Greg/About E-mail communications

[Guest guest]

 

Gregory Goode [goode]

Wednesday, February 28, 2001 12:18 PM

;

About E-mail communications (was: pattern of

higher attunement)

 

 

Hi Harsha and Lobster and others,

 

That's right, e-mail communication does deserve care and consideration.

One one hand, it's evanescent. On the other, it's archived for years on

various servers. E-mail is a medium I've been using since 1982 with

varying degrees of skilfulness. I like to:

 

-treat what others write as confidential, even if it's sent to a list.

-treat what I write as public -- who knows where it might end up?

-never make something personal unless saying something positive.

-listen with kindness and openness and care

-give credit to others, acknowledge their concerns

-if writing a criticism, direct it towards a position or

concept, not a person or their supposed motive or state or

experience or conduct.

-use AHIMSA!! Here's a relevant example, which applies to

*e-mail* but, as Bruce-ji might be able to attest, not necessarily to

all forms of published communication, such as magazine articles:

if there's a choice between saying something in either of two ways, either

(a) clever and biting, or (b) pedestrian and bland, opt for the latter.

-don't catch the disease of "teacheritis," thinking that I can

speak to another person as though they came to me for deep teachings!

 

There is a set of standards I like, borrowed from the intro message to the

Groups' "Dharma-Direct" mailing list, about "right speech":

 

1. Is it the truth?

2. Is it fair to all concerned?

3. Will it build good will and better friendships?

4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?.

 

Ideal Guidelines:-

 

1) If it is not truthful and not helpful, don't say it.

2) If it is truthful and not helpful, don't say it.

3) If it is not truthful and helpful, don't say it.

4) If it is both truthful and helpful, wait for the right time.

 

Love to all,

 

--Greg

 

Greg-Ji, this is fantastic. We should all print it out and post it on our

monitors! :-). Very beautiful and practical as well.

 

Love to all

Harsha

[Guest guest]

, "Harsha" <harsha-hkl@h...> wrote:

>

> Gregory Goode [goode@D...]

<SNIP>

> -treat what others write as confidential, even if it's sent to a

> list.

> -treat what I write as public -- who knows where it might end up?

> -never make something personal unless saying something positive.

> -listen with kindness and openness and care

> -give credit to others, acknowledge their concerns

> -if writing a criticism, direct it towards a position or

> concept, not a person or their supposed motive or state or

> experience or conduct.

> -use AHIMSA!! Here's a relevant example, which applies to

> *e-mail* but, as Bruce-ji might be able to attest, not necessarily

> to

> all forms of published communication, such as magazine articles:

> if there's a choice between saying something in either of two

ways, either

> (a) clever and biting, or (b) pedestrian and bland, opt for the

latter.

> -don't catch the disease of "teacheritis," thinking that I can

> speak to another person as though they came to me for deep

teachings!

>

<SNIP>

> Love to all,

>

> --Greg

>

> Greg-Ji, this is fantastic. We should all print it out and post it

on our

> monitors! :-). Very beautiful and practical as well.

>

> Love to all

> Harsha

 

Hello Harsha and HarshaSatsangers

 

I would like to add one additional guideline:

 

- NEVER ASSUME (or you make an ASS out of U and ME). If in doubt, ask

for clarification.

 

Many email disagreements can arise out of making incorrect

assumptions about another's meaning. I could be falling out of my

chair laughing when I write something and you would have no way of

knowing this. If you assume I meant something negative and reply out

of anger, a war of words can quickly develop. This is especially

important on a list such as this where English is not the first

language of some (many?) of the participants.

 

Love Bob