Standing in the Fire

ITHE FIRE

The language of fire and heat has long been part of our way of describing social interaction. For example, we say, The sparks were really flying! The exchange got quite heated. She made an inflammatory comment. He burnt his bridges when he left. She was in the hot seat. When we bring people together to talk about what matters to them, fire is a given. Where there is passion, conviction, and diversity, you can bet there will be heat.

This section of the book describes the destructive and creative potential of group fire, the many forms that fire takes in social interactions, and the ways in which a facilitator or convener can get swept away in the heat of the moment. We will also explore who we need to be in order to help groups use ...