Category Archives: Politics

Nelson Mandela and the Transcendent Function

I’ll be presenting at the 2023 BAPT online conference on Friday 21st April. The session is called ‘Nelson Mandela and the Rainbow Nation’. Using extracts from the film Invictus, it will examine how Mandela developed the transcendent function in his personal life, and then used that knowledge to develop the transcendent function in South African society. This enabled Mandela to take South Africa from the brink of civil war to a zenith of racial unity. This video is a short trailer for the session.

You can register for the conference at https://www.bapt.org.uk/bapt-2023-conference/

New book comparing Myers-Briggs typology and Jungian theory

Image of new book cover. Myers Briggs typology vs Jungian individuationI’m pleased to announce that Routledge have started production of my book, which will be released on November 12th, 2018. The book is a re-examination of Psychological Types, in view of Jung’s complaints that most readers misunderstood it. There has been a significant divergence between the central message of Psychological Types and its popular interpretation.

The book is going to be controversial, both for users of Myers-Briggs typology and Jungian theory, though for different reasons. It challenges many of the assumptions that have long been held by users of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and similar instruments. To communicate Jung’s ideas clearly, it simplifies them.

The list price of the book is £26.99 but there is a discount code you can use to reduce the price of advance orders by 20% to £21.59. You can find more details of the book, and how to order your advance copy with the discount, below.

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BBC reports Theresa May is getting on with Brexit, despite the surrounding furore

Article 50 – The Meaning of Brexit?

To invoke, or not to invoke, that is the question.

With a few exceptions, most UK Members of Parliament have accepted the result of the referendum in June.  They will support the UK leaving the European Union.  Article 50 is the next step.  But does invoking article 50 really mean that we will be implementing the result of the referendum?

In my training consultant days, on team and management workshops, I used a communication exercise.  It involved asking people to reflect (privately) on what they thought I meant by the word “speed”.  People gave a myriad of answers.  Driving fast.  Distance divided by time.  The film starring Sandra Bullock.  Drugs.  A place.  The late Welsh footballer.  Etc.

If the meaning attributed to a common word, such as ‘speed’, can be so diverse, how many meanings can there be for a phrase such as “article 50” or “Brexit” or “Leave” or “Remain”?

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UK and EU flags with a question mark

EU Referendum: making sense of the hyperbole

One of the biggest disappointments in the UK’s EU referendum is the quality of debate. In normal elections, each party produces detailed manifestos that can be compared.  This poll is the most important for a generation, yet there is nothing equating to a manifesto (on either side).

There is a lot of information being provided to the electorate, but the bulk is hyperbole.  Many people recognise this, with 48% (and 43%) of people thinking the Remain (and Leave) campaigns’ arguments are unrealistic.  The difference in numbers doesn’t matter.  They both point to a lack of realism in the arguments on both sides.  And that assessment is now official, as a parliamentary committee has criticised leaders of Remain and Leave for making exaggerated and unrealistic claims.

These stats perhaps point to another disappointment.  Despite the obvious lack of realism they suggest that many people (52% and 57%) think the arguments are reasonable.  Or perhaps, even worse, they have decided to vote without thinking about the issues.  Given the importance of the debate, not only to the UK but also to the EU and the rest of the world, it deserves better information and deeper consideration.

In this blog, I’ll outline a process to make sense of the hyperbole and arrive at a decision.  At the end, I’ll describe how the process is informing my personal decision.

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