Hello Friends,
Since this thread is about whether to join the ASB or not it seems natural that the "in" and "out" aspects of the question would dominate the discussion. That means members verses nonmembers quite likely would polarize the discussion. It also seems likely that the strongest voices from the two sides of the equation would draw more calories, so to speak, than those who are not so dominating in their expression.
Ultimately a conversation about a group will end up also being a conversation about individuals (the inherent constituents of any social collective or social intercourse). In order to decide whether or not to join an organization, not only do you need to know its purpose and methods, but also its membership. And as others have pointed out, knowing its members and their openness to share (in a manner similar to how members of this forum do) has been the most meaningful aspect of their membership, thus this exploration very much is about individuals too! Therefore the claim that this isn't about individuals, or isn't "about me", is rather inaccurate. It is nearly entirely about individuals and whether they are a part of ABS (an organization of individuals) or not, and their how-comes, why-nots and what-fors.
To me there are four basic "voices" in this thread:
- folks who are appreciative of ABS (seemingly majority of posters)
- folks who are antipathetic (seemingly one or two folks),
- folks who are ascertaining whether to join or not (the OP)
- folks who are indifferent
As individuals we can accept one another's weakness, foibles and limitations along with each others' strengths and good qualities. When it comes to collectives of individuals (organizations) it is often a bit more challenging to have this sort of mindfulness. Never-the-less the same dynamics do seem to hold sway.
I personally try to be accepting of critical perspectives. It is very much in the nature of our times and our society to be critical, even hypercritical. For me where the habitual behavior of criticism falls short is when it is condescending, hyberbolic and without any intention to move toward resolution or rectification.
It almost fascinates me (us?) how the negative can seem to so easily eclipse the positive. This thread is a case in point. The majority of posters shared numerous positive experiences and reasons they are part of the ABS. I, for one, appreciate their sharing, as I do everyone else's...while staying mindful of the larger context of APPRECIATION rather than denigration.
All the best to you all, Phil
