Sunday, November 30, 2014

What he was trying to do

In 1959 Bucky Fuller was asked by the Marquis Publishing Company to state "in one unpunctuated sentence" exactly what he was trying to do in life. He responded with a 100-word sentence. That comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with Bucky - especially those who were fortunate enough to see and hear him in person.  Over the years, Bucky refined and rewrote his sentence.  His final 3,000-word version was published in 1976 in his book "And It Came To Pass Not To Stay".  Following is a 200 word iteration that appeared in an issue of Saturday Review in 1962 in response to a request by Norman Cousins. (GW)

What I Am Trying To Do
R. Buckminster Fuller (1962)

"Acutely aware of our beings’ limitations and acknowledging the infinite mystery of the a priori Universe into which we are born but nevertheless searching for a conscious means of hopefully competent participation by humanity in its own evolutionary trending while employing only the unique advantages inhering exclusively to those individuals who take and maintain the economic initiative in the face of the formidable physical capital and credit advantages of the massive corporations and political states and deliberately avoiding political ties and tactics while endeavoring by experiments and explorations to excite individuals’ awareness and realization of humanity’s higher potentials I seek through comprehensive anticipatory design science and its reductions to physical practices to reform the environment instead of trying to reform humans, being intent thereby to accomplish prototyped capabilities of doing more with less whereby in turn the wealth augmenting prospects of such design science regenerations will induce their spontaneous and economically successful industrial proliferation by world around services’ managements all of which chain reaction provoking events will both permit and induce humanity to realize full lasting economic and physical success plus enjoyment of all the Earth without one individual interfering with or being advantaged at the expense of another."

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Wake up call

Back in August of 2006 when I launched my blog "12 Degrees of Freedom", Facebook did not exist.  In fact, many of my current Facebook friends were originally followers of my blog.  "12 Degrees" went into "hibernation" three days before I was sworn in as Massachusetts commissioner of Agriculture (March 29, 2012).  I felt that as an appointed state official is was best to keep my personal opinions to myself.

As you can see, my giant panda friend Max, has awakened from his prolonged siesta.  This just happens to coincide with the election of a new governor here in Massachusetts.

Coincidence?  Who knows?

There's  been no official word yet, though I learned long ago that it's best to be anticipatory at times like this.  Should/when the word comes down that there will be a new commish on the block, I look forward to firing up "12 Degrees of Freedom" again, but with a slightly different format - more experience-based commentary and opinion. I'm feeling a bit rusty, but hopefully will be able to ease back into this.

Hopefully those who found it worthwhile during its first six years will continue to find it relevant.  I am absolutely convinced that the the wisdom, insights and strategies of Bucky Fuller and other selfless whole systems practical visionaries who are committed to building a world that works for everyone will finally capture the public's attention and be embraced.

I will continue to contribute whatever I can toward that goal at whatever table I'm invited to sit at or am able to gracefully crash.  To paraphrase Bucky: "We are all terrific bundles of experience".