorld:A World that Works for Everyone

M lnk Rolhko , Untitled, 1960 , oil I ) I ICa/ lm :" 69 " by 50 ", Sflll Fm llci!ico M t l ' / I I 1 I of Mo,il'm Art : {lCt /uim l throug" asil l r M Pt'SSY C uggt'llireim .

"Context is the freedom to be .. I t has no fonn, no place in time;it allows fonn and time."

- Werner Erhard


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This winter and spring, I had the privilege of personallybeing with 28,000 graduates and their friends, and ofsharing this day on film with another 30,000 people. Thesethousands of people invested themselves as well as theirtime, money, intelligence and energy to work on-to cometo grips with-what it takes for people to make a differencein the world.Such an event is unprecedented. We live in a world inwhich a fundamental assumption is that it is futile for an

individual to attempt to have an impact on the world .Clearly, people are now ready to express in commitmentand in action their deepes t desire to create a world thatworks for everyone.This occasion is for me a shot heard 'round the world.

More than merely expanding the space, the meetings were abreakthrough into a new space. This is complete. What willensue is the struggle to manifest it. It is evident that you candeal with the slings and arrows, that you can take thiscontext into life, that you've gotten the sense of your ownpower to determine the purpose and meaning in your ownlife, that you are in touch-in a way you'll never be able todeny-with your own power, the power to create a con textof a world that works for everyone, a transformed world .

Thank you for having the courage, audacity, and heart tocreate as the context for your life that people--you-make adifference. It is my intention to serve you and to ensure thatest as an organization serves you in expressing yourcommitment in the world.


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The Context for Creating a Transformed World:A World that Works for EveryoneA report on the impact of the recent events with Werner

It was the en d of a turbulent andunpredictable decade-one that left many ofus disillusioned about the past, troubledabout the present, and uncertain about thefuture . Fifty Americans held hostage for months intheir ow n embassy in Iran . An entire culture nearly annihilated in

Cambodia . Soaring oil prices threatening the delicatebalance of the world's economy. A widespread an d deepening fear about ourown personal economic futures: What will ittake to heat ou r homes, drive our cars, feedou r families, an d maintain our way of life inthe decade to come?At a time wh en individuals feel powerlessto affect the course of history, it almost seems

a miracle that 60,000 people in 32 cities wouldcome together to discover what it would takefor each of u's to retrieve ou r power to makeour lives count.Making the world work for everyone intimes such as these would seem to requirenothing short of a total planetary transforma-tion, an d the events were about just that.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Thousands of people came together toparticipate with Werner Erhard in the birth ofa context, to discover for themselves ways totake advantage of what was previouslyunthinkable: that we as individuals have theunique opportunity to make a difference increating a world that works for everyone.

In the shadow of humanity 's latestinhumanities , the idea that the world canwork may seem naive and idealistic, yet at theevents Werner, the graduates, and theirfriends shared a tough-minded and practicalnew vision of what is possible for humanity.It is a vision of a world that works for all ofus, with no one an d nothing left out; a worldin which the rules for living successfully arebased on a principle of "you alld me" ratherthan "you or me." It is a world whereindividuals experience their power andpurpose , an d where making a difference is notmerely an idea, but a way of life."You are the beginning of something,"Werner said at the start of the day . And if wewere not yet aware of the impact of his words,none could deny their audacity. The purpose 1980 esl. an edu cationa l corpora tion All Righ ts Reserved

,' -

by Mary Earle and Neal Rogin

CORE poster 1965 Robert Rauschenberg

At a time when individuals feelpowerless to affect the course ofhistory, i t almost seems a miracle that60,000 people in 32 cities would cometogether to discover what it wouldtake for each of us to retrieve ourpower to make our lives count.


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of this event, he said, was nothing lessthan the transfonnation of human l ifethe recovering of our power to determinewha t ou r lives are really going to be abou t,instead of simply responding andreacting, even successfully, to the forcesan d circumstances of life.A world that works. Making adifference. You and me . These threethemes Werner wove through eight hoursof an intense and impassioned presentation. It was a demanding day for theaudience, yet the people present displayed rigorous attention and visibleenthusiasm.Werner's message was meant to"boggle" our minds, to challenge us tobreak out of our old, limiting paradigm,and to create an entirely new structurefrom which to discover the truth forourselves. As we opened ourselves toencompass a radical new way of thinking,we were struck by doubts, arguments, andquestions . The most prominent questionwas, "Well, what do I do?"If we came for answers, we left withoutthem ; because this day, Werneremphasized, was no t about being toldwhat to do, but was about beingempowered to think for ourselves anddetennine our own answers. We cameaway not with an agenda of things to do,but with the experience of a way to be inwhich the appropriate things to do wouldbe revealed .We left grappling with the questionsposed by this new challenge,re-evaluating the basic premises of ourlives, and engaged in discoveringourselves as big enough to take on thisunique opportunity.

