E17 The Trickster: Disrupting the Status Quo with Special Guest Shepherd Siegel

E17 Introduction

Across time and culture, when things get soooo serious, there will arise the expressions of an archetype that will have none of this nonsense.

The mythical Trickster.  The boundary crosser. Tricksters violate principles of the social and natural order, playfully disrupting normal life and then re-establishing it on a new basis. The Trickster openly questions and mocks authority.

As a collective expression, The Trickster can show us new possibilities when things get too regimented, too bound up by rules, and too mature or predictable. The Trickster wants to reshuffle the deck, to pull your pants down as you’re addressing the crowd, to keep us all on our toes so that play can have its say.

Play may very well be the key to our transformation. By bringing creative thought to the forefront of our issues, we move from traditional problem solving with traditional modes of thinking to radical re-imagining along with the Tricksters hearty appetite for fun, dynamic change, and complete disregard for the status quo.

What would a “Play Society” look and feel like? It sounds interesting to me. There are some problems that need a serious approach, no doubt.  But I sometimes wonder where the light, playful approach would yield more vibrant and interesting possibilities. What would the Trickster do today? It is certainly an intriguing idea.

Best,

Tony