BACK COVER

A systematic approach to the complexities and wonders of how we process information, learn, communicate, maintain well-being, respond to stress, and develop as unique human beings…individually and collectively.

"Human Dynamics has deepened my understanding of my own work and transformed my relationships with other people…powerful insights into the psychological differences that unite us…I refer to it constantly."
-DANAH ZOHAR, physicist, philosopher, and author of The Quantum Self and The Quantum Society

"A brand-new perspective on understanding the most important asset to which corporations have access: people."
-LORRI ZIMMERMAN, director, Strategic Learning, AT&T

"What a brilliant book! Powerful implications for planners and practitioners in business, education, healthcare, and other organizations."
-DEE DICKINSON, CEO, New Horizons for Learning

"An incredible revelation that helps us realize our individual worth, that of others, and how we might work together in a more harmonious and satisfying way."
-BOB BARKLEY, JR., manager, National Center of Innovation, National Education Association

"A must-read for anyone interested in self-mastery and improving his or her effectiveness with others."
-FRANK VIZCARRA, ombudsman and former director of training,
McDonald's Corporation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

The Need to Understand One Another

Mapping Your Learning

Introduction to Human Dynamics
Chapter 1 Effecting Change Within a Structured Organization
Chapter 2 Patterns and Promises
Chapter 3 Basic Principles: A New Paradigm
Chapter 4 Five Brief Portraits

The Five Personality Dynamics
Chapter 5 The Mental-Physical Personality Dynamic: Seeing from the Mountaintop
Chapter 6 The Emotional-Objective Personality Dynamic: Movement Forward
Chapter 7 The Emotional-Subjective Personality Dynamic: Connecting With Everything
Chapter 8 The Physical-Emotional Personality Dynamic: Creating Systems
Chapter 9 The Physical-Mental Personality Dynamic: Pattern Integrity

Human Dynamics in Action
Chapter 10 Communication and Team Learning: Beginning Tools and Practices
Chapter 11 Organizational Applications
Chapter 12 The Developmental Continuum
Chapter 13 Visions: Looking Ahead

Appendix A Human Dynamics Research Program
Appendix B A Gallery of Well-Known People

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr. Sandra Seagal has been engaged in original investigation in the new field of Human Dynamics since 1979, and in the development of Human Dynamics training programs for business, education, parenting, healthcare, and cross-cultural understanding. She is founder and president of Human Dynamics International and executive director of the Human Dynamics Foundation. Her work has been lauded by such luminaries as the late Buckminster Fuller, who nominated her for a MacArthur Prize Fellowship. Dr. Seagal's expertise is rooted in her background in education and psychology, with extensive service as a teacher, school psychologist, and psychotherapist.

David Horne has been devoted to the study of Human Dynamics since 1983. Having served for over 25 years as a therapist, administrator, writer, and producer of training films in the fields of psychology and special education, his contributions in the areas of research, training, and development have been instrumental in furthering the study of Human Dynamics and its advancement as an ever-growing field. He is a partner in Human Dynamics International, and co-director of the Human Dynamics Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to educational and scientific research.

EXCERPTS

The urge to pursue excellence and mastery is a fundamental impulse in the human psyche. We see this drive expressed in a multitude of forms—in scientific achievement, technological development, athletics, and the arts. Yet pursuit of mastery of ourselves as consciously evolving people has generally been neglected. We have placed spaceships on the moon, created the information superhighway, and produced countless supports for our physical comfort—yet in our collective endeavors and basic interactions with one another, we so often seem to fail. Perhaps the problem is that although we have understood that resolving complex issues requires collaboration, we have neither recognized the need for conscious training in interdependent living nor had a framework for understanding our individual and collective human functioning.

The body of work that we term Human Dynamics provides such a framework. It offers a dramatic expansion in our understanding of ourselves as individuals and of our interactions with one another. It also offers a rigorous training in the art and practice of personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal mastery.

The findings of Human Dynamics reflect a profound interconnectedness and underlying order in the way people across the globe are individually and collectively "designed." We identify fundamental principles common to all humanity, which form distinct patterns in the way human beings are intrinsically "organized." These distinct patterns of functioning, which we term "personality dynamics," transcend race and culture, characterize males and females equally, and are observable at all age levels—including infancy.

