Connection Intelligence
George Leonard, founder of the Samurai Game® made an eye-opening observation about the universe. In a public talk about his book, The Silent Pulse, A Search for The Perfect Rhythm That Exists in Each of Us, Leonard stated that, whilst we are all as unique as a thumb print, it is remarkable that, at the same time, we are all interconnected. The fact is that connection is a universal principle and that it was there before the times of the telephone and other communication methods. Connection is what brings us together to form families and communities. It starts at the sub-atomic level. Atoms connect to form molecules, molecules connect to form cells, cells connect to form organisms, organisms connect to form species, species connect to form kingdoms of life. For building communities, connection starts at the relationship level. When we form relationships and friendships, we expand our networks and we establish a belonging to a tribe (sometimes, a well-defined structured tribe such as a religious group, sometimes as a fuzzy unstructured group of individuals that resonate with each other in understanding and meaning). At the atomic level, it could be said that connection intelligence is therefore the realization of our relationships and how we relate to others. How we listen and how we express what we think and feel are also somewhat related to emotional intelligence and how we do this in response to others is based on our connection or realization of connection to them. We may respond a different way, for example, to a stranger than we do to somebody we know well if we are going to talk about something important in our lives.
In terms of relationships, connection intelligence is therefore the form of response that we make in relation to a trigger or impulse from another human.
The ancient warrior was intelligently connected via their relationships in their tribe towards their piers and their leader. The ancient warrior had established well-defined rituals and behaviors based on relationships to family members and community members.
Modern times have somewhat watered these well established rituals down and many humans are now at a loss as to how they should establish connection. Loneliness is a very modern problem and all the issues and social problems that arise from it.
In that way, training connection intelligence has become more important than before to realize since, in the past, it was, to some extent, taken for granted as part of the system of the tribe.
Humans today have to make quite some efforts to establish real human connections as we are tempted away from the tangible real world into the cyber world and mobile space, and as we are being offered a seductive alternative in the form of virtual friendships on the internet. This virtual connection saturation has to be taken, with some measure of concern. We need awakenings to keep us in check, to keep us real and put us back in the tangible physical human space.
Therefore, we need practices which involve humans interacting with humans in such a way that we exercise emotional intelligence together, in connection. Impulse/Response/Evaluation exercises.
Embodiment practices are becoming more and more seen in the corporate world whilst dance practices, such as tango and salsa are becoming more apparent in modern communities.
As a summary:
How to practice connection intelligence as an ancient warrior: Be an active member of the tribe you are born into. Practice the traditional rituals and ceremonies that are taught by your fore-fathers and mothers.
How to practice connection intelligence as a modern warrior: Practice impulse/response/evaluation embodied relationship practices. Communication in embodied forms such as partner dance, aikido, martial arts, dialogue/non-violent communication. A practice which involves different interactions between two people within a group.
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