An honest look atthe world as it isCheers and applause erupted

spontaneously long before the eventbegan, as people celebrated their joy inbeing together. It looked like a large familyreunion, with friends hugging, waving toeach other across the auditorium, entiregroups standing to applaud other groupsand greet newcomers. The atmospherewas buoyant, expectant.When the presentation began, adifferent sort of mood settled over thegathering . It was a more sober, let's-getdown-to-work kind of atmosphere .

Thousands of people had come to findou t about what had been described as anauthentic opportunity to make the worldwork.This day, Werner said, could transfonnour lives-again. But even more, if wewere willing to create it, today could be thebeginning of a real revolution, atransfonnation of life itself-it could

literally be a "shot heard 'round theworld."But before we could talk about the worldas it could be, we needed to take a long,honest look at the world as it is .

Tomorrow, and tomorrow,and tomorrow,Creeps in this petty pace fromday to day,To the last syllable of recordedtime;And all our yesterdays havelighted foolsThe way to dusty death . Out,out, brief candle!Life's buta walking shadow, a

poor playerThat struts and frets his hourupon the stage,And then is heard no more; Itis a taleTold by an idiot, full of soundand fury,Signifying nothing.

William ShakespeareMacbeth

"Our lives don't give us any indicationthat we make a difference, or thatanything counts," Werner declared . "Infact, we live in a world in which no oneand nothing seems ultimately to matter. Itis a world that works for very few of us .Three-fourthsof the people on this planetare miserable, and the other one-fourthhave so much that they can prove thatthey're not, and are still miserable. In sucha world, we are attempting to livemeaningful and purposeful lives; yet wefail, because we attempt to do so in acondition in which we don't make anydifference."Werner delivered his message with agreat deal of intention-loudly. It wasslightly stunning to confront theundeniable facts of life so clearly, yet therethey were. The implications began to sinkin.Indeed, has there been any indicationthat any of us ultimately have a real impacton the actual quality of life? Even after weput a human being on the moon, did afundamental shift take place in the world?After the public wrench ing of Watergate,even after President Nixon resigned, wasanything really different in our lives? Doany events, major or minor, really alter ourexperience of being alive?Sure, we make progress, and somethings actually improve, Werner noted,but our progress and improvement occur"in the space that's left to us after we havegiven up the idea of ever making adifference."I wish I could take you back to yourchildhood, when you had dreams, when

Sure, we makeprogress, andsome thingsactually improve,but our progressand improvement occur "inthe space that'sleft to us after wehave given up theidea of ever making a difference."

you had visions. Iwish I could move us allback to that experience in childhood whenwe gave up , when we learned not to careso much. Tn a world in which we learn thatwe don't count, we begin to buy into theagreed upon values; we try to accumulatemoney, power, status . 'I f my life doesn'tmatter, then maybe what life is about ismaking myself comfortable or successful.'We organize our lives to hide that we don'thave any impact, at the same time trying toprove that we do. We participate in anunwitting conspiracy, trafficking intitillating inconsequentials, so that wedon't have to admit to each other thatnothing really makes any difference."

And so it goes . Day after day after day,moving, we are told by many, towardapocalypse, the abrupt and finaldestruction of everything, doom sday. ButWerner warned of a danger even greaterthan doomsday: "I see a more probableoutcome, one which will be much worsethan the end of the world . I t is more likelythat we will continue on the way we havebeen, creeping in this petty pace."

If we do not change ourdirection, we are likely to endup where we are headed.Chinese Proverb

This day, Werner said, was aboutdetermining for o u r s e h e ~ , ilzten iol1ally ,what our lives are about--creating a newbeginning for the rest of our lives. Butbefore we could arrive at the beginning,we needed to start by looking at where weare, by examining the unconscious


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Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, Collection ofThe Art Institute afChicago

premises upon which we have based ourlives so far.

The fundamental life principleWerner reported that one of the mostimportant discoveries that had come out ofhis research over the last 18 months wasthe recognition of the existence withineach of us of a fundamental life principle.

