As you may might conclude, using the Schematic is not easily explained in one page Posts. But you will get a brief understanding of it and how it works. As a learning device1, the Schematic offers a workable antidote to the “fragmentation” that David Bohm2 writes about in his book, On Dialogue. Fragmentation occurs because of the misunderstandings about the beliefs people hold for any topic. Dialogue, as Bohm defines it, exposes beliefs and assumptions that individuals may have. When they are not exposed, misunderstanding occurs leading to fragmentation in the dialogue. Because fragmentation can occur very easily, the methodology of the Schematic requires Sustainability Teams to diligently examine their beliefs and hidden assumptions. The Schematic answers that most pragmatic of all questions, “What works?” by exposing unproductive beliefs and their underlying assumptions that will eventually undermine social stability and defeat social sustainability.
Using the Schematic and the practices of disciplined dialogue give Team members opportunities to compare and reframe erroneous beliefs and assumptions. If you are examining the sustainability of a topic with one or two friends, you will find as you work through the Schematic that you probably have the same values for that topic, but your beliefs are different. It is at this point that the “fragmentation” of discussion will make further discussion difficult or impossible. This is the time to ask, “If we have the same values for this topic, what brought us to believe so differently about those values?”
At this point of the discussion begin an examination of the origins of your differing beliefs. Simply arguing that you are right and the other person is wrong in their beliefs is not productive. But by examining how and when you learned the assumed (hidden) beliefs and then comparing those assumptions will help you clarify each other’s beliefs.
Revealing hidden assumptions is the best way to eliminate “fragmentation” as Bohm calls it. Working the Schematic this way will teach you how to have much more intelligible conversations in everyday life. You will be able to help yourself and others discuss a topic more rationally than ever.
1 Senge, Peter M., The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Performance of the Learning Organization.
2 Bohm, David, On Dialogue