Consultation as Decision-Making
Collective decisions should be reached through a process of consultation — frank, truthful, respectful, and detached from personal preference.
The Bahá'í writings describe consultation as the lamp of guidance — the method by which the body of humanity discovers truth collectively. Genuine consultation requires all participants to speak their honest perspective freely, then detach from it so the group can find the best answer together. Good consultation requires humility, honesty, and commitment to the common good.
The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions.
Bahá'í consultation principles anticipate deliberative democracy theory and conflict resolution methods in mediation and organizational decision-making.
Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá
Written about in
- What the Bahá'í Faith says about community
A defined method for group decisions: speak frankly, then let go of your own view once it is on the table. Abdu'l-Bahá's line is that truth appears only after the clash of differing opinions.
- What the Bahá'í Faith says about what to say and what to leave unsaid
Here the tradition demands speech rather than restraint: every participant must state their honest view, and Abdu'l-Bahá's image is that the spark of truth appears only after opinions clash. The harder half is what follows — you detach from your view once stated, so the group can improve or discard it without your defending it.