第3章 Preface

第3章 Preface (第2/2页)

PowerandLoveisbothpracticalandpersonal.Manyresearchers-acrosspoliticalscience,peacestudies,management,neuro-biology,sociology,psychology,philosophy,theology-haveusedavarietyofframingsandvocabulariestopointouttheimportanceofpowerorloveorboth.Thepurposeofthisbookisnottoreiterateorreviewthesespecializedtheories,buttoexplorehowingeneralandinpracticewecanworkwithpowerandlovetoaddressourtoughestchallenges.Furthermore,Ihavenotconstructedmyunderstandingofthesephenomenaoutofthesetheories,butinsteadoutofsiftingthroughandtryingtomakesenseofmyownmostconfusingandchallengingexperiencesofsocialchange.
　　
　　YearsagoIwasamazedwhenIreadthefirstpagesofthesecondvolumeofLawrenceDurrell'snovelTheAlexandriaQuartet.BalthazarhandsDarley,thenarrator,themarked-upmanuscriptofDarley'sfirstvolume:"apapernowsearedandstarredbyamassiveinterlinearofsentences,paragraphsandquestion-marks."ThesecondvolumethengoesontorelatearadicallydifferentinterpretationofthesameeventsthatDarleyhaddescribedinthefirstone,andthethirdandfourthvolumesdothesameagainfromtwoadditionalperspectives.
　　
　　Manytimesduringthepasttwentyyears,Ihavebeenhandedalternativeinterpretationsofmyownstories.Iammovingalongconfidently,andthensomebodysayssomethingthatshowsmethingsarenotatallthewayIthinktheyare.Throughsuchdisciplinedre-viewingofmyownexperiences,Ihavegraduallybuiltupmyunderstandingofthedynamicsofsocialchange.
　　
　　Thebookbeginswith"Introduction:BeyondWarandPeace,"whichsummarizeswhatIhavelearned.Chapter1,"TheTwoSidesofPower,"andChapter2,"TheTwoSidesofLove,"describethesetwofundamentaldrivesthatgeneratesocialchange.Chapter3,"TheDilemmaofPowerandLove,"explainswhywecannotchoosebetweenthesedrivesbutmustfindawaytoreconcilethem.Chapter4,"Falling,"Chapter5,"Stumbling,"andChapter6,"Walking,"layoutaprogressionofthreemodesofemployingpowerandlove-fromthemostpolarizedandstucktothemostintegratedandfluid-inworkingcollectivelytoeffectsocialchange.In"Conclusion:ToLeadMeanstoStepForward,"Isuggestawaytoworkindividuallythroughthissameprogression,fromfallingtostumblingtowalking,andsobecomemorecapableofaddressingourtoughestchallenges.