Each of our lives, he said, is shaped by abasic principle which we adopt when weare young, and which thereafter determines the scope and boundaries of ourlives. This fundamenta l principle is notwhat we think or feel; rather, it sets thelimits of ou r thinking and feeling . Itshapes our personality, our reactions, andou r expression of ourselves. It is the lensthrough which we unwittingly look atevery aspect of our lives; it is the box welive in.This basic decision, probably formedou t of an incident in our childhood, maybe something as simple as "you must getthe approval of others," whereupon ourentire life is shaped by, seen through thelens of, lived in the box of trying to getother people to approve of us at all costs. Itdoesn't matter that the price we pay is ourow n integrity and selfhood.Other examples of the basic principlethat Werner discussed include "becareful," "you've got to win," "alwaysplay it safe," "you've got to be right," "benice," "don't make a fool of yourself,""you've got to make it on your own," or"don't let anyone think you'vebeen conned."Until we become aware of ourfundamental life principle, recognize that

we are at the effect of it, and take responsibility for it, we cannot transcend it anddetermine for ourselves, consciously andintentionally, a new direction and purposefor ou r lives. If we merely extend ourselves from the past, from what wealready understand, there is no transformation, only more of the same. Thus,life continues in this "petty pace."For a transformation to take place, wemust break out of our old paradigm andcreate an entirely new one. We must thinkin a new way, using w ha t Werner called"the highest function of our intellect"the abi.lity to create a context.

The power of context

Ideas are themselvessubstantive entities with thepower to influence and eventransform life. In effect, ideasare not unlike food, vitamins,or vaccines. They invokeinherent potential for growthan d development and canaffect the course of evolution.Dr. Jonas Salk

Having identified the condition inwhich we live, and having been madepainfully aware of the futility of trying tomanipula te our circumstances in anenvironment in which we are at the effectof forces outside ourselves as well asunexamined assumptions within ourselves, we had arrived at the begirming.

Now Werner spoke with passion about thepower of context to transform life ."Context is the freedom to be. Context isspace. It has no form, no place in time; itallows form and time. In the absence of aconsciously-created context, our lives arecontrolled by the content-the forces andcircumstances of the condition in whichwe live. Once you create a context, thatcontext then generates a process in whichthe content-the forces and circumstances-re-order and align themselveswith the context. For example, if youchoose to shift the context of your life from'I don't matter' to 'I make a difference,' thecircumstances in your life, while they maynot have changed, take on an entirely newmeaning. This new meaning, then, beginsto change the circumstances themselves.Soon the situations in your life begin toreflect that yo u do make a difference."Consciously creating a context allows usto determine intentionally a newfundamental principle for ou r lives. Thefundamental life principle we adopted inchildhood is reactive, unconscious,defensive, immature, and boxes us in topredetermined patterns of behavior.Principles, by their nature, suggest shapesfor things, and are one step down fromcontext. The contrast between principleand context is the contrast betweenshaping and freedom. Context gives noshape; it merely allows shape. The creation of a context allows us to create anintentional life purpose, one that gives usfreedom and true power.The source of context is the Self. Itcomes into being when an individualcreates it within herself or himself. Itcomes alive when each of us says so be it.

"A context is literally created by creatingit. You just need to recognize that youhave the power of context, and then yousimply need to be willing to be responsiblefor creating it yourself, without reason,without the props of evidence-to simplysay 'this shall be.' I have the power of myword in my own universe . I have thepower to determine the context of my ownlife. I give meaning to my life. Themeaning doesn't come from outside. Inmy universe, it shall be that life can workfor evervone."Thatyou make a difference, that therules for living successfully are now thesebased on you and me, that we can live in acontext of the wor ld working for everyone, is literally unthinkable. It is beyond ourpresent paradigm, outside the scope andlimits of the condition in which we havelived. You have to dare to think theunthinkable, dare to do more than merelydream, dare to be responsible for-to bethe creator of-your own world."

Creating a contextThe context which Werne r is proposing

is utterly new, not evolved from the


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process which preceded it. It is not "more,different, or better" than what wentbefore . It is not merely a rearranging of thecircumstances; it is a transformation, anentirely new way of living.Can life be transformed? Can the worldactually support and nurture everyone?Clearly, our history will give us little, ifany, agreement for such a notion . Ou rhistory reflects the old paradigm of you orme . In such a condition, to think that the

world can work is considered idealistic, tosay the least; to think it can work for all ofus is completely naive; to consider thatindividuals make any difference is to bedeluded .

