Welcome! I am Bruce Webber and I live near Detroit. Recently I’ve gotten in touch with a desire to express myself; this website is one vehicle for that. My first article tells more.

Here are some of my identities and interests:

Software Development

I am a professional software developer, actively working with Python, Java, and React. (See my resume.) Outside of my day job, I’m active with EMPUG, the Eastern Michigan Python Users Group.

General Semantics

Since young adulthood I have been strongly influenced by the work of Alfred Korzybski, who developed the system of General Semantics in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known his phrase “the map is not the territory”. See My Core Values to learn more about General Semantics.

Getting Things Done (GTD)

GTD is a productivity methodology which helps me be more organized and focused. Interestingly, GTD addresses aspects of meaning and attention.

Voluntaryism

Voluntaryism states that interactions between people should be voluntary, that is, by mutual consent. A spontaneous order can then emerge as the result of these decentralized, voluntary interactions. In this video James Corbett discusses spontaneous order and how our societal systems can be reimagined:

Unitarian Universalism

I am a Unitarian Universalist and a member of Birmingham Unitarian Church where I served as the President for two years. I consider myself agnostic. I do not believe in a personal God, but I'm open to the idea of a divine presence in the universe, a creative force.

Nonviolent Communication

I’ve been practicing Nonviolent Communication (NVC) since 2015. Marshall Rosenberg developed NVC and described it in his book Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. Through NVC I'm learning how to express my feelings and values, becoming more empathetic, and developing a nonjudgemental perspective.

Integral Theory

Around 1980 I read Ken Wilber’s book No Boundary: Eastern and Western Approaches to Personal Growth. I lost track of Wilber’s work until my friend Katie introduced me to Spiral Dynamics and Wilber’s Integral Theory, which I'm now exploring.

These disciplines teach that just as individuals go through different stages of development, so do societies. Each stage includes the capabilities and insights of the previous stage while adding new ones. Each stage is more complex.

When I talk with someone with a different worldview, I now approach the conversation with openness and curiosity. What is compelling about this person’s perspective? What truths does it contain? Can I hold this person’s perspective while continuing to hold my own? Is there a new, more complex perspective which includes both?