Eric Martine Jr Written Application QandA
Instructions: Please request and create an account on the Open Source Ecology wiki. Please start a page on the wiki, titled ‘Your Name OSE Apprenticeship Application’ (such as Marcin OSE Apprenticeship Application), and embed or link to your Video of Interest there as in Marcin’s example application page. Please make a copy of this document and answer question 1 and 9 more for a total of 10 questions. Don’t worry if some questions probe into skills beyond your capacity, as the point of the program is to learn new skillsets/mindsets. We do not expect candidates to enter with broad or advanced skillsets, but we do expect openness to such learning by stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. When you are done, embed your copy of this document with answers on your wiki page.
REQUIRED - FIRST 2 QUESTIONS - Please spend 50% of your time in this written application on Question 2.
We offer 3 tracks - the core Apprenticeship Track, the Builder Track, and the Enterprise Track. Which track are you interested in?
A1: I am unsure of which track I am a best fit for and would be looking to you all for the answer and will ensure you can glean that information from my answer to the next question.
What are your specific goals for the Apprenticeship? Discuss what you would like to accomplish in terms of various skill sets acquired, and how would you like to apply them in your life. Discuss what the ideal situation would be - your dream life - once you have the skills after 4 years - and what you see yourself doing next. Discuss this in as much detail as possible, which would become a part of your Learning Plan one you would be in the Apprenticeship. This is about visioning a future scenario - setting goals - and executing on them. Do not be limited in this question by what you think is possible or not - assume that your horizons will be expanded and that you will do things that you never dreamed of before.
A2: I would like to gain a functional understanding of the workshop and an ability to utilize and teach the fundamental use cases for each tool and there best use case scenario. I would then use that knowledge to fabricate tools that are best suited for a different style of living that focuses on proximity to and care for nature and community as opposed to tools fabricated to support destructive capitalist agendas. My goal is to develop a workshop with various fabrication tools and hands on learning courses that make functional learning and community/cultural development accessible to the average community member. I would continually be innovating to make the projects more accessible to a wider audience through the use of recycling already existing infrastructure, Assess the validity of techniques utilized as standard operating procedure of societal development to improve the accuracy of its execution in solving problems and creating parallel systems, And find ways to introduce them into an already “functioning” societal paradigm. The general idea is to provide people with the ability to take control back into there own hands and emphasize the importance of an intimate connection with our shared environment and its inhabitants where society is based on merit and trust through observable action creating a culture where evil cannot thrive through abstraction and is dealt with swiftly and promptly.
COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK
The program emphasizes "supercooperators" and a "24-person swarm." Can you describe a time when you thrived in a highly collaborative, potentially intense team environment, and what specific roles or behaviors did you adopt to contribute to the group's success? (This directly addresses the importance of teamwork and seeks concrete examples of the candidate's collaborative abilities.)
A3: When I was homeless I ended up falling into a group of travellers. Now, you can imagine that with very little resources and the high risk and expense involved in onboarding another individual in such a resource scarce environment can provide for a true test of ones ability to co-operate. As someone who is very opposed to authority in the conventional sense, in this group, I somewhat reluctantly found myself playing in the precarious oscillation of power dynamics. When to joke when not to. When to speak and when not to. When to have serious and controversial conversations and when to to stop and reflect… Practically I made myself as useful as possible. I would collect resources happily. Obtaining food for work and fly signs for money. I would “gas jug” (the act of walking around a gas station charming people with stories of adventure in exchange for some gas) which fueled our travels. I took on the role of “greenhorn” which is in the dirty-kid community a grunt of sorts. I did that happily because I knew there were people in the group I could learn much much more important life lessons from. A voluntary form of subjugation based on merit of the individuals I was with. Therefor it was as even of an exchange as one could get offering as many pebbles as possible for a gemstone here and there! Anyway it was a constant collaboration to provide for the people around you to have food shelter, clothing, and water at all times. Life on the line in dangerous situations kind of collaboration.
The OSE environment emphasizes mutual teaching and learning, where everyone contributes to the collective knowledge. Can you share an experience where you effectively learned from someone with less formal expertise than you, or where you successfully taught a skill to someone else? What did you learn about yourself or the learning process in that interaction? (This question explores humility, the ability to learn from diverse sources, and the capacity for effective teaching – crucial for the collaborative environment and potential leadership roles.)