It is obvious, then, that to create thisnew context, one must, as Werner said,"be a radical being, willing to stand onyour own, willing to think for yourself.You can't prove that the world can work orthat you make a difference. There is noproof; there are only results. It takes greatcourage to be committed to producingresults without proof, without credit."This new context, then, representssomething much more radical than arevolution . The nature of revolution hasbeen to destroy and dismantle. It isdirected against something which it isattempting to replace. Transformation,however, does not negate what has gonebefore it; rather, it fulfills i t . Creating thecontext of a world that works for everyoneis not just another step forward in humanhistory; it is the step which will allowhumanity and history to be fulfilled . It isthe context out of which our history willbegin to make sense. The transformationreaches back into the apparent sense-lessness and cacophony of history andgives it meaning and dignity which thenguides an d directs us in the future.

What doesthe transformationlook like?Again, the question arises: What kind of

world might be generated out of thecontext that each of us makes a difference?In the second half of the day, Wernerin trod uced the idea of a you andme world,where winning the game of life no longermeans getting ahead at the expense ofothers.

"Sometime around now-it may havehappened five years ago or fifty yearsago-bu sometime around now, the rulesfor living successfully on this planetshifted. We can no longer hope to livemeaningful, purposeful lives using therules of a you or me world . It's becomingclearer and clearer to those wh o will lookthat in order to live successfully on thisplanet, we must discover and live by therules of you and me ."Clearly, the competition, the manipulation, the hostility, and the struggle for

survival that has characterized our you orme world is replaced in a you alldme worldby cooperation, compassion, harmony,an d love .

"We are not speaking of altruism,"Werner said. "In a you alld me world,when you are successful, whole, vali-dated, an d fulfilled, I win . What is themeaning of concepts such as selfishnessan d altruism when you experience the Selfas all things-as the space in which allthings occur?"In the past, we have maintained a you orme world by sharing our surplus ratherthan sharing the ability to producesurplus. That kind of altruism, those"gestures of good will" have only servedto strengthen the status quo an d perpet-uate a world of "haves" and "have-nots."In a you and me world, true generositymeans empowering people to produce forthemselves.

Thus we need an entirely new way ofthinking, an utterly different se t of rulesfor living. Furthermore, we need to getback in touch with our own nobility,humility, courage, an d compassionqualities which seem archaic to us today,which we are more likely to find in ourlegends an d fairy tales than in our dailylives.In discussing the qualities needed for ayou and me world, Werner pointed outthat what is missing most in people's livesis a sense of nobility-not merely a senseof purpose, bu t as George Bernard Shawdescribed it, "a purpose recognized byourselves as a mighty one ." Being noblepersons possessing a noble purpose is nolonger the exclusive domain of a fewextraordinary individuals; rather it is achoice tha t is available to everyone.To live nobly, to determine for ourselvesthat ou r lives have purpose and meaning,can only be accomplished with the qualityof humility. By humility Werner did notmean a kind of "churchmouseness." It'stough, he said, to give up our idea ofhumility as being shy and retiring and torecognize that it takes real humility to bebold without being arrogant, to intrudewhen intruding is embarrassing. To betruly humble when you are attacked is no tjust to refrain from striking back, but toreconstruct the situation so that the personattacking can win by your winning.It takes true humility to give up figuringout what is merely possible, what can bedone, and to stretch to see what needs tobe done. The arrogant remain safe withinthe scope of what they figure they cansucceed at; only the humble are willing torisk failure, to think the unthinkable, to dothe impossible.True humility is derived from therecognition of the value and validity ofeach one of us , an d from compassion, adeep sensitivity to the plight of all people.Compassion is not sympathy. Sympathyasks nothing from people. True com-passion knows that no one is small, weak,

Transformationdoes not negatewhat has gonebefore it ; rather,it fulfills it.Creating thecontext of a worldthat works foreveryone is notjust another stepforward inhuman history; itis the context outof which ourhistory will beginto make sense.

or insignificant. If you are truly com-passionate, you are willing to ask peopleto stretch to be even more, knowing fullwell the heart, commitment, and self-discipline that it takes for them to expand.

Compassion recognizes the plight notonly of people who are in poor anddesperate circumstances; it also recog-nizes the em ptiness tha t can lie behind thecomfortable circumstances of people whoare successful.Werner spoke of the enormous courageit takes to approach living from a you andme context. It is audacious to create yourlife making a difference in a world thatsays that you don't. It takes a lot of heartopenness to your own magnanimity,compassion for yourself, for your ownpettiness when it shows itself. Even in theface of failure, Werner noted, "you need tobe willing to accept yourself as an evolvingmaster in the issue of making the worldwork for everyone, and to hold thefailures, doubts, fears, and uncertaintieswithin the context that you are evolving inmastery."


