Is Terrorism a Purpose-in-Life Pathology?

It's a challenge for most people to find deep purpose and meaning in today's secular, superficial consumer society. Some people turn to traditional religion, and a few find extreme, simplistic solutions to their maladaption and meaninglessness.

Strap a bomb around your waist and join the divine by flicking a switch. Your life, although over, has suddenly become meaningful. This is the ultimate in instant gratification, however perverse.

Telos is the Greek term for purpose, and teleology is the study of purposeful behavior. Is the modern terrorist a teleopath? Someone who is pathologically disturbed in the purpose-in-life department?

Learning, self-organization and meaning in life

A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak to a group of Danish consultants who teach project management. They wanted input on principles and criteria for better educational practice: How can we become even better at teaching project management?

I suggested that since the modern konwledge worker has turned life itself into a project, we need to teach project management in a way that mobilizes people's sense of meaning in their lives.

Facilitative democracy

Facilitation is a way of helping a group of people make decisions. But isn’t this what government is all about: Making decisions that apply to a group of people? In particular, isn’t this what we understand by democratic government: The people makes its own decisions?

Let’s elevate facilitation to a form of government, just as democracy and autocracy are. So, facilitation is not just one of many management techniques, it actually represents a major way of governing people.