My meditation today
vinlyn
Colorado...for now Veteran
Today I spent some time in my meditation thinking about former members of our forum who voluntarily left. I miss some of them, including a few who had very different viewpoints on issues than do I. And when I thought about why they left, it usually came down to the tendency of most groups (this has been researched in the field of group dynamics) to have a tendency to move toward "a small(er) tent" as time goes by. It's all good and well to stick to principles, and we all ought to have them; but it is another thing to think that everyone must share our specific principles. That's where the big tent becomes smaller and smaller.
I watched this happen to the Republican Party brand from the 1964 convention on, as the more liberal Eastern establishment Republicans became pretty much extinct, to the point where most former-GOP-presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, and perhaps even Reagan himself) couldn't be nominated in today's Republican Party. There was an article in the press just last week about how the Republican Party is literally gradually dying off. And why? Because it has become a smaller and smaller tent. I see this trend, also, as I look at various religions here in the United States and see more and more splinter churches that preach their own smaller tent philosophy. We certainly see it in Islam.
I'm not talking about any one particular issue that we discuss here. The phenomenon -- in general -- is alive and well in this forum. And we all ought to shine our light on our own thinking to see when we contribute to that smaller tent scenario.
None of us has THE answer. Hell, if one of us did, we wouldn't be hanging around an online forum.
Comments
Not disagreeing with what you said, but in addition I think specifically in online forums there is SO much competition that people frequently sign up, start, and then just kind of forget about it. Or they dabble in a topic and move on. Some places people fit in and some they don't.
There are users I miss as well, though some keep up with the topics and just don't post, so I do PM with a few of them who are not active anymore but are around.
I certainly don't have answers! Just when I think I might have an answer (for myself, no one else) it usually changes anyways
Is a smaller tent necessarily a sign of exclusion or segregation though? or is it a sign of specialization as things get more refined? I certainly don't want anyone here to feel excluded, but I'm sure some people also leave for boards/forums that are much more specific to their tradition and interest. Also, big tents get really dirty and smelly, fast
Interesting, @vinlyn. Thanks for sharing, something to think about for sure.
Interesting post, @Karasti.
With every voice lost, another perspective is lost. Not all perspectives are of equal value, of course, but the fewer perspectives we have, the less we all see.
Yes, I agree. The more sharing of differing perspectives, the better for all (generally, anyhow). I guess I see both sides. Some of us prefer all those different perspectives. It is how we learn to challenge our habitual thinking patterns and beliefs. That's what I look to do the most. But other people don't, and some of them prefer to focus on some very specific ideas or teachers or traditions without the conflicting viewpoints of people who are so varied. I can see why a board like this is hard for those who like to be very dedicated and focused-it can be very confusing to get so many viewpoints on one small topic. For myself, I have a draw a line somewhere between my viewpoints on the world and how Buddhism intersects with them-which is most of what I do here-and my specific practice driven by myself, my teacher and my sangha. I don't talk about that so much here, because for me to not go crazy, I have to keep them separate.
I also shy away from specific teachings and try to keep things 'general Buddhism' for some of the reasons mentioned in the OP. If your talking political...then...it goes without saying that some ways of life/thinking attract certain political leaning folks...I don't think that can be helped. We are welcoming, kind people here to newcomers and I would like to think we don't personally insult any stand outs. Healthy debates are good....for any group. We all have minority check marks in one catagory or another...I think we are supposed as Buddhists see past that...even during and after heavy discussions...especially politics. AFA the republican party...sorry..nothing to add there. Not sure of the inner workings.
@vinlyn
Hmmm. A smaller tent..a smaller vehicle..Where have I heard that before?
The folks gone, who I miss, often expressed some reference before going that their evolving attachments to their participation here was the reason they were moving on..
Perhaps their best teaching's to date.
and new participants fill those gaps with new insights as the wheel continues to turn.
for me I am having less interest in the forum but still enjoy.
@vinlyn Big tents-small tents ....A lessen in impermanence "The impermanent nature of all things"