Continuity and Change: Exploring Honor as Synthesis

Hello everyone,

We are joyful to announce our plans to strengthen the connection with the Intergen community and network by offering a more consistent flow of content and engagement opportunities.

As we embark on this journey of reconnection and engagement, I find myself drawn to the concept of continuity. I recently discovered that Japan boasts approximately 19 businesses that have stood the test of time, operating for over a thousand years. 

This nugget of information sparked a deeper reflection on the threads that connect us to our past, our cultures, and the timeless principles that guide us. One such principle that I find interesting and challenging at the same time is the principle of honor. My Japanese heritage brings with it a strong inner experience of honor, yet it is very difficult to translate it into words, concepts, or practices.

This is significant because David and I have been exploring how to effectively embody and make principles more tangible, in a manner that is not only relevant and actionable, but also engaging in a collective way.

With this in mind, I have been inspired by the idea of linking moral principles to concepts that can guide us through times of change and uncertainty. In this blog post I'll focus on one of those principle-concept combinations: “honor-as-synthesis”—and here I am referring to synthesis as defined by Hegel's theory that when two conflicting ideas collide, a superior idea emerges, merging the strengths of both.

To keep up with the times (both in terms of speed and also engaging a key topic of the moment), here's what A.I. shared with me when I prompted it to generate a paragraph unpacking the concept of "honor-as-synthesis":

"Honor as synthesis embodies the idea that true honor isn't merely adhering to a rigid set of rules or blindly following tradition. Instead, it involves a dynamic process of integrating various virtues and values. It's about finding a balance between personal integrity, respect for others, courage, compassion, and a commitment to the greater good."

After reading this response, a few thoughts and questions came to mind as to how “honor-as-synthesis” could have practical applications and practices around it:

• What if...
  • the transition to better futures,
  • the smoothness in our work to achieve continuity, or 
  • a successful transition to new systems without a tremendous loss of life through catastrophic disruptions
    ... depended upon our ability to achieve a synthesis between our past and our present?
    
    
• What if the regenerative, life-giving, ennobling, and uplifting new economy many of us have been striving to build and support would only be possible by honoring and acknowledging what capitalism has enabled, while also striving for a synthesis that engaged all its harshest critiques?
  
  
• What if our personal capacity to honor our past (by practicing synthesis with our present) is a key element to achieving positive impact and change in our current polarized and charged global landscape?

To close this "honor-as-synthesis" ideation, I'll share the additional sentences A.I. generated through my original prompt:

"Honor as synthesis recognizes that situations are complex and require thoughtful consideration rather than knee-jerk reactions. It's a continuous journey of learning, adapting, and striving to embody the best aspects of oneself while navigating the complexities of the world. It's not about perfection but about striving for an integrated wholeness that reflects a deep understanding of what it means to live a life of principle and purpose."

While the A.I. answer may be perceived as a reformulation of a multitude of self-help books and references, I cannot help but be grateful for the many lives, thoughts, and intentions that have been part of my ability to access and read this machine-generated response. I often feel, when using technology these days, that the efforts, information, thoughts, and knowledge of a whole era are now accessible to support the building of a new one. How are we then attentive to the greater synthesis possibility that this tremendous opportunity brings?

This September in NYC we are coming together again in person to explore the questions presented above. We'll be hosting two delegation experiences: one at the Principled Business Summit, focusing on reclaiming deeper principles within capitalism, and another at the Transformative Impact Summit, diving into the excitement and complexities of achieving lasting positive impact in a changing world.

In between these two gatherings, on September 23rd, we're planning a dedicated Intergen activity focused on leadership and collective sense-making (invitation coming soon).

And so we embark on our journey of reconnection, networking, learning, and getting-things-done, since A.I. seems to be accelerating everything whether we want it or not!

We hope you can join us in this invitation to practice "honor-as-synthesis," hopefully together in-person soon.

Until then,
Sofia