Stephen Covey - 7 Habits
da...@computek.net
> I've been reading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R.
> Covey. I'm not a mason, but a lot of what he says seems in keeping with
> masonic principles (character ethic, etc.). Are there any masons out
> there that are familiar with the book, and would they care to comment?
I think that a lot of what Covey has to offer boils down to mainly common sense. The
firm I work for employs the Covey principles throughout the practice, so I have read
the book.
As far as it being aligned with masonic principles, I'll agree that there is a common
tone. I just think that this is more coincidence than anything. Not that it matters,
isn't Mr. Covey Mormon?
Leonard Jones
Well - - what the heck, here goes again.
I've read the book, and the 2nd book, been to the seminar, and even met
the guy in person - but I forgot to buy the T-shirt.
There are a lot of things in the 7 Habits that parallel Freemasonry. A
few examples:
Covey's habit "Put 1st things 1st" clearly parallels the principles
behind the 24 Inch Gauge - "which teaches us to divide the 24 hours of
the day into three equal parts, whereby we find....... etc."
Also, the concept behind our Perfect Ashlar is more or less equivalent to
Covey's idea that we should "begin with the end in mind."
Further, the idea that the "attentive ear" should listen to the
"instructive tongue" is the same as Covey's concept that we should "seek
first to understand, then to be understood."
Finally, the 7 Habits, like Freemasonry, are religion neutral. You don't
have to be a Christian - or a Jew - or a Muslim or anything at all to
benefit from the practice. It does seem pretty clear, though, that some
religious background would be necessary to establish the principles that
underly the 7 Habits.
There are many more parallels between the 7 Habits and Freemasonry. I'll
leave them to you to figure out. This is hardly coincidental. The
prinicples expressed by the 7 Habits are mostly common sense rules for
getting along with each other. So are the principles expressed in the
symbolism of the Working Tools, the moveable Jewels of the Lodge, and
other symbols throughout the ceremonies and lectures of the Blud Lodge
Degrees. Despite the fact that we have deemed the priciples "mysteries"
that are "veiled in allegory," we Freemasons hardly have a patent on the
wisdom of the ages. These principles are expressed in the VSL's of the
great religions and have been stated in other forms by the great
philosphers. On this account alone, it's no wonder that there are so
many similarities.
There is also the issue of Covey's particular religious beliefs. Covey
is a member of the LDS Church (Mormons). Some would say that Masonry had
a profound influence on the birth of the LDS Church. Others might say
that the Founder, Joseph Smith, encountered Masonry and used information
that had been made available to him thru sacred revelation to purify the
rituals of the craft into the ceremonies of the Mormon Temple endowments.
It is clear that: 1) Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other prominent
early Mormons were Freemasons (even tho' most of them were expelled when
the GL of Illinois shut down the Lodges at Nauvoo). 2) The Mormon Temple
ceremonies, as revealed by several ex-Mormons bear a significant
resemblence to parts of the Blue Lodge degrees. 3) The GL of Utah,
until the last few years, regarded Mormonism as a form of clandestine
Masonry and would not initiate, recognize, or allow visitation in its
lodges by Masons from other jurisdictions who were LDS Church members.
Given all this, it's certainly possible that Covey was influenced by a
system of belief and practice that has similarities to Freemasonry and
that these influences are manifest in his writings.
Covey's writings have gained a substantial following - and have made him
quite a rich man. I feel this is partly due to the fact that - unlike
Freemasonry, Covey's Habits are not veiled in allegory and hidden in
symbols. They are there in plain English for the benefit of all.
Perhaps we would gain from some de-mystification!
For those who are interested, I'd strongly recommend you read Covey's 2nd
book, Principle Centered Leadership, in addition to the 7 Habits. It's
relationship to the 7 Habits is sort of like the relationship of the York
and Scottish Rites to the Blue Lodge with much clarification but not much
more basic content.
Please respond to the group or e-mail me privately at ldjones@mail.
concentric.net if you have any comments.
thanx
ldjones, PM 32'
Mt. Moriah #6 Af& AM
Peter J. Hersom
7 Habits by Stephen Covey. I found that most of what he teaches is
pure common sense and things that I normally practiced as a part of
my pre/post-masonic life. But this was one of those "Ticket-Puncher"
courses required by my employer. As a technical instructor with
several years experience (and one very bad habit that Mr. Covey does
not endorse, that of speaking what's on my mind, i.e. sometimes I'm
not very Politically Correct), I was very critical of the presentation
skills of the course instructor and the course content. I felt that our
organization was paying far to much money for this program.
But remember that American Way, get that money while you can....:-)
Pete Hersom