A635.1.3.RB - 21st Century Enlightenment_SharpMelissa

Why do you think the talk is titled 21st Century Enlightenment?

Matthew Taylor (2010) noted that 21^st Century Enlightenment calls for us to see past simplistic ideas of freedom, justice, and progress. I believe that Taylor is challenging us to reconnect to a concrete understanding of who we are as self-aware, autonomous human beings (Taylor, 2010). I also believe that Taylor calls his talk 21^st Century Enlightenment to stress the need we have to focus on who we are politically, philosophically, and spiritually, while fostering empathic capacity (Taylor, 2010). Taylor (2010) stated that empathy is just as important as education; perhaps the idea of empathy over knowledge is 21^st Century Enlightenment.

What does Matthew Taylor mean when he says "to live differently, you have to think differently"?

Taylor (2010) stated that conscious thought is only a part of what drives our behavior; when we understand, we are better able to exercise control and distinguish our needs from our appetites. Our thoughts drive our behavior, this is why we must first change the way we think, if we intend to live differently.

At one point in the video (4:10), Taylor argues that we need "to resist our tendencies to make right or true that which is merely familiar and wrong or false that which is only strange". What is he talking about? Can you think of an example within your company or your life that supports this point?

I think about this often as I consider the discomfort of the unfamiliar. When I am experiencing something new, whether in life or within my company, I am usually uncomfortable at first; however, the new experiences are not bad or wrong, only strange. The experiences are strange because they are unfamiliar to me.  For example, when I began the journey of making important life changes, I was very uncomfortable, even though the changes were good. Because I was used to unhealthy familiar behavior, the familiar behavior was my truth. However, when implementing healthy habits, the newness felt wrong because it was unfamiliar to me.

Taylor argues that our society should eschew elements of pop culture that degrade people and that we should spend more time looking into what develops empathetic citizens. Would this be possible?

I believe that it is possible to avoid elements of pop culture that degrade others; however, we have to choose to avoid degrading elements within our culture. Overall, I think it is difficult for people to stop supporting individuals, brands, and companies even when these individuals or organizations, degrade others. However, in an effort to embrace empathy, many are speaking against elements of pop culture that are degrading. Therefore, I think is possible to pursue empathy while avoiding elements of culture that damage others.

At the end of the video, Taylor talks about atomizing people from collaborative environments and the destructive effect on their growth. What are the implications of these comments for organizational change efforts?

No matter the organization, there has to be a leader; good leaders provide guidance, vision, support, focus, and boundaries. However, leaders cannot survive alone; the effectiveness of an organization requires the efforts of all members. Organizations without collaborative environments, risk destruction. Organizations are able to grow and change when leaders are open to collaboration. Collaborative environments foster growth in that leaders and followers are able to learn from one another; additionally, collaboration can produce trusting environments. For example, when I was a part of ERAU’s Training Employee Council, I heavily relied on the support of my team. We were tasked to build training curriculum for new ERAU employees, and we knew that we could not work individually, even though we were assigned individual sections. Collaboration was imperative, and through collaboration, we learned to trust one another, especially when we needed to communication negative feedback. Because we build a network of trust, through collaboration, we led with empathy.

What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your career?

I want to resist my tendency to make true that which is merely familiar and false that which is only strange (Taylor, 2010). Of all of the insightful topics discussed, I chose this quote because it speaks to my career change fears. I have been working at ERAU for approximately 10 years; career-wise, I basically grew-up at ERAU. My growth as an employee has been unending; I have been challenged; I lead and train others; I know the policies and review them; I am a student…I am ERAU. I jokingly say, “I am ERAU” because I know that my identity is not in a company; still, the fear of changing careers is very present. So, as I think through changes I want to make, I will remember to resist the tendency to make false what is only strange; some changes are only strange, not bad.

Additional Insight

Taylor (2010) said that if we want to be happier, we just need to have happier friends, not self-help books.  Over the last few years, I’ve been taking a closer look at my friendships. In doing a friendship inventory, I realized that some of my friendships negatively impacted me; however, it was difficult to recognize my friends’ negative influences because I care about them and I wanted to help them.  However, had to start considering my emotional health and time; when I started thinking about myself, I created healthy boundaries in my friendships. When I embraced friendships that brought mutual joy, I had more joy.

Taylor, M. (2010, August 19). RSA Animate: 21st Century Enlightenment . Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo&feature=youtu.be