Inner intelligence is the “I” space of each citizen. At the scale of the individual I am (virtually) the city’s mind from which emerges the city’s cognitive, emotional and cultural capacities. This “I” is capable of reflection and learning – not just once – not just in a linear way – but through the many loop-de-loops of multi-track learning.
The Inner Intelligences each of us brings to the city are multiple and multiply each other like infinite reflective mirrors. Each “I” in the city is a holon in a nest of holons, interacting in self-organizing, self-exploratory impulses as well as reinforcing learned structures. This makes the “I” of the city both resilient and sustainable – able to adapt and survive as change happens within us.
The Inner Intelligences of my human condition give me a sense of subjective wellbeing in the city through “my” unique experience as an individual. This Inner Intelligence is precious – it is my learning zone – the source of my leadership – and I need to care for it as a generative seedbed of my city’s capacity for intuition, insight and innovation. These seeds of the city’s resilience and even its uniqueness, deserve tending with a gardener’s care. I seek a species wisdom to develop a city-centric and eco-regional sensitivity for the care and feeding of these Inner Intelligences. My attention to this seedbed of intention is the source of city development, maturity and probably its survival.
Three simple rules for nurturing my Integral City Inner Intelligences might be:
- Show up and be self-aware, present, mindful.
- Notice the city intelligences and map them integrally.
- Grow leadership in heart, mind, soul.
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This blog is a prologue to the Integral City webinar conference City 2.0 Co-Creating the Future of the Human Hive . We are inventing a new operating system for the city. Click to get more details re the Free Expo and eLaboratory membership scheduled September 4-27 2012. You are invited to attend and participate.
Great post Marilyn! For a while now I have been learning about how to nurture my Inner Intelligence. The last 3 simple rules in the article are good points to remember. Thanks!
Thanks Deanna – you have no doubt an incredibly creative Inner Intelligence which can be infectious to everyone around you!! In fact that is one of the paradoxes of our Inner Intelligences – as we live into their energy and guidance they amplify the Inner Intelligences of others. By being more of who we (essentially) are we encourage others to do the same.