{"id":14,"date":"2023-10-02T22:22:28","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T21:22:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/?p=14"},"modified":"2025-05-03T20:59:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T03:59:24","slug":"intro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betterplaces.blog\/?p=14","title":{"rendered":"Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Humorous mural near Ibsen’s former home in Grimstad, Norway. A lovely town where we also raised our children. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A political party–it’s like a sausage grinder; it grinds all the heads up together into one mash, and then it turns them out, link by link, into fatheads and meatheads!<\/strong> The struggle for liberty is nothing but the constant active appropriation of the idea of liberty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\nAn Enemy of the People, Henrik Ibsen, 1882<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The angry and loud from the left and right extremes scream their “values” at each other in the spirit of competition. Depth of ideals be damned, as they toss memes and soundbites over the front lines like grenades. Ideas at these flanks are weapons of war as they grow ever more deeply entrenched in their camps, filled with fear and reinforced with various conspiracy concoctions. Meanwhile, the quieter middle, the true silent majority, lowers its voice out of weariness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the use in pointing out that we all have more in common than not? We all are humans; behind the fear, we have the exact universal Maslovian needs. Who does not value freedom, equality, inclusion, spirituality, safety, or love? Priorities may differ on different sides of the spectrum, but this is often the product of seasons. Americans prioritize freedom, for example, how Scandinavians do equality or war-torn nations safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been my unique experience to have traveled between worlds. Yes, I said it; I don’t mean between dimensions or galaxies, but perhaps between worlds separated by more than geography or physics. The worlds I have experienced were separated by fear, ego, or forces of bias handed down to us by thousands of years of evolution. And honestly, in a historically divided time, it seems far more accessible to bridge dimensions or galaxies than simple ideologies. But I believe that I have found a few tools along the journey. Bridges even that I have had to discover to link the worlds and the people that I love to each other. It is for this reason that I write. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I think only by building bridges can we find harmony and perhaps live in Better Places. All of these tools have one thing in common: they reach below the fear, below the priorities born out of ego, and competative ambition, to what we have genuinely and universally in common as a species: needs, values, and humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What are these worlds of which I speak? Like most people, I suspect I have found myself in surprising places throughout my life. A Talking Heads song from my youth called “Once in a Lifetime” comes to mind. The melancholy song starts by describing a feeling better than I can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n


And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”<\/p>Talking Heads, 1980<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, I have found myself in so many strange and unique places. I have been alone, unsheltered, hungry, afraid, depressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, and defeated. I have also been loved, inspired, supported, seen, heard, and respected. I have found myself in close proximity to royalty and poverty. I have traveled the world in the Navy and experienced combat operations and peace-building. I have worked with people in many countries. Over my life, I have called myself an independent, a conservative, a libertarian, and a progressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not mean to brag. Every one of us travels metaphorically, ideologically, spiritually, if not geographically. I imagine we all have those moments when we feel unqualified for our situation or destiny when the universe simply throws us something or somewhere we could never have supposed. My point is that my journey has been mine. I have walked these paths, met these people, and loved these particular humans in these various worlds. It has long tormented me that they did not always love, much less respect, or perhaps see each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is where I will be assertive and maybe speak louder than most of my fellow silent majority members because I honestly believe I have found some answers in my travels. I hope to find more because I have also tested these tools and seen them bring people together based on common universal (human) values over situtational priorities. The tools I will share in this blog represent the best of the worlds I have traveled. I will endeavor not to scream louder than the flanks because those people are too often deafened by fear, but rather to whisper gently and with empathy to my compatriots in the center with the hope that we can grow from there and out and perhaps reach people with love before the screams of fear draw them further into entrenchment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tools that I intend to share on this blog include but are not limited to NVC (nonviolent communication), Hygge<\/em> (a Danish term that has equivalents in other cultures), Friluftsliv<\/em> (a Norwegian word for naturalism), Teal Cultures<\/em>(a term represented by the Dutch writer Fredric Laloux), Maslow’s Theory Y<\/em>(the ideas expressed in his late works on transcendence) and various spiritual and metaphysical nuggets I have found. Please do not fear; these are my treasures and souvenirs collected from my journeys. I will offer them with my memories, take what you like and leave the rest. I won’t shout them at you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Et politisk parti \u2013 det er som en p\u00f8lsehakke; den maler sammen alle hodene til en gr\u00f8t, og s\u00e5 spytter den dem ut, lenke for lenke, som fettknoller og kj\u00f8tthuer! Kampen for frihet er intet annet enn den konstante, aktive tilegnelsen av ideen om frihet.<\/strong>
