Werner Erhard speaks to Kennedy School students

[wasquemv]

Very interesting...Alignment with Eli Goldratt's Theory of Constraints is strong ... The achieve of greater performance (goal units) is Effect-Cause-Effect Categories of Legitmitate Reservation Necessary and Sufficient How to Overcome Resistence to Change Give me a lever long enough I can change the world. Show me how you measure me... You will see how I behave. Transformation <- c( "Pot of Gold", (Desireable Effects) "Alligators eating my (Undesirable Effects) "Inertia - (ripoff effects)

[dallaselectras]

This is great. It's all made up. The conversations about Government and etc....When we challange our "Belief System." Everyone get's upset. Why? Because we question the "Hidden Agenda." Believer there is one. Look and Listen. What do you hear? Do you believe it, and why?

[jhamien920]

Thank you for the upload. Very nice talk. I learned.

[peoplestandup]

I did est/forum in 1983 it made diffence in my life and help hope meet others!

[dallaselectras]

I took these programs from 1991 to present. He is amazing. Altered how I veiw the world and reality. I will forever be grateful that he graced this planet. Thank you Werner Erhard

[ronaldkaplan]

I have to say that this was very disappointing, particularly in speaking to a school in management. It seems to me all he was saying in a round about way was that the exterior world is a projection of our interior world ie: that "there is here" in our perception. Not how to transform perception either in the internal world or external world to enhance our performance, or how to reprogram neurolinguistics to improve our performance or that in others, and overcome obstacles to improve performance

[9fierce9]

I completed the est training in 1982, almost 30 years ago. It was in San Franciso, with about 260 others, and because Erhard had reached a point where the training was catching on to so many, he was there speaking and monitoring and doing an open assesment, so as to "re-think" it for the future. At that time, he was launching the "hunger project" and addressing world hunger had a priority for him. I remember what a great experience this whole thing was, and amazed at the complete transparency.

[madgame1000]

change the way you see the world and the world will change for you - 1hr in a nutshell. Ive been to landmark forum and the advance course.

[upcycle]

@madgame1000 seems that is the basic idea of New Thought from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Creating r3ealities. I think the ideas in some religous literature.. like the idea of "Faith moves mountains", is similar in notion of what you think becomes your reality.

[MissChikki777]

This guy is a little off.... he thinks the world is perfect the way it is? With murder, rape, violence, etc.? This world is NOT perfect.. that's for sure.

[ytcarol]

@MissChikki777 No, he is really always talking about YOU and your life. That is the only way to receive what he says.

[billyjo1881]

@MissChikki777 You have to understand context. The world is happening the way its happening and its always happening the way its happening and in that context is how you hold it happening perfectly, so as to not be at the effect of the way its happening , thus be cause to make a differnce.

[braindeadhick]

I am amazed that people insist that this is a " cult " .yet they don't understand what he's saying , admit that they don't understand what he's saying and insist that their lack of understanding is part of the "cult " because it causes their mind to "go numb " .Rule of thumb : If it's intellectually rigorous and invites you to view it critically - it's not a cult . If you don't understand something it's not because they are trying to make your mind numb . It's cause your'e stupid

[EKSTREMIST571]

He knows what he is doing. He knows us better than we actually can understand. I did the choaching. Here he is just saying. You should try how it looks in practise. Than you are impresed...

[oharamike]

Important ramifications here for reconciling Eastern and Western forms of massage and building newer models for bodywork sequences that deliver. The Western view is shackled by causality, and Eastern theory still boggles the Western mind which is addicted to logic. I could listen to Erhard speak for days or even weeks on end, and I imagine that Heidegger could have as well ;-) As with a hefty Russian novel, I'll have to plow through this thing at least three times.

[rapologistic]

@oharamike, I found listening to "Werner Erhard speaks to Kennedy School students" with a concern of my own in mind made it be useful.

At first I checked it out as "a talk", "just checking out" a famous guy and the material and found it excruciatingly dull and theoretical.

THEN I re-listened to it through "how might what is being presented make a difference in a specific performance concern I am actually grappling with which is important to me, and the experience was profound.

[billyjo1881]

@rapologistic ...Powerfull observation. Thank you for sharing that.

[chapmode]

Great thought! Gives tremendous freedom for creation and possibilities.

[scablands0325]

BigBishop1 - est was not a cult, nor is Landmark Education - as for being associated with a religion - ridiculous! Scientologists would say they are a religion unto themselves! est and Landmark are not now nor were they ever associated with any religion.

