Biography Work
Among the many good things brought into the world by Rudolph Steiner are two exercises given in a lecture in 1916, which have since become a basis for biography work. The first is a tool for developing better self knowledge ; the second a way to deepen awareness and appreciation for our fellow human beings.
Biography work is done in groups, and led by a facilitator who provides biography exercises, asks questions to clarify participant responses, and moderates the discussion that follows.
The theme of an exercise might be work and career, some aspect of one’s relationships with other people, or some aspect of inner life - any theme the facilitator knows is relevant to the group or that the group requests.
Each exercise focuses on a particular kind of situation, and a certain moment in time. The heart of the exercise is to explore a particular memory in gentle, careful detail. This includes :
- a physical description of the place, of oneself and of others present
- feelings and thoughts surrounding that moment
- a recalling of what happened, and the actions of those concerned
- reflection on the effects and meaning that moment came to have for us
For the first kind of biography exercise, emphasis is mostly on oneself ; with the second, on other people, and the effects they had on one.
For most of us, our self knowledge has definite gaps. We’re invested in our sense of ourselves, and can’t help “taking our own side,” even at the expense of accuracy. Biography work with Rudolph Steiner’s first exercise lets us see ourselves from a different angle. We may find we take ourselves by surprise - and that what we learn is not just helpful and useful, but new.
The second exercise has a different effect - namely to open our eyes to the people around us, and to awaken interest in them.
If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we’ll notice that the greater part of what we know, we’ve learned from other people. We’ll also notice that, consciously or unconsciously, we’ve taken on our best character traits from people we love and admire - or built them up in reaction to people who've somehow disturbed us.
In Rudolf Steiner’s second biography exercise, our past experiences with others are explored in a precise, meticulously positive and nonjudgmental way. Again we may be quite surprised – this time by the extent to which we owe our best achievements and qualities to the influence of others. The outcome is that we’re not only more grateful to people in our past, but more interested and open toward people in our present – including people we’re meeting for the first time.
Biography work is most often done in a series of exercise over the course of a weekend, or in weekly sessions, either covering a specific life theme, or working toward an overview of the biography thus far. Positive effect of this work include :
- a more clear and objective knowledge of oneself free of harsh self judgement on the one hand, and flattering illusions on the other.
- an ability to bear painful feelings calmly and with courage ; joyous feelings with balance and equanimity.
- clarity about what we need to do, as our next steps in life, or in some situation we face.
- a sense of continuity and unity concerning our lives - a sense of pattern, purpose, and meaning.
- gratefulness for what we have received from others, and a new openness for people we know or meet.
As we look at experiences with people in our lives from this slightly different perspective, our old familiar image of ourselves changes. We notice it becomes more objective, and at the same time, perhaps more of a mystery. We may actually find the new perspective on ourselves more interesting - and something of a relief. Questions and comments from the facilitator and co-participants help further illuminate our picture.
The two kinds of exercises described were developed from indications given by Rudolf Steiner, in a
lecture entitled Social and Antisocial Forces in the Human Being.
Jeff Smith RN (Retired)
Next : Social and Antisocial Forces in the Human Being
Among the many good things brought into the world by Rudolph Steiner are two exercises given in a lecture in 1916, which have since become a basis for biography work. The first is a tool for developing better self knowledge ; the second a way to deepen awareness and appreciation for our fellow human beings.
Biography work is done in groups, and led by a facilitator who provides biography exercises, asks questions to clarify participant responses, and moderates the discussion that follows.
The theme of an exercise might be work and career, some aspect of one’s relationships with other people, or some aspect of inner life - any theme the facilitator knows is relevant to the group or that the group requests.
Each exercise focuses on a particular kind of situation, and a certain moment in time. The heart of the exercise is to explore a particular memory in gentle, careful detail. This includes :
- a physical description of the place, of oneself and of others present
- feelings and thoughts surrounding that moment
- a recalling of what happened, and the actions of those concerned
- reflection on the effects and meaning that moment came to have for us
For the first kind of biography exercise, emphasis is mostly on oneself ; with the second, on other people, and the effects they had on one.
For most of us, our self knowledge has definite gaps. We’re invested in our sense of ourselves, and can’t help “taking our own side,” even at the expense of accuracy. Biography work with Rudolph Steiner’s first exercise lets us see ourselves from a different angle. We may find we take ourselves by surprise - and that what we learn is not just helpful and useful, but new.
The second exercise has a different effect - namely to open our eyes to the people around us, and to awaken interest in them.
If we’re truly honest with ourselves, we’ll notice that the greater part of what we know, we’ve learned from other people. We’ll also notice that, consciously or unconsciously, we’ve taken on our best character traits from people we love and admire - or built them up in reaction to people who've somehow disturbed us.
In Rudolf Steiner’s second biography exercise, our past experiences with others are explored in a precise, meticulously positive and nonjudgmental way. Again we may be quite surprised – this time by the extent to which we owe our best achievements and qualities to the influence of others. The outcome is that we’re not only more grateful to people in our past, but more interested and open toward people in our present – including people we’re meeting for the first time.
Biography work is most often done in a series of exercise over the course of a weekend, or in weekly sessions, either covering a specific life theme, or working toward an overview of the biography thus far. Positive effect of this work include :
- a more clear and objective knowledge of oneself free of harsh self judgement on the one hand, and flattering illusions on the other.
- an ability to bear painful feelings calmly and with courage ; joyous feelings with balance and equanimity.
- clarity about what we need to do, as our next steps in life, or in some situation we face.
- a sense of continuity and unity concerning our lives - a sense of pattern, purpose, and meaning.
- gratefulness for what we have received from others, and a new openness for people we know or meet.
As we look at experiences with people in our lives from this slightly different perspective, our old familiar image of ourselves changes. We notice it becomes more objective, and at the same time, perhaps more of a mystery. We may actually find the new perspective on ourselves more interesting - and something of a relief. Questions and comments from the facilitator and co-participants help further illuminate our picture.
The two kinds of exercises described were developed from indications given by Rudolf Steiner, in a
lecture entitled Social and Antisocial Forces in the Human Being.
Jeff Smith RN (Retired)
Next : Social and Antisocial Forces in the Human Being