\u2013 En folkefiende<\/em>, Henrik Ibsen, 1882<\/p>\n\n\n\n

De sinte og h\u00f8ylytte ytterfl\u00f8yene p\u00e5 venstre og h\u00f8yre side skriker ut sine \u00abverdier\u00bb i konkurransens \u00e5nd. Idealenes dybde ofres, mens de kaster memer og slagord over frontlinjene som granater. Ideer blir v\u00e5pen i en krig, stadig mer inngravd i frykt og konspirasjoner. I mellomtiden senker det stille flertallet \u2013 den egentlige majoriteten \u2013 stemmen av tretthet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hva er vitsen i \u00e5 p\u00e5peke at vi har mer til felles enn vi ikke har? Vi er alle mennesker; bak frykten har vi de samme universelle, Maslow-inspirerte behovene. Hvem verdsetter ikke frihet, likhet, inkludering, spiritualitet, trygghet eller kj\u00e6rlighet? Prioriteringene kan variere avhengig av hvor man st\u00e5r i livet, men det er ofte et produkt av sesonger. Amerikanere prioriterer for eksempel frihet, slik som skandinavene prioriterer likhet \u2013 eller krigsherjede nasjoner trygghet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Det har v\u00e6rt min unike erfaring \u00e5 ha reist mellom verdener. Ja, jeg sa det \u2013 ikke mellom dimensjoner eller galakser, men kanskje verdener adskilt av mer enn geografi og fysikk. Verdener adskilt av frykt, ego eller fordommer formet av tusener av \u00e5r med evolusjon. \u00c6rlig talt, i en historisk splittet tid virker det tidvis lettere \u00e5 bygge bro mellom galakser enn mellom ideologier. Men jeg tror jeg har funnet noen verkt\u00f8y p\u00e5 veien. Broer, til og med, som jeg selv har m\u00e5ttet finne for \u00e5 koble sammen de menneskene jeg elsker \u2013 og verdene de tilh\u00f8rer. Det er derfor jeg skriver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For jeg tror at det kun er gjennom brobygging vi kan finne harmoni \u2013 og kanskje leve i bedre samfunn. Alle disse verkt\u00f8yene har \u00e9n ting til felles: de n\u00e5r forbi frykten, forbi egoets prioriteringer og konkurransens drivkraft, og ned til det vi faktisk og universelt deler som art: behov, verdier og menneskelighet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hvilke verdener snakker jeg om?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Som de fleste, mistenker jeg at jeg har befunnet meg i overraskende situasjoner i livet. En sang fra ungdommen, Once in a Lifetime<\/em> av Talking Heads, kommer til tankene. Den melankolske teksten uttrykker det bedre enn jeg kan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Og du kan finne deg selv boende i en liten brakke<\/em>
Og du kan finne deg selv i en annen del av verden<\/em>
Og du kan finne deg selv bak rattet i en stor bil<\/em>
Og du kan finne deg selv i et vakkert hus, med en vakker kone<\/em>
Og du kan sp\u00f8rre deg selv: Vel, hvordan havnet jeg her?<\/em>
\u2013 Talking Heads, 1980<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Jeg har virkelig funnet meg selv i mange merkelige og unike steder. Jeg har v\u00e6rt alene, uten ly, sulten, redd, deprimert, utmattet og knust. Jeg har ogs\u00e5 v\u00e6rt elsket, inspirert, st\u00f8ttet, sett, h\u00f8rt og respektert. Jeg har v\u00e6rt tett p\u00e5 b\u00e5de kongelige og fattige. Jeg har reist verden rundt med marinen og opplevd b\u00e5de krig og fredsbygging. Jeg har jobbet med mennesker i mange land. I l\u00f8pet av livet har jeg kalt meg selv uavhengig, konservativ, libertariansk og progressiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg sier ikke dette for \u00e5 skryte. Hver og en av oss reiser \u2013 metaforisk, ideologisk, spirituelt \u2013 selv om ikke geografisk. Jeg tror alle har \u00f8yeblikk der de f\u00f8ler seg malplasserte, n\u00e5r universet kaster noe p\u00e5 oss som vi aldri kunne ha forutsett. Poenget mitt er at reisen min er min. Jeg har g\u00e5tt disse stiene, m\u00f8tt disse menneskene, og elsket disse spesifikke individene i ulike verdener. Det har lenge plaget meg at de ikke alltid elsket \u2013 langt mindre respekterte \u2013 eller kanskje engang s\u00e5 hverandre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Derfor snakker jeg n\u00e5.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her vil jeg v\u00e6re tydeligere og kanskje snakke h\u00f8yere enn mange andre i det tause flertallet, fordi jeg oppriktig tror at jeg har funnet noen svar i mine reiser. Jeg h\u00e5per \u00e5 finne flere. Jeg har ogs\u00e5 testet disse verkt\u00f8yene \u2013 og sett dem bringe mennesker sammen, basert p\u00e5 universelle (menneskelige) verdier fremfor situasjonsbaserte prioriteringer. Verkt\u00f8yene jeg vil dele i denne bloggen representerer det beste fra de verdener jeg har reist gjennom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeg vil fors\u00f8ke \u00e5 ikke rope h\u00f8yere enn fl\u00f8yene \u2013 for de er ofte d\u00f8ve av frykt \u2013 men heller hviske mildt og med empati til mine medmennesker i midten, i h\u00e5p om at vi kan vokse utover og kanskje n\u00e5 mennesker med kj\u00e6rlighet f\u00f8r fryktens rop drar dem dypere inn i skyttergravene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Verkt\u00f8yene jeg deler her p\u00e5 bloggen inkluderer, men er ikke begrenset til:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n