[captainbuttsable]

@scablands0325 Anything that demands unconditional trust based on their own concepts is a cult, which is a religion.

[jennaview]

@captainbuttsable And anything using a phenomenological methodology that demands ones own awareness of life as it is actually lived is not only not based on trust, it is the antithesis of trust. You have it backwards my good captain. Go read what is being presented at SSRN, or spend the time to actually watch this video.

[valderp1]

@captainbuttsable, one of the most fundimental things in the Landmark Ed courses is "do NOT believe what we're telling you, we've made it all up". Really. It's not to be taken as "truth" or "right" (or "wrong" for that matter). It is, in general, presented as a way of looking at the world; a point of view for you (for for me) to check out or "try on". Always free to toss it out if it doesn't empower you or give you any access to what you're dealing with or what's really important to you.

[BigBishop1]

scientology is catholic as est is methodist both cults

[gopherandme2]

I will second what MouseHandWarmer said. Werner and EST changed my life for the best. j.

[tisharooney]

There is only one Werner. I will always be a stand for for this amazing Man and the committment he is to "making a difference in the lives ot others....I felt this way the first time I took EST in the 1970's and my volunteering and participation through the 90's ....and I still say "Werner is the BEST" ~~~: )

[jimtsutsui]

The thing about listening to Werner Erhard speak, is to know that as he is speaking you are listening to a first, layer. Often my experience is when he speaks, most of what he says I will not get until 10 years from now...

[billyjo1881]

@jimtsutsui I couldn't have said it better. Took me years to get what Werner was communicating. Now its up to me to make a difference in life with what I got from listening Werner. Or not.

[bloke334]

Waffles a tad. My summary is:

Traditionally performance comes down to you and your environment.

(skip to 1:04)

A better model: If I want to alter my actions I look at three questions:

a) How does what I'm dealing with occur for me?

b) How does the environment which I'm dealing with it occur to me?

c) Including: How do I appear for myself in dealing with that?

and it works really well. When things aren’t going the way you’d like them to go just try it out.

Thanks for listening.

[javierriverodiaz]

Brilliant

[Ramonecan]

His presentation is killed by power point. Sad. I saw him almost 23 years ago and he can do a lot better than this.

[doorshape]

@Ramonecan, what do you see is missing from this You Tube clip , the presense of which would make it work "a lot better" for you?

[billyjo1881]

@doorshape Nothing

[entinmeredith]

Werner Erhard double talking trying to explain something....maybe he got

that spiritual health is putting other people first and is trying to

figure out how to make money at it...

[talkinghead22]

@entinmeredith He has already put a lot of people before him and made a ton of money doing it. They are not mutually exclusive...

[MouseHandWarmer]

Intention, Purpose, Actualization, Transformation. His influence lives for those of us whose lives he has touched. I am forever grateful. He puts himself out there for us all. Thanks Werner. Good seeing and hearing from you again.

[timetriage]

Fascinating conversation!

[rcvip1963]

*it's like the matrix, only born of our limited functionality of language and how ineffectively we use it i.e., say=do=be? or be=do? or say=be?

what's more powerful? the open question or getting a simple answer?

[AlecEmpire]

@rcvip1963

The simple answer nominalize a process and freeze-frame it as if it is a non-changing thing - therefore useless.

[doorshape]

@ritter89

What you are saying is a view that inevitably comes up in the face of presenting new ideas. Erhard is not the first to have his ideas called "Gobbledygook". There will always be attempts to lead the tribe backwards and re-enforce the familiar existing and old ways of thinking and quiet or marginalize any voice that does not make immediate easy sense. Tall poppy syndrome.

[ritter89]

Wow, this guys' clueless. He's butchering the English language and using terms and theories out of context. Seems like his goal is to keep his "theories" abstract and intangible so that they can never be tested or challenged. Jack of all trades, master of none. Gobbledygook dressed up as self help and 'cutting edge' science.

[lleabow]

@ritter89 C'mon man. This is what he does. He doesn't think any of what he is saying is "cutting edge" or "science". He is just talking, man. This guy has impacted lives by doing the thing he does: talking with an intention. It's the Theater of the REAL, and it helps. Just hush.

[EnricCirne]

That language leads to creation is a form of Platonism. For Plato there were other worldly, eternal Forms that were transcendant to reality. Language as creating reality is a derivation of Platonic Forms or Platonic Idealism.