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This sumi -e circle is derived from the Sanskrit word "su nyata" (md means "emptiness" or "nothingness" i" Zen Buddhism. It was crea ted by Zal master and calligrapher Yamada Murnan Roshi.

A key to mastery, Werner emphasizedthroughout the day, lies in the willingnessto risk failure . In a you and me world,every failure, every obstacle, is theopportunity for a breakthrough .Transforming failure into breakthrough isperhaps the basic principle in a new set ofprinciples, for it enHvens failure andinadequacy so that they contribute to thewhole.

Operating principlesfor a youand me worldSince we have been raised and educatedin a you or me world, and since very few ofus have noticed the shift to you andme, weare going to have to work out the rules forliving on our own . We won't get muchhelp. Werner did share his ownperceptions of some of the other newrules, or operating principles, for the you

and me context:

1. Respect the other person's point ofview, whether or not you agree withit. Recognize that if you had theirhistory, their circumstances, and theforces that play on them, you wouldlikely have their point of view.2. Consider life a privilege-all of it,

even the parts that are difficult orseem a waste of time .3. Give up the islands that reinforcemediOCrity, the safe places where wegossip and complain to one another,where we are petty .4. Take a chance. Be willing to put your

reputation on the line; havesomething at stake.5. Work for satisfaction rather than forcredit.6. Keep your word . There will be timeswhen the circumstances of life will

make you forget who you are andwhat you're about. That is when youneed to be committed to keeping your

word , making what you say count.Werner spoke at length about a primaryoperating principle of you and me whichhe called "trim abbing"- t he ability to useskillful means, to apply whatever effort isavaila ble to achieve resul ts far grea ter than

you could expect that much effort to produce . Buckminster Fuller coined this termfrom the small trimtab which turns a hugerudder on large ocean-going ships; heuses it to show how a " little individual"can change the course of the mighty shipof state .Trimtabbing implies using the principleof leverage, enhancing individualeffectiveness by applying one's energy insuch a way that it will produce the greatestresults. People become "trirntabs" whentheir lives are oriented beyond theirpersonal desires to supplying what iswanted and needed . They shift their senseof self from the thing which they are to thespace in which life is . Discovering andproviding what is wanted and needed,Werner said, is the key to livingsuccessfully in a yo u and me world.


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Forget about likes anddislikes. They are of noconsequence. Just do whatmust be done. This may not behappiness, but it is greatness.

George Bernard Shaw

Finding out what's wantedand neededFor a discussion of questions arisingfrom his presentation, Werner was joinedby est trainer Stewart Esposito and by BillClements, wh o has worked closely withWerner for several years . When Bill andStewart asked what actions are

appropriate to a you and me world,Werner was adamant that there are no patanswers , no prescribed actions in the newcontext.

He pointed ou t that, usually, unlesspeople have been given a plan, somethingnew to do, something concrete to rallyaround, they think they haven't been told

The Principle of the TrimtabBuckminster Fuller explains thatthe principle of a trimtab comes fromthe fundamental principle of a wingfoil:

Air traveling over the top curvedsurface from (a) to (b) must go fartherand thus is "stretched thinner" thanair going across the bot tom flatsurface. It therefore creates a lowerpressure area on top and sucks the foilinto the partial vacuum. This partialvacuum is known as "lift."

High Pressure

Contrary to popular belief, anairplane is primarily sucked upwardrather than pushed (75% lift, 25%push up).

The principle also applies to thefunctioning of a ship's rudder:

Ship's Keel Rudder

anything important. He deliberatelyrefused to give a laundry list of things todo . The answers, he said, must be arrivedat by thinking for yourself."Once you live in the context of you alldme," Werner said, "it is incumbent uponyou to determine what's wanted andneeded . Determine it yourself and thenprovide it."

Sounds simple . Yet finding out what'swanted and needed can often be moredifficult than producing it. There are noclasses in universities where you can go tofind out what's wanted and needed. In ayou and me world, life becomes theuniversity for discovering the answers foryourself.Seeing what's wanted and neededrequires a special kind of observation. Likethe Zen master who, lookingata cup, seesnot only the cup bu t also the space in thecup, the person who sees what is wantedand needed must be able to see what isn'tthere. What is missing? What, if provided,would complete it?"G o home and see what's wanted andneeded in the lives of the people you livewith," Werner said. "Go back and look tosee what's wanted and needed at work

BowPivot Point

Putting the rudder over lengthensone surface, as with the wing-foil.Low pressure thus created sucks thestem of the boat around the pivotpoint.

