The Wisdom Weavers
Interlacing Ages and Insights
Humans are Strange …
We rush through life stages, only to yearn for times gone by. We chase wealth at the expense of health and are so future-focused that we miss the present. We live as though immortal, yet depart having never truly lived.
“Every generation must learn that the stove is hot,” my mother would say, her words a gentle echo in the moments of my greatest trials. This simple, yet profound, truth gains new dimensions in our era of technological marvels like artificial intelligence and machine learning. In these times, the ancient concept of Phronesis – practical wisdom forged through lived experience – emerges as a vital beacon.
Today’s world brims with information, yet there remains a profound divide: the rift between mere knowledge and deep understanding, between data and the kind of wisdom that comes from the core of our being. Phronesis is not merely acquired; it is a wisdom lived and felt, a moral compass developed through the very act of living. My journey through life, shadowed by the absence of my grandparents and the early loss of my father, has been a search for this kind of wisdom.
This search transcends any personal loss; it’s a quest for the narrative threads that weave the human experience together. It's about more than understanding individual stories; it's about grasping the essence of our collective journey through time – the hopes, fears, and dreams that bind us. As the world focuses increasingly on short-term, fragmented goals, the expansive weave of human wisdom risks being lost in the fray.
It became clear to me: wisdom is a shared treasure, offered in plentiful supply by the wise elders around us; the custodians of Phronesis, who carry invaluable life lessons and moral insights.
Welcome to the "The Wisdom Weavers" – a wise action to repair our collective ancestral weave. This project is a commitment to bridging generations and a tribute to the timeless value of Phronesis. It is a chance to create a space where the wisdom of our elders is not just remembered, but actively integrated into our lives. My hope is that it will knit together a more profound, interconnected understanding of life, one story, one lesson, one lived experience at a time.
If this is something that calls you, together we can honor and embrace the practical wisdom that surrounds us, and do just a little more to create a future that is as rich in understanding as it is in knowledge.
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As a Gen-Xer, I bridge the past and future, nature and technology, man and machine. I feel my generation has a unique imprint of the more natural pre internet world and a responsibility to support and share the timeless wisdom of the wise elders still in service. Only they can make is realize how things were before things got so manic.
As a father witnessing my son enter into manhood, I now feel the weight of guiding the next generation more than ever. I know this responsibility is beyond me alone.
When navigating the complexities of the world, not having access to my elders has been difficult. But, it has also opened me up to a profound realization: the essence of our shared humanity lies in the stories we carry, the wisdom we inherit, and the future we shape with them.
In the pace and chaos of our digital age and decaying societal structures, Wisdom Weavers offers a much needed sanctum—a place to pause, absorb, and reconnect with the ageless wisdom that binds us all.
This is a noble and holistic intention that celebrates our elders while also amplifying the voices of the younger generations. This is a step towards ensuring a harmonious blend of the enduring and the contemporary in our lives.
Through Wisdom Weavers, I hope you will join in and contribute as you feel called. This way we can better support one another, honoring the age-old truth: it takes a village ….
Welcome!
Markus Lehto, co-founder Joint Idea, Life Works Labs, Love Mafia
Wisdom Weavers
# 1 The Intricate Dance of Fathers & Sons
October 31, 2023 / 7-9 pm
Meet philosopher, LifeSmith, and elder Christopher Nevill,
an über experienced guide for the twists and turns of the masculine journey.
“I have an overflowing toolkit of life experience. People say that I draw out their hidden words and blind spots. It is not always pleasant, but it is effective.
Impressions on Christopher…
“Being with him is always profound and vitalizing chance to get a older perspective on what we think are new things”
“The thing with Christopher is that, you quickly realize you're not just in the presence of a teacher, but of a Master”
“The way he delivers knowledge is not traditional or politically correct. It's not just the words he speaks; it's his very essence that teaches”
“Instead of merely relaying information or techniques, Christopher cuts straight to the core, to the heart of any subject. So, you don't just learn; you understand.”
Ready to join in? Sign up here.
some further thoughts…
The general assumption underlying all initiatory rites is that unless a young male is shown real power through a community of wise elders, he will always seek false power and likely spend much of his life seeking prestige, perks, and possessions” Richard Rohr
The bond between a father and son is intricate and ancient, woven with threads of lessons, challenges, and silent promises.
We don’t often enough discuss the qualities and events that define being a man today or the milestones that mark a boy's transition to manhood. The lessons passed down from one generation to the next often go unspoken; instead, they are imprinted into us through conditioning and patterns, mostly sub or unconsciously. As Carl Jung reminded us, “until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
In a practical sense, this has profound consequences for us, for our families, and for our world as a whole. Where we have not transformed our own conditioning, pain and suffering, we are destined to transmit it in some form. The results of this are well known though often forgotten...
we will become inflexible, blaming, and petty as we grow older
we will need other people to hate in order to expel our inner negativity
we will play the victim in some form as a means of false power
we will spend much of our life seeking security and status as a cover-up for lack of a substantial sense of self
we will pass on our deadness to our family, children, and friends.
we will remain locked in societies that are locked into our repeating patterns
Transcending this holding pattern is the work of generations, but for the men alive today that work to earn and thus perpetuate the manmade world, breaking the pattern starts with us. If we are ready to rise to the challenge, we should know that it will demand our full love, which is something we men need to reclaim without guilt, shame, or embarrassment.
In the realm of male relationships, a unique dynamic of 'tough love' often takes precedence. It's a love characterized by rigor and challenge, demanding one to rise and meet it. Many men, looking back, cherish memories of mentors who pushed them, coaches who demanded their best, and peers who wouldn’t let them settle. This tough love, if it is given without cruelty or humiliation, is respected and even sought after. It means being taken seriously, of being deemed worthy of that challenge.
This resonates differently to the traditionally celebrated idea of female love — that is beautifully nurturing, forgiving, and unconditional. It's the soothing embrace, the constant support, the love that says, 'You are enough, as you are.'
These two love paradigms are part of a whole, both valuable in their own right, but can sometimes clash in their understanding, expectations, and manifestations. In today’s woke society, the narrative surrounding male relationships is often overshadowed, misinterpreted, oversimplified, and even demonized.
But it's essential to recognize that for many men, love that doesn't challenge can feel less meaningful. It's not about devaluing unconditional love but understanding that, for many men, their self-worth is intricately tied to their challenges and their journey to overcome them.
For a man, love and respect that come without challenge or effort can inadvertently encourage manipulation over growth. There's a potency in working for acknowledgment, for being stretched beyond comfort zones. It's not about validation per se or love being difficult to earn, but rather about understanding that, for many men, the journey to earn it often enhances its value.
Thus, when we talk about male 'tough love,' it's a reflection of this journey, of this test of mettle. It’s a call to realize potential, to earn respect, and to grow stronger. It's about valuing the grit and resilience that such love fosters, even as we continue to cherish the warmth of unconditional acceptance.