[hangingtube]

@EnricCirne

Werner Erhard's presentation seems to be refering to language (at least in part seems to be) the way blind deaf Helen Keller spoke about the imact of langauge on her and what getting allowed her to do and create fir herslef that she could not do before she had langauge.

[jamespro95]

I think there should be a law. It's the law of 'reciprocal simplicity' - (i'm just making this up as I type along). But the law is this: the complexity of the topic should be communicated using the clearest of language. (or simpliest if that's a word) The more difficult the idea, the simpler the language used to explain it. To use complex language to explain a topic that is complex is just inviting the listener to interpret what they will. Would Werner agree or disagree with this?

[gunnarMyTube]

You might skip to 28:20 and still be in good shape. 33:14 gets things going. This builds on the insight that language is the access to creation. And thus in a broader sense the access to effectiveness and performance.

If you listened to his old 80's cassette tape "Creation - a matter of distinction" it's all there. And just as valid today. Where you are a clearing for things to occur. Language begin to shape/move the circumstances. He is repackaging old work. But it is just as valid here.

[blankstructure]

Took some sticktoitiveness but it was well worth watching, briliant!

[rainmon]

I did the training in 1984, never got to see Werner in person but Ken Anbender lead my training and it was a incredible experience.

[Zatahdin]

The man is a true genius and like all geniuses few are understood. Again, he makes a contribution from his beingness and having existed. A real difference maker on this planet. Few can match that......

[jamespro95]

I didn't get it. I have to admit I have a lot of problems with the talk (I can hear you guys saying "he doesn't 'get it'"). He seems to stay on those generalities (abstract nouns) and never descends to specifics - examples that help to clarify his points. He uses words/concepts like: ontological, paradigm, epistemological, Cartesian dualism, constraints - these are abstract ideas that cry out for explanation and integration with his central topic on performance.

[tworedlines]

Werner Erhard appears to be a person who has done his homework and wrangled with this subject for a lifetime. I hear what I would call "mastery" when I look at this video and this person.

Thank-you for posting this HarvardCPL.

[RajeshSethi99]

I really got what he meant by performance. I got how I actually can proactively influence my performance by distinguishing and altering how things I am dealing with occur to me, the environment in which I are playing occurs and how 'I' in relation to what I am dealing with occurs to me. Got awesome insights and real and powerful 'access' to performance.

[aikiroots]

I is the performance happening in the space/clearing which is the context of the self through languaging....

Still transforming!

[transfixedtornado]

50:00 onwards.. wow, he still goes into Werner mode! 2009! :)

[theyounggroupinc]

This is great. I can say without a doubt that my life was transformed when I took the est training in New Jersey 1978. Klaus Hilgers (RIP) introduced me to Werner and I am forever grateful.

[dek2000utube]

So great to see Werner in action again....Does anyone have recos for other Werner material on the web?

[tisharooney]

I spent many years of my life supporting the work of Werner. I would do it all over again given the opportunity. You learn distinctions. To listen in to not simply hear. He is a Master in the world of making a difference.

[tisharooney]

Thirteen years of my life committed to the work Werner created was such a gift. And "getting it" was so very clear, like my hand, like a promise, like a chair...My gratitude to this man and his life work is unlimited.

[iptvrs]

WE is in US!

[hereisnobody1]

Werner knows NOTHING intimately! Or rather, he IS NOTHING completely! And as any brilliant mathematician can tell you, NOTHING IS FORMALLY IDENTICAL TO EVERYTHING!!

[transfixedtornado]

@hereisnobody1 sounds like a confusion induction to hypnosis/mind control

[jamespro95]

@picassostrash

That's an adaptation - a behaviour that is selected for that is adaptive or increases the chances of survival for that organism (and it's genes) - fear is a great communication device - the organism listens, blood pumps, eyes open - so that it is ready for action and to take in information about it's environment - like where to scramble to. I think transfixedtornado maybe saying: "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck - then it's a duck."

[jamespro95]

@picassostrash

Now we're talking about automatic behaviour, unconscious reactions, Langer's mindlessness etc. But I think this misses the point entirely - transfixedtornado had said "sounds like a confusion induction..." I was making light (light jab) of your focus on 'sounds-like' - I think you took it too literal. The issue is whether the pattern of 'confusion induction/hypnosis/mind control' is an issue and whether Werner uses some of the characteristics of that - intentional confusion etc.

[kalanidreams1953]

This is Werner!  He will make you think.

[nondualityexpression]

Brilliant, pointing to Source outside the everyday interpretations ... I am unashamed to say I love this guy!