B ~ O W ~ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - , ~ ~ a . Pivot Point

Trimtab

Turning the trimtab (a tiny rudder onthe trailing edge of the main rudder)causes a small low-pressure area to beformed, which creates an initialmomentum allowing the main rudderto tu m with less effort in pulling thewhole ship around .Buckminster Fuller says, "When Ithought about steering the course ofspaceship earth and all of humanity, Isaw most people trying to tu m theboat by pushing the bow around ."1 saw that by being all the way atthe tail of the ship, by just kicking myfoot to one side or the other, I couldcreate the 'low pressure' which wouldtu m the whole ship. I f ever someonewanted to write my epitaph, 1 wouldwant it to say 'Call me Trimtab.' "

and in the lives of the people you workwith. The biggest difference you can makeis to enable other people to discover thatthe y make a difference ."Fundamentally, providing what 'swanted and needed means empoweringother people. In Zen, it is said that a hu emaster is knm, n not by the number of hisdisciples, bu t by whether his disciplesbecome masters themselves . To empowerothers is to enable them to discover theirability to master life for themse lves. Trueempowerment is not just sharing the frui tsof our success, but sharing the ability tosucceed ."You know the person you came with?"Werner continued . "Start with them. Findout what's wanted and needed, what voucan do to support them in making a -difference. To contribute to the quality ofany human being's life is to pro\id e the mwith the opportunity to di co\ r that whothey are matters, and they , 00 , cancontribute to the quali ty of peo ple's lives.Once it begins to work , it doe_ n't requireadditional energy . It is s If- enerating. Ifyo u will make it your responsibility tomake a difference in liie, and supportothers in the e, p rience tha t thev make a

OriginsThe mate ' in ' ,.\ \\ ' rid thatWorks for E 'en 'one" comes

directh' fr m \" e"\ rience ofthe thousands of people whohave all \,' me t share soprofoundl ' and in tima tely intheir h es-rrom really being'vvith pe p e and from that, beingable to see \,;hat we are hulyabout. Thi_ includes people with\\'h m I ha\ 'e met, interacted,an \\'orked: it includes thep o ple who have taken the esttra inin ; also the people I havetalked to and worked with on TheHu nger Project; and it includesthe people who supported andcontributed to the work andresearch of Breakthrough Racing.There is no way to name allthese individuals wh o haveallowed me to learn from them. Ican perhaps acknowledgeeveryone, however, by specifically mentioning one we allknow: Buckminster Fuller. Whileno t wishing to imply anendorsement by Bucky, or eventhat my use of the explanation oftrimtabbing precisely representshis work, I do want toacknowledge his great contribution: to me personally, to allpeople, and to a world that worksfor everyone. -Werner


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difference, that's a chain reaction whichexpands geometrically."

Fears, doubts, and questionsClearly, creating a you andme context ina world educated for you or me generatesresistance and "yeah buts." As we grapplewith discovering what is wanted and

needed, we may also find ourselvesconfronting our doubts, fears, arguments,an d questions. During and after the event,the spectrum of reaction to what Wernerwas saying ranged from " It can't bedon e" to"Tell me what to do. ""This is great what's happening here , but10,000 people---even 100,000 people---call 'treally makeany difference in the world. Tire johis ju st too big.""Thewlrole thing is tooabstract. What proofis th ere that tire world call work? He didll 'tprove it to I1 e. He's talkillg about Ilaiveidealis/l1; this is just a big revival meeting .""I t can never happen becall se_ __(Insert "politician s are too corrupt," or"people are inherently greedy ," or anyone ofa thousand other reasons why not.)"Iget th e idea, but Idon 't know Irow to do it,Hm(l do you create a contexf? How do you knowif you 're lIlaking a difference? How do youdecide what 's wall ted alld lleededJ

" It sounds great, but [ 'I l l afraid ['11/ goillg tohave to sacrifice a lot to live tlris way, What do Ihave to give upJ""Why doesn't he tell us what to do?"As the event came to a close, it wasapparent that we would take our doubtsan d questions home with us, that theywould catalyze the process of discovery."This is not somethingyou're supposedto have wrapped up in some nice, neatpackage--that's no adventure!" Werneremphasized . "Adventure is somethingthat keeps you a little uncomfortable andoff-balance. Don't try to get rid of thediscomfort. That is not the intention of thispresentation- that you walk ou t with apa t hand to play . No! the intention is thatyou walk ou t empowered to resolve thequestions of w hat you are going to do withyour life--of what your life is really goingto be about."

