Wow, I’m having a meta moment – my first reaction to reading through the post was to reach out to my “closest safest contact” as a first-pass filter before responding (either here or via Slack).
As my first trauma-responsive check to that impulse, I can say that’s a practice of mine born out fearing what happens when I lack a filter – especially in wide-open spaces. While I’m both more willing to learn in open arenas and better supported these days, this post reveals to me what could be some of the factors in play at-large. And I would say, too, that I go through phases between wanting big group communication vs small or 1:1 communication.
Have you checked out the latest Network Workshop (recording available!)? 1:1 connections were noted as important for direct democracy practice – though when I’m thinking of 1:1 connections that’s not to say “it all goes down in DMs”! More to the point I’m wondering what are the additional checks I might need when I feel that impulse to take it to the DMs? Do I just need some help processing something before I participate with the group, or do I fear I can’t participate in the group at all?
In most cases, it’s usually the former for me, need the equivalent of some verbal microprocessing – and then I lose track or lose steam in transforming the DMed process to a more public one. That’s another story entirely. ;D