====== term: eldership ======

//One of the [[t:terms]] used on this wiki.//

There are two sources that I love referring to when talking about moving into later life and eldership: T S Eliot's Four Quartets ([[https://www.simongrant.org/Eliot/4Q_my-notes.html|my notes]]); and this little extract from Arnold Mindell's book, "Sitting in the Fire": (ISBN 9781619710245 --- Chapter 13: The Metaskills Of Elders, p.184)


The leader follows Robert’s Rules of Order; the elder obeys the spirit.
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The leader seeks a majority; the elder stands for everyone.
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The leader sees trouble and tries to stop it; the elder sees the troublemaker as a possible teacher.
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The leader strives to be honest; the elder tries to show the truth in everything.
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The democratic leader supports democracy; the elder does this, too, but also listens to dictators and ghosts.
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Leaders try to be better at their jobs; elders try to get others to become elders.
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Leaders try to be wise; elders have no minds of their own. They follow the events of nature.
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The Leader needs time to reflect; the elder takes only a moment to notice what’s happening.
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The leader knows; the elder learns.
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The leader tries to act; the elder lets things be.
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The leader needs a strategy; the elder studies the moment.
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The leader follows a plan; the elder honours the direction of a mysterious and unknown river.


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