If there was one thing we were left with,then, it was that we would have to thinkfor ourselves, generate our own answers,and trust who we are. As Stewar t Espositopu t it, speaking carefully, "I have a deepsense of certainty that I haven't figured outwhat to do tomorrow, but that I willrecognize what to do out of my intentionto do what's wanted and needed. It's nowtime to bring this ou t into the world . It'snow time to get to work. It has never beenas clear to me as it is now that the job isenormous and that the Self that's here isbigger than the job to be done. It is trulythrilling. "

Life is either a daringadventure or nothing.Helen Keller

It had been a long and, at times, arduousday; yet the keen attention and intentionof the thousands of participants indicatedtheir deep commihnent to coming to gripswith what it takes to make a difference inthe world,This day wasn't about getting theanswers. Instead, we would have to stickour necks out, take risks, attempt theimpossible, and above all, allow ourse lvesto make mistakes." I have the sense that some people arestruggling to ge t this right," Werner said."You aren't going to get it right. We areinfants at creating context, and infantsdon't get it right. You have it wrong tostart with, and it's only ou t of having itwrong that we come to know it and tomaster it. I know that a world that worksfor everyone is going to be born out of themistakes an d errors we 've made inproducing a world that works for very,very few of us . I know that it will be builton the ashes and bones of our mistakes .They form the foundation for what comesafterwards. And I know that it won'thappen without people's courage to sticktheir necks out, to be boldly naive, to takea chance, to risk failure . We've got to seethat every failure is an opportunity forbreakthrough- not some crummy littleevolution. A breakthrough! Not some little'day-by-day-creeps-in -this-petty-pace,'bu t a real breakthrough'""It's a game we can ' t lose'" Wernerdeclared, still exuberant after eight hoursof talking. "Step out! Swing out' Take achance! Get on with it'"People jumped to their feet, cheeringan d applauding. Such a response after anintense and demanding day was a clearindication that they were ready for thisdaring adventure .

"Every human being's deepest, mostnatural expression is the desire to make adifference in life, of wanting to matter.This opportunity is not limited to theindividual; we can recognize ourselves atthe level of relationship, community,organization, and society, and have eachof these expressions of ourselves make adifference in life .

"We can choose to make the success ofall humanity ou r personal business. Wecan choose to be audacious enough to takeresponsibility for the entire human family.We can choose to make ou r love for eachother and for the world what our lives arereally about."Except for the clapping and cheering,the beginning of this revolution-this"shot heard 'round the world"-was a

quiet one. The creation of a context is asilent, solitary, and personal act. It makeno noise, yet it resounds through theuniverse. Life shifts, and a whole newarray of options, opportunities, andoutcomes are revealed-if we but look tosee them. If we look through the lens of "make a difference, " we see a whole worldof difference to be made.Humanity is at a point of choice. Therules for living successfully on the earthare shifting. No longer can we pretendthat we are not deeply and profoundlyconnected to everyone and everything.There is only one humanity, and weare itMillions of people are realizing that we areemerging into a you alld me world .Whatever each of us does makes adifference to all of us.

Sometime around now, each one of ushas the opportunity to make a choiceabout what life is really going to be aboutIs it going to be about making it---D rmaking it work? Are we going to continuto keep our visions and dreams toourselves---Dr are we going to bring themto life? Are we going to be buried with oupotential still intact, with our giftundelivered---Dr will we seize theopportunity to live life as if we make allthe difference?

I want to be thorough ly usedup when I die, for the harder Iwork the more I live. I rejoicein life for its own sake . Life isno "brief candle" to me. It is asort of splendid torch which Ihave got hold of for amoment, and I want to make itbu m as brightly as possiblebefore handing it on to futuregenerations.

George Bernard Shaw

For many people, life seems tobe a kind of brief candle-hardly worth living. But forthose who are bold, wh o areventuresome, who have thehumility to deal with what ispossible rather than what ispredictable, Life is an excitingand challenging adventure.Life is no brief candle to me. Ina world that can work foreveryone, especially in whichI can make a difference--thatis a life worth living! That isliving! That is being alive'

Werner Erhard


10/11

Discovering What You Can Dowith the Difference You Make

No w what? What does it take to make adifference in a world tha t says you don't?As you leave this event, you may findyourself excited and elated, anticipating anew way of being in the world, only to findin a few days that your "you and me"enthusiasm is dampened by the hardrealities of a "you or me" world. Whatseemed like an opportunity may soon feellike a burden. The energy and support ofthe people you participated with in theevent may seem inaccessible to you.You're on your own again . .what can onelone individual do?