A4: One night in my travels we gathered around the campfire and with alcohol abundant and bellies full we got to chatting with loose tongues. I said that the genocide of the natives could not have happened if they fought back. I was coming from the perspective of absolute peace from the likes of ghandi and martin luther king having read both of there autobiographies among others. Technically true you cant or don’t have any reason to fight and kill people who just integrate seamlessly and let you do whatever you want with their land, but like what am I defending at that point and why? Anyway, my mentor coyote got so animated in this argument against me and eventually just got up and left. The next day I apologized stating “ that the outcome of the argument and my handling of it was clearly wrong enough but I have not yet changed my mind on the subject but will continue to evaluate the argument”. Apology accepted and we move on. Later the next night I am wide awake and dead set on the issue. Obviously theres something more… eventually clarity came to me. It boils down to good men doing bad things is better than evil men doing evil things. They died protecting a sacred lifestyle from pure and utter corruption. It wasnt about saving lives it was about using everything you got in this life to combat evil which is to fulfill a life that resounds and transcends space and time itself leaving an echo there effort. I did not know that I was propagandized to into disrespecting the ultimate sacrifices of those who fought the same fight I do. The betrayal I felt was indescribable. The clarity was visual and palpable… Anyway I came to coyote the next morning and explained this and that I was grateful to the clarity he provided me by challenging me on an issue such as pacifism which I was a faithful student of.
Conflict is inevitable in any close-knit team. Describe a time when you faced a disagreement within a group project. How did you approach resolving it while maintaining positive relationships and working towards a common goal? What role did you play in finding a solution? (This delves into the candidate's conflict resolution skills, empathy, and ability to prioritize team cohesion – vital for a collaborative living and working environment.)
A5: Your line of questioning aligns with the development I am portaiting here from my personal experience. For this one ill refer to the above experience as it contains both dynamics.
The program involves a significant amount of self-directed learning and a minor contribution to campus infrastructure through volunteer time. How do you typically motivate yourself when faced with tasks that might not be your immediate passion? Can you provide an example of a time you took initiative on a project or task without explicit direction? (This explores self-motivation, proactiveness, and willingness to contribute beyond the core curriculum – important for both individual success and the growth of the OSE community.)
A6: In all seriousness, if its not my immediate passion I refrain from doing it. I am extremely adept at avoiding wasting my time. Id rather do nothing than become entrenched in something I believe could wrap me up and steal my attention thus throwing me off my true life path. I spend a lot of time thinking and visualizing and “feeling” out what is right to do. My brother said to me once “whats the most important thing you could be doing right now and why arent you doing it?”. So me writing this to you is the most important thing in my life right now as I am doing it and I have the respect to expend the utmost effort appropriate for this task. That sounds narcissistic but I mean it with the utmost respect in that I am not posturing I am grateful of the oppurtunity!
BOLD HUMILITY - A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
The Enterprise track specifically focuses on learning to run crews, and there's a long-term vision of potentially starting new campuses. What aspects of leadership most resonate with you, and what experiences have you had – even informal ones – that suggest your potential to guide and motivate others towards a shared objective? What kind of leader do you aspire to be? (This directly addresses leadership aspirations and seeks evidence of existing leadership qualities, even in non-traditional settings.)
A7: The student becomes the teacher. I would like to effectively provide a campus for my home town essentially. Of course it wouldnt be an exact replica but you have the foundational success story to draw from and then as a leader I would want to create more leaders. I want to be completely irrelevant when I pass on to the next realm lol.
Please discuss what big global problem you would like to solve in your lifetime, and how the next 4 years can prepare you for it. (This question moves to core values and ambitions)
A8: Id like to develop a worldwide culture that is adaptable and unique to wherever it is extrapolated to. A culture that provides the outlets for a people to make it there own. A culture based on fundamental truths involving autonimity, collective power and the balance between them. Id like to a see a culture functioning as an immune system against deception, violence and greed.
We spend a lot of time improving documentation for our builds and enterprises, so we can empower everyone with the knowhow. How can you contribute to this with