Comments on: Life: It's the Experience That Counts http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/ A thinking blog for thinking people Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:19:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: A Compelling Experience: The Original Word Of Mouth – scottgould.me http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-113 A Compelling Experience: The Original Word Of Mouth – scottgould.me Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:57:07 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-113 [...] In Touch did a conference last week (my client and church initiative), which I was heavily involved in. The thing that I always hear people repeat about WIT is, believe it or not, does not major on the [...] [...] In Touch did a conference last week (my client and church initiative), which I was heavily involved in. The thing that I always hear people repeat about WIT is, believe it or not, does not major on the [...]

]]> By: Scott Gould http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Scott Gould Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:06:36 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-112 Hi Ruth,<br><br>Many thanks for the comment - and I would completely agree that experience is in the eye of the beholder.<br><br>When staging an experience (and by staging, I am comparing it to theatre but not saying it is theatre), there are projected outcomes, but you cannot control how people will react, nor should you want to.<br><br>The difference between church and a conference is that in the local church you have outcomes set from the bible - the epistles list them all. But a conference, where the people are not in your local church, has a more general approach because they are not the sheep for that particular church. Of course, when that person goes home to their local church, then there are more defined outcomes.<br><br>Certainly people will take different things away. For businesses this will be one thing, for churches or Christian conferences, another. As I have written, I want experience to induce decision - and if that happens in way that I have not expected, but still causes positive change, then I am happy.<br><br>Reading into your phrase "music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response", I wonder how this fits into the 3,000 who became Christians on the day of Pentecost. Or consider the feeding of the 5,000 - there weren't lights, but there were baskets, bread, fish - different tools for a different time. It's never the medium that we must get hung up on - it is the result of transformation. Hi Ruth,

Many thanks for the comment – and I would completely agree that experience is in the eye of the beholder.

When staging an experience (and by staging, I am comparing it to theatre but not saying it is theatre), there are projected outcomes, but you cannot control how people will react, nor should you want to.

The difference between church and a conference is that in the local church you have outcomes set from the bible – the epistles list them all. But a conference, where the people are not in your local church, has a more general approach because they are not the sheep for that particular church. Of course, when that person goes home to their local church, then there are more defined outcomes.

Certainly people will take different things away. For businesses this will be one thing, for churches or Christian conferences, another. As I have written, I want experience to induce decision – and if that happens in way that I have not expected, but still causes positive change, then I am happy.

Reading into your phrase “music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response”, I wonder how this fits into the 3,000 who became Christians on the day of Pentecost. Or consider the feeding of the 5,000 – there weren't lights, but there were baskets, bread, fish – different tools for a different time. It's never the medium that we must get hung up on – it is the result of transformation.

]]> By: Scott Gould http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-908 Scott Gould Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:06:36 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-908 Hi Ruth,<br><br>Many thanks for the comment - and I would completely agree that experience is in the eye of the beholder.<br><br>When staging an experience (and by staging, I am comparing it to theatre but not saying it is theatre), there are projected outcomes, but you cannot control how people will react, nor should you want to.<br><br>The difference between church and a conference is that in the local church you have outcomes set from the bible - the epistles list them all. But a conference, where the people are not in your local church, has a more general approach because they are not the sheep for that particular church. Of course, when that person goes home to their local church, then there are more defined outcomes.<br><br>Certainly people will take different things away. For businesses this will be one thing, for churches or Christian conferences, another. As I have written, I want experience to induce decision - and if that happens in way that I have not expected, but still causes positive change, then I am happy.<br><br>Reading into your phrase "music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response", I wonder how this fits into the 3,000 who became Christians on the day of Pentecost. Or consider the feeding of the 5,000 - there weren't lights, but there were baskets, bread, fish - different tools for a different time. It's never the medium that we must get hung up on - it is the result of transformation. Hi Ruth,

Many thanks for the comment – and I would completely agree that experience is in the eye of the beholder.

When staging an experience (and by staging, I am comparing it to theatre but not saying it is theatre), there are projected outcomes, but you cannot control how people will react, nor should you want to.

The difference between church and a conference is that in the local church you have outcomes set from the bible – the epistles list them all. But a conference, where the people are not in your local church, has a more general approach because they are not the sheep for that particular church. Of course, when that person goes home to their local church, then there are more defined outcomes.

Certainly people will take different things away. For businesses this will be one thing, for churches or Christian conferences, another. As I have written, I want experience to induce decision – and if that happens in way that I have not expected, but still causes positive change, then I am happy.

