The Power of Collective Wisdom is the culmination of our efforts that began ten years ago with the Fetzer sponsored Collective
Wisdom Initiative. The book is intended for people who seek more effective and satisfying ways of working with others, for people working to make their communities, neighborhoods, and organizations more inclusive, effective, and wise.
From our perspective, collective wisdom refers to knowledge and
insight gained through group and community interaction. At a deeper
level, however, it is about our living connection to each other and
the interdependence we share. Ultimately, this book emerges from
a deep conviction that we all have a stake in each other and that
what binds us together can be greater than what drives us apart.
Stories and historical examples illustrate how collective wisdom
has emerged in a range of cultures, settings, and traditions, and
we offer a set of practices to help readers realize the key lessons
of the book. Equally important, we describe how to recognize the
pitfalls of polarization or false agreement that lead to collective
The book is the result of a collaboration involving dozens of contributors
and hundreds of people from our networks and beyond. We see our efforts
as part of a larger social movement. Everywhere we look, we see groups,
networks, and communities rising up to address common challenges.
Our intent is to provide a foundation for the field of collective
wisdom’s further emergence and a worldview for its continued practice