Each personality dynamic constitutes a distinct system of mental, emotional, and physical interplay, and is characterized by the unique ways in which its members process information, communicate, relate to others, learn, problem-solve, maintain health, and become stressed. Each personality dynamic is also characterized by its distinct path of potentially infinite development. All of these diverse "ways of being" are of equal value—anyone of any personality dynamic may be more or less intelligent, compassionate, capable, or gifted. But they differ markedly in how they function.

These very different ways of functioning are in dynamic interaction wherever people come together. They exist in every boardroom, in every department, in every office, and on every factory floor. They are represented on every management or project team and are present in every classroom and healthcare facility. They exist in families and among the participants in international negotiations. They are at play everywhere that people interact.

Lack of awareness of these systemic differences in people has led to much misunderstanding, conflict, and failure—in relationships, in teaching and learning, and in teamwork and collaboration. For example, Peter Senge asked, "How can a team of committed managers with individual IQs above 120 have a collective IQ of 63?" One answer is certainly that team members typically do not understand and appreciate their differences. When we are conscious of these differences—when we recognize, respect, and understand them—we can make better connections with one another, work together more effectively, learn and teach successfully, leverage our own and each other's diverse gifts and affinities, and consciously foster our individual and collective development. A business trainer or teacher understanding the differences can tailor his or her teaching to meet the learning and development needs of every student. Aware families can appreciate the complementary value of their differences and use their knowledge to enjoy greater harmony and strengthen their relationships. And a committed and conscious team of managers can function synergistically with a collective IQ far beyond 120!

The distinct patterns in the functioning of people that we will be sharing—their inherent capacities, needs, languages, function on teams, path of development, path to wellness, etc.—can be taught explicitly, even to children. This is the more quantitative aspect of the Human Dynamics work, in itself a lot for people to internalize and to apply.

But there is a more qualitative dimension. We continually receive feedback that exposure to Human Dynamics is generative—it initiates not only a process of continual learning about people, but also the development of finer sensibilities and more emphatic values. Implicit within the work are the directives: listen-observe-respect-appreciate-be open-inquire-know yourself-understand others-let go of judgment--be authentic-collaborate-care-forgive.

This is the underlying direction and purpose of this work: to enhance the quality of life that people individually and collectively express.

If we think of the distinct human systems that we identify as the instruments of an orchestra, we could say that Human Dynamics trains us to recognize the capacities inherent in our different instruments and to develop our skills in playing them, so that we can make extraordinary music together. This is more than an organizational need; it is a human need.

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Today, we hear much talk about "the knowledge-based economy" and about knowledge and learning as the key competitive advantage in business. What we often don't realize is that behind such statements is a simple mandate: We must understand people better and more deeply than ever before, and must therefore embed in our institutions a continual curiosity to understand ourselves and each other. During the Industrial Age, people were fundamentally one type of resource, "standing in reserve" to support an organization's needs. Businesses saw themselves as producing products from input resources—raw materials, energy, capital, and labor (more recently renamed "human resources"). At some basic level, all resources were indistinguishable, simply means to realize profit opportunities. The Industrial Age thus required only rudimentary understanding of human nature, because most workers served essentially as interchangeable parts.

But the Knowledge Era will require much more sophistication in understanding one another. Knowledge matters only when it is embodied in people. Knowledge is generated only by people. Moreover, knowledge sitting in books on a shelf has no direct impact on families, companies, or societies. It matters only when people do something about it. So, if knowledge and learning are indeed becoming a key source of competitive advantage, the Industrial Age view of people will have to change. In the future, understanding the diversity of human functioning will play a central role in the success and sustainability of both organizations and societies. Nothing less will suffice if businesses are to thrive, if schools are to offer genuine opportunities for growth and learning for all children, and if societies throughout the world are to be peaceful and nurture a sense of community and belonging for all.

This is why I expect Human Dynamics to exert a profound impact in the coming years. It offers a simple, elegant, and powerful framework for understanding the diversity of human functioning and for realizing its potential—a framework that, from my own experience, promises to be effective across all cultures, no matter how different they may be. Few tools will be more essential in the challenging years ahead.