Human records are rife with examples of attempts to create by committee that drives well-intentioned participants to despair. Check with serving members of your local city councils or schoolboards. They'll share chapter and verse about the foibles of working through committees.
Our own forefathers' Declaration of Independence is a classic example of months' long committee failure. Finally the wisest among them persuaded those of their most obstinate fellows to appoint some single individual to develop a draft. They first approached old Ben Franklin, but he was much too wise. Finally they appointed Thomas Jefferson.
At first, Jefferson refused. But finally he retired to his Virginia home for the first draft. Then it went to committee. Jefferson is said to have wept at what the committee was doing to his efforts. But again wiser heads prevailed and most of the meat of Jefferson's creativity was salvaged for posterity.
Why am I bringing up the subject? Because I recemtly went through the process of having my creative work savaged by committee. I wept. I raged. But what could I do? My committee is also my wife!
November 29, 2012
November 26, 2012
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November 15, 2012