Jay Matthews

Following are ten foolproof ways to nurture your community that have served me.

1. be present and listen


2. take initiative and be accountable


3. eat together: communal dinner with questions prepped ahead of time


4. give gifts 


5. inspire fun, play, and adventure


6. design spaces for belonging: “Designing intentional spaces is at the root of belonging. It’s the physical

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Belonging gives us the confidence to take care of ourselves, others, our planet, and all the members of our ecosystem. Knowing this, it becomes clear that building a community is one of the most important, generous, and creative acts a human can aspire to.

The self as a concept is complex and widely debated. But regardless of what you believe, I think we can largely agree that our sense of self is precious and needs to be safeguarded from self-sabotage or violation from others.

I wrote in the woods and on the scrap pile and in the loft of the barn. My stories were full of nature because that’s where I wrote. Being in the woods, being myself, and writing words down didn’t seem like separate concepts.

Creating online, in a counter-intuitive way, is a way to disconnect with the very-online world we live in and a way to reconnect with yourself.

From Ignorant Militance to Militant Ignorance: To me, however, the most important contribution of the modeling enterprise—as distinct from any particular model, or modeling technique—is that it enforces a scientific habit of mind , which I would characterize as one of militant ignorance—an iron commitment to "I don't know." That is, all scientific... See more

Our respondents unanimously agree that it is important to let problems simmer below the threshold of consciousness for a time.