active collective memory

The constant interactions and influences within a local community/tribe can be understood as an active collective memory. Each time a member demonstrates a serving behavior, and it is recognised or witnessed by another, that aspect of the collective memory is reinforced.

This is a living memory, continuously flowing between members of the community. It is not something that is stored somewhere or written in a book. It’s a richness that emerges through moment-to-moment interactions. It is what makes culture possible.

Because this memory is interaction-based, it cannot be hold by any one person alone. It is also too rich to be held by one. This poses a challenge for me when trying to implement new complex of behaviors on my own. Without the reflection of these behaviors from those around me, I lack the outside-demonstration of what I aim to cultivate. Consequently, there are no external reminders or triggers to prompt me to take similar actions.

As a result, I must prompt and remind myself continuously. This feels like juggling too many balls at once. It takes tremendous energy to keep them all in the air, and inevitably, most end up falling while only a few remain airborne. Eventually, I pick up the dropped ones, but then others fall, creating a repeating cycle. Progress is made, but it's slow and inefficient.

Where we are going—a constant interaction with the "WE"—from it will arise a richness that is far beyond what we experience today.