Journal
An Interview with Robb Smith (Free 50-minute video series)
March 16, 2009 22:09

Part 1: Introduction: How Did You Find Your Way to Integral?

In the first part of this interview, Robb shares his own personal inspirations toward living a more integral life, culminating into one of the most significant decisions he's ever made—the decision to stop everything he was doing, transplant his life and his family to the Boulder/Denver area, and to take his place at the helm of the emerging integral movement.

 

 

 

Part 2: Translating Integral Theory into the Living World Space

Here Robb discusses one of the largest challenges faced by the integral community: how to bring Integral theory and practice into the marketplace, transforming the theoretical clarity the Integral map offers into real-world products and services.

 

 

 

 

Part 3: What’s the Biggest Challenge on the Integral On-Ramp?

Robb deepens the discussion around the core challenge Integral Life is currently grappling with: how do we make non-academic offerings that would be valuable to someone who knows nothing about the integral map, but is intrinsically looking for a way to make sense of his or her fragmented life?

 

 

 

 

Part 4: The Election and the Integral Movement

Robb discusses the the election of President Barack Hussein Obama, what he and Jeff see as one of the world's greatest integral experiments is being conducted right now, taking place in the midst of the massive systemic failure and social upheaval we've seen in 2008 and 2009.

 

 

 

 

Part 5: Now That Obama Is President....

Here Robb and Jeff discuss some of the critiques people have of Obama's presidency, with particular focus upon the economic stimulus that is now being enacted.  Do these bailouts reflect the actions of an integral leader?  Or does the Obama hype just amount to yet another refrain of "meet your new boss, same as the old boss?"

 

 

 

Part 6: How the Right Reacts

When considering the historic election of President Obama, it feels like a real victory for America, for progressives, and for all those who so strongly disapproved of the country's domestic and international policies over the past eight years under Bush and Cheney.  But while celebrating Obama's victory, it can be easy to forget that nearly half of the country voted against him, and generally disapproves of Obama as a leader.  How does an integral leader respond to the backlash we are seeing in so many conservative circles?

 

 

 

Part 7: How Does Obama Inform Your Leadership?

Many have said that the hallmark of a great leader is much more than the ability to manage complex systems—it is the ability to create and inspire new leaders around you. In this regard, Obama's ability to speak to people's "highest self" is virtually unparalleled, and is already energizing new forms of leadership for the 21st century, while helping to transmit a crucial sense of calm urgency needed to overcome the many problems we are now faced with. Here Robb shares how his own sense of leadership has been affected by Obama.

 

 

Part 8: What Is of Real Value?

The world is becoming smaller and smaller every day, our lives are becoming more and more complex, and the totality of our personal, professional, and political relationships are becoming more intertwined. Meanwhile, many of the world's fundamental economic institutions, upon which the past hundred years of progress have been built, are beginning to fall apart right before our eyes. In the midst of this global system shock, many of us are coming face to face with our own fears, beliefs, and principles, offering a precious opportunity for us all to "get real" with our own values.

 

 

Part 9: Is There an Integral Movement?

Looking back through history, we can see that almost every major emergence of complexity and worldview was accompanied by some form of "movement" once critical mass is reached in culture—whether the great religious movements of the Axial age, the secular and humanistic movements of the Renaissance, or the postmodern and pluralistic movements of the 1960's. As such, we would expect to see the Integral Age find its own sort of collective uprising as Integral thought achieves some degree of saturation within the mainstream world. Is this already happening? And what role does Integral Life play in relation to the Integral movement at-large?

 

 

Part 10: What's New at Integral Life and Integral Institute

Here Robb shares some of the recent developments at Integral Life and Integral Institute, including ongoing content offerings, coaching offerings, practice groups, live conferences, DVD products, degrees, academic journals, grants, research, and much more.

 

 

 

Part 11: Living a Social Life On the Web Brings Hope For a New Age

In the final installation of this video series, Robb and Jeff share their optimism around the future of the Integral movement, especially as the internet continues to permeate our personal and collective lives. Robb explains that the Integral movement—if it does indeed exist—is here to serve people from all stations of life, and not just those already familiar with the writings of Ken Wilber and other integral philosophers. In this way, Integral Life aspires to connect with everyone who is searching for a kindler and gentler world; who feel the heartbreak that exists in the gaps between us, and who wish to enact more love in this lonely corner of the universe.

 

 

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