Mass Collaboration

Tonight I sat in on a discussion group where several people stated they were drawn to the concept of "mass collaboration." It's a term filled with both contradiction and promise. Something about the idea seems attractive and relevant, especially when I consider the infinite number of possibilties to make the world a better place. Toward that end the more of us the better. Power to the people! Revolution rising! But something also doesn't seem right. And that's the part that have to consider right now.

In my understanding of mass collaboration, there is a demand for more than mere cooperation. A mob is cooperating at some level. In a war soldiers are cooperating as they follow orders, even when they disagree with the orders or the pretext for war. But the basic demand of mass collaboration is an agreement to a shared understanding. The understanding informs the work to be done. And it allows for and invites ownership of the work. It seems to me that if the agreement cannot be reached, collaboration becomes impossible and will self-destruct eventually. Maybe that's the problem - if I want to collaborate for reasons that are no greater than myself than collaboration is impossible. A bunch of "me's" don't make a WE.

The phrase Self-Sabatoge comes to mind here. There is a word that seems appropriate; a word I'm growing to appreciate more each day. That word is "submission". Submission has a connotation of weakness in popular usage. That must be the result of centuries of wars and colonial imposition. One definition of submission is: "the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another." Unfortunately, "surrender" has the same weakness attached. But to intentionally give power to another guided by goodness and love can be one of the most powerful acts in the world. I believe the most satisfying collaboration in the world can't happen apart from submitting at least part of one's life to others. Isn't that what makes a healthy family healthy: submission to each other? I'm not trying to be conclusive here. But I do think there is a very healthy connection between collaboration, trust, and submission.