We all need to enter the central garden

The “central garden” is Juanita Brown’s metaphor for the place where we come to discover and realize something about dialogue, meaning making and collaboration.¹ It’s the place where we can reach an understanding that lies beneath methods and practices. The field of dialogic practice is massive, well researched and well documented,² and the literature is filled with the importance of relational and sense making work.³ And still, dialogue doesn’t have enough presence to provide workable and practical alternatives.⁴

What is the problem?

I think it’s related to that you can only absorb counterintuitive truths by studying and seeing them yourself. This requires time and a willingness to question all assumptions. In a way, we all need to enter the “central garden“!

Notes:
¹ Chris Corrigan, What’s in the central garden?, Chris Corrigan’s blog, 2016-06-15. (Accessed 2016-06-19)
² Ibid..
³ Ibid..
⁴ Ibid..