Reading into your phrase “music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response”, I wonder how this fits into the 3,000 who became Christians on the day of Pentecost. Or consider the feeding of the 5,000 – there weren't lights, but there were baskets, bread, fish – different tools for a different time. It's never the medium that we must get hung up on – it is the result of transformation.

]]> By: Scott Gould http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Scott Gould Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:49:22 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-111 I would agree that a decision - and perhaps the ensuing commitment to it - is enhanced by how compelling the experience is.<br><br>Being told you are unfit, and then a friend dying of a heart attack, will elicit varying degrees of decision because one is a more compelling experience.<br><br>As for the commitment - I myself have had compelling experiences without keeping the decision. Not only is experience in the eye of beholder, but disciple is in the heart of the beholder - and without discipline, the decision fades. I would agree that a decision – and perhaps the ensuing commitment to it – is enhanced by how compelling the experience is.

Being told you are unfit, and then a friend dying of a heart attack, will elicit varying degrees of decision because one is a more compelling experience.

As for the commitment – I myself have had compelling experiences without keeping the decision. Not only is experience in the eye of beholder, but disciple is in the heart of the beholder – and without discipline, the decision fades.

]]> By: Scott Gould http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-910 Scott Gould Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:49:22 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-910 I would agree that a decision - and perhaps the ensuing commitment to it - is enhanced by how compelling the experience is.<br><br>Being told you are unfit, and then a friend dying of a heart attack, will elicit varying degrees of decision because one is a more compelling experience.<br><br>As for the commitment - I myself have had compelling experiences without keeping the decision. Not only is experience in the eye of beholder, but disciple is in the heart of the beholder - and without discipline, the decision fades. I would agree that a decision – and perhaps the ensuing commitment to it – is enhanced by how compelling the experience is.

Being told you are unfit, and then a friend dying of a heart attack, will elicit varying degrees of decision because one is a more compelling experience.

As for the commitment – I myself have had compelling experiences without keeping the decision. Not only is experience in the eye of beholder, but disciple is in the heart of the beholder – and without discipline, the decision fades.

]]> By: Ruth Harvey-Regan http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-110 Ruth Harvey-Regan Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:35:13 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-110 I like your comment experience enduces decision....question - with the experience you are staging - is there space for someone to have a different outcome - make a different type of decision from the one you may be hoping for? Eg. Two people go to a Christian conference.....both go with open minds...for one person, the experience opens a whole new world of possibility...they encounter what is described as the presence of God, their hearts are touched, they feel a sense of forgiveness, love and renewal and make a committment to God....the other person sees a different picture...they see a staged social environment, with music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response, they think...this experience feels false and manipulated...perhaps my life isnºt so bad after all, perhaps I don´t need a relationship with God - perhaps I need a better relationship with my family...they go back home and instead of being dissatisfied with their husband and family, they start to appreciate what they do have....thier relationship with their children and husband starts to inprove and gets better and better over the years. Of the two participants, both decisions were induced by the staging of the event.... I like your comment experience enduces decision….question – with the experience you are staging – is there space for someone to have a different outcome – make a different type of decision from the one you may be hoping for? Eg. Two people go to a Christian conference…..both go with open minds…for one person, the experience opens a whole new world of possibility…they encounter what is described as the presence of God, their hearts are touched, they feel a sense of forgiveness, love and renewal and make a committment to God….the other person sees a different picture…they see a staged social environment, with music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response, they think…this experience feels false and manipulated…perhaps my life isnºt so bad after all, perhaps I don´t need a relationship with God – perhaps I need a better relationship with my family…they go back home and instead of being dissatisfied with their husband and family, they start to appreciate what they do have….thier relationship with their children and husband starts to inprove and gets better and better over the years. Of the two participants, both decisions were induced by the staging of the event….

