Positive Proverbs

A post on a complexity sciences listserve I read today ended with paraphrasing this proverb:

"At home, me against my brother. In the house, me and my brother against our cousins. In the village, me, my brother, my cousins against our neighbors. Outside, me, my brother, my cousins and our neighbors against the whole world."

It got me thinking about the assumptions from which that quote was created...and what it would take to change the word against to with throughout that proverb…and what if that was the basis of the paradigm we lived in the world? Instead of the assumption of fending for ourselves, or fending together against a larger reality, what if we enter the world from an internal construct of being with the larger reality at each level - self, brother, cousin, village, whole world. My thoughts immediately went to improvisational theater - the ultimate with-centered practice - and to yes-and.

Yes-and is the most famous improv guiding principle (and, for all of its simplicity, one of the most misunderstood principles). No matter where on the planet you take improv theater workshops, you will learn this concept. It means you accept a reality that is given to you and then you add something new to it. Not just any piece of random information. You add on specific information that builds upon that first piece of information. It is not just accepting (which is the "Yes" part) and it is not just adding something random new to it - it is adding something that acknowledges what was given, and furthers that story along.

In thinking about yes-anding (which I do quite frequently as I believe we live in an ultimately yes-anding universe, but have gotten a bit muddled up in a no-butting state of consciousness - a story for another time), I think we should develop a new series of proverbs and sayings that reflect a yes-anding, generative approach to life instead of the fear-based "me/us-against-the-world" developmental paradigm upon which so many of our old proverbs and expressions are based. In other words, proverbs that even reflect the positive side of human nature. After all, studies in creativity and the brain have shown you get more of what you reinforce and Positive Psychology seeks to find and expand what works - to "understand and build the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive."

Activity

Positive proverb development makes a good team building and improvisation group activity . Get groups into 3-5 people and have them come up with a positive proverb. Option: Have them do it with each person saying one word at a time. Another option: Have them do it specifically around words of wisdom for their team or organization.