Human Development and the Theater of Everyday Life

Human Development and the Theater of Everyday Life is about the journey of the self through the ups and downs of everyday life, the journey we take to whatever maturity and enlightenment is ours to obtain. A map of our “inherent possibilities”—our stages of being—is provided along with what are called the ethics of human development. These ethics facilitate personal development. They aid us as we attempt to address the tests of heart and mind on which development depends. At the same time, the ethics of human development are one means for playing the nonzero sum game, the game wherein our actions benefit not only ourselves but also a growing circle of others. Th at is the twofold aim of Human Development; namely, to aid us in our effort to act wisely in the theater of everyday life, while at the same time, evolving the many organizations of which we are a part. “The gift is to the giver and comes back most to him or her, it cannot fail” (Whitman). This is the central theme of Human Development and the Theater of Everyday Life. David Thomas, PhD, is a city planner focusing on community development. His primary interest is the art, philosophy, and science of human development.