Nobody said it was goingto be easyBefore you allow any invalidation tocreep in, remember that what we are abouthere is entirely new. No une knows what itwill take to create a world that works foreveryone--no one has a bluepr int foraction-and no one said it was going to beeasy. Similarly, no one can tell you wha t todo. You are the one who will createwhat'snext. You are the only person wh o can

make real for yourself that you make adifference. Only you have the power a t alltimes and under all circumstances to givemeaning an d purpose to your life.Creating the context tha t your life makesa difference-that you have the power tocreate a you and me world, a world tha tworks for everyone--is an action thatrequires daily attention. You may find thateach day, in various situations, you willneed to create that experience newly foryourself, to reevaluate habitual attitudesan d actions learned in the condition of"you or me." Each time you look newly ata situation-to discover what's reallywanted or needed , to find how everybodycan win, to see how you can empower

other people--you are generating thenew context.

Empowering othersThe biggest difference you can makeis to empower others to make a difference. To empower means to give power orability to, to enable. It can seem foolishand sometimes even threatening to givepower to others. Certainly it is difficult.

Can you trus t them? What if they makemistakes, make the wrong decisions, ordon't support you in return?Empowering others demands courage,creativity. and above all letting go of ana ttachmen tt o being righ1. Enabling othersis a function of your willingness to haveeveryone succeed and of your trust that,fundamentally, each of us wants to make adifference. Sometimes it may meanworking behind the scenes, workingwithout recognition or credit, or giving upyour own position in order to makethe whole work. Setting an exampleof workability is the most empoweringaction of all.You can empower others and at thesame time expand the creation of thecontext by spreading the word-gettingout the message of this event. Each day, ina myriad of situations, there are opportunities to let others know that the worldcan work, that in fact we are emerging intoa new era for humanity, an d that each ofus really does matte r in bringing about thetransformation.

What can you do?As for specific actions tha t make adifference, you will need to discover those

within your own realm of activityaccording to your own talents, skills, andinclinations. Each of us has special gifts, aunique contribution to make. The actionneed not be big or dramatic or far-reachingto make a difference. A simple commentcan shift a context; a small deed can tu m asituation around. Discovering what'sreally wanted and needed (includingwhatyou yourself really want and need) is achallenge requiring vision and sensitivity.To be sure, you will make mistakes, headdown the wrong tunnel only to discover(at the other end) that something entirelydifferent was really required. Almostcertainly there will be failures and setbacks, which are always an opportunityfor breakthrough. Persistence is necessary; perseverence furthers.

Discovering your ownanswersIn answering the question "What can Ido with the difference I make?" it isimportant to remember that no one knowsthe answer but you. You have the ability todo your own thinking, to find your own

answers. A good place to begin might beto refresh yourself on some of theprinciples of operating in a you alld meworld that are listed in this booklet,especially such things as trimtabbing, andhow to discover and supply what'swanted and needed. In addition, here aresome questions to guide you in theprocess of your own personal discovery:

What am I already doing that ishaving an impact? How can Istrengthen and expand theopportunities I have to make adifference through my work?


11/11

"While no one wants to be the first to say it, whoeach of us is and the fundamental choices each of usmakes in life seem to matter very little."Even acts of great courage and intelligence, whileadmirable and even inspiring, exist in sharp contrast tothe apparent unworkability of the world at large. Ourgreatest technical achievement, walking on the moon,while galvanizing the world for a moment, did notfundamentally alter people's experience of their abilityto make a difference in their lives and in the world."Sometime around now-it may have happenedfive years ago or 50 years ago-but sometimearound now, the rules for living successfully on earthshifted, and an opportunity, unseen before, began toreveal itself.

"This opportunity is a context - a particular spaceor paradigm, a way of being-which unexpectedlycreates the possibility for a person's life to truly make adifference."In this context, the way each of us answers thequestion, 'What is my life really going to be about?' canliterally alter the course of humanity.liThe possibility to create the context in which

people's lives really matter is undoubtedly the mostprofound opportunity available to anyone, ever."- Werner Erhard

A Shot Heard Round the World - with Werner Erhard

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Transcript of A Shot Heard Round the World - with Werner Erhard