A focus of Peat's recent work is the concept of Gentle Action. This approach, as envisaged by Peat, emphasizes a certain manner of action that are aimed at creating change in an effective manner. The approach calls for tolerating uncertainty yet suspending action at its onset in order to allow an over-all view to emerge. It emphasizes the value of small-scale, iterative actions compared to large, single-step interventions. In his book of the same name, published 2008, Peat points out connections of his approach to earlier concepts, emphasizing the importance of active listening and a similarity to the concept of Wu wei.
Peat's gentle action has been cited together with Otto Scharmer's Theory U and Arnold Mindell's Worldwork as approaches by which individuals, groups, organisations and communities can deal with complex issues.
Learning modules based on Peat's Gentle Action approach have been put in place, among others, at the University of Minnesota and at Siena Heights University.
Read more about this topic: F. David Peat
Famous quotes containing the words gentle and/or action:
“The bright old day now dawns again; the cry runs through the the land,
In England there shall be dear bread—in Ireland, sword and brand;
And poverty, and ignorance, shall swell the rich and grand,
So, rally round the rulers with the gentle iron hand,
Of the fine old English Tory days;
Hail to the coming time!”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
“A dramatist is one who believes that the pure event, an action involving human beings, is more arresting than any comment that can be made upon it.”
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975)