]]> By: Ruth Harvey-Regan http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-907 Ruth Harvey-Regan Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:35:13 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-907 I like your comment experience enduces decision....question - with the experience you are staging - is there space for someone to have a different outcome - make a different type of decision from the one you may be hoping for? Eg. Two people go to a Christian conference.....both go with open minds...for one person, the experience opens a whole new world of possibility...they encounter what is described as the presence of God, their hearts are touched, they feel a sense of forgiveness, love and renewal and make a committment to God....the other person sees a different picture...they see a staged social environment, with music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response, they think...this experience feels false and manipulated...perhaps my life isnºt so bad after all, perhaps I don´t need a relationship with God - perhaps I need a better relationship with my family...they go back home and instead of being dissatisfied with their husband and family, they start to appreciate what they do have....thier relationship with their children and husband starts to inprove and gets better and better over the years. Of the two participants, both decisions were induced by the staging of the event.... I like your comment experience enduces decision….question – with the experience you are staging – is there space for someone to have a different outcome – make a different type of decision from the one you may be hoping for? Eg. Two people go to a Christian conference…..both go with open minds…for one person, the experience opens a whole new world of possibility…they encounter what is described as the presence of God, their hearts are touched, they feel a sense of forgiveness, love and renewal and make a committment to God….the other person sees a different picture…they see a staged social environment, with music inducing a trance like hypnotic state and what they percieve to be a mass hysterical response, they think…this experience feels false and manipulated…perhaps my life isnºt so bad after all, perhaps I don´t need a relationship with God – perhaps I need a better relationship with my family…they go back home and instead of being dissatisfied with their husband and family, they start to appreciate what they do have….thier relationship with their children and husband starts to inprove and gets better and better over the years. Of the two participants, both decisions were induced by the staging of the event….

]]> By: Munyaradzi Hoto http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Munyaradzi Hoto Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:52:56 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-109 "destiny is made in the moment of decision" Powerful stuff. I believe it was John C Maxwell who said that successfull people make important decisions early in life, and then manage those decisions for the rest of their lives. Woould you agree then that The quality of a decision is enhanced through experience but what is generally lacking in most people is the ability to commit to that initial decision. One of the most powerful businessmen in zimbabwe said to me on one occasion that if I am to succeed I need to learn to make decisions and walk my talk. His job would be to help me improve the quality of those decisions as I grow. “destiny is made in the moment of decision” Powerful stuff. I believe it was John C Maxwell who said that successfull people make important decisions early in life, and then manage those decisions for the rest of their lives. Woould you agree then that The quality of a decision is enhanced through experience but what is generally lacking in most people is the ability to commit to that initial decision. One of the most powerful businessmen in zimbabwe said to me on one occasion that if I am to succeed I need to learn to make decisions and walk my talk. His job would be to help me improve the quality of those decisions as I grow.

]]> By: Munyaradzi Hoto http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-909 Munyaradzi Hoto Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:52:56 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-909 "destiny is made in the moment of decision" Powerful stuff. I believe it was John C Maxwell who said that successfull people make important decisions early in life, and then manage those decisions for the rest of their lives. Woould you agree then that The quality of a decision is enhanced through experience but what is generally lacking in most people is the ability to commit to that initial decision. One of the most powerful businessmen in zimbabwe said to me on one occasion that if I am to succeed I need to learn to make decisions and walk my talk. His job would be to help me improve the quality of those decisions as I grow. “destiny is made in the moment of decision” Powerful stuff. I believe it was John C Maxwell who said that successfull people make important decisions early in life, and then manage those decisions for the rest of their lives. Woould you agree then that The quality of a decision is enhanced through experience but what is generally lacking in most people is the ability to commit to that initial decision. One of the most powerful businessmen in zimbabwe said to me on one occasion that if I am to succeed I need to learn to make decisions and walk my talk. His job would be to help me improve the quality of those decisions as I grow.

]]> By: Scott Gould http://scottgould.me/life-its-the-experience-that-counts/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Scott Gould Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:07:08 +0000 http://scottgould.me/?p=193#comment-108 Hi Colin,<br><br>I'm very much the same in that some books and tapes have really shaped <br>me. What you're hinting at is the digital experience which is <br>something I will be getting into.<br><br>I'm also testing out the fact that with Disqus commenting, you can <br>reply to a comment in your email. So if this looks a bit odd, it's <br>because I'm testing. I think #end should end it?<br><br>Scott<br><br>the mobile: +44 (0) 7771 795566<br>the work: aarongould.co.uk<br>the rest: scottgould.me Hi Colin,

I'm very much the same in that some books and tapes have really shaped
me. What you're hinting at is the digital experience which is
something I will be getting into.

I'm also testing out the fact that with Disqus commenting, you can
reply to a comment in your email. So if this looks a bit odd, it's
because I'm testing. I think #end should end it?

Scott

the mobile: +44 (0) 7771 795566
the work: aarongould.co.uk
the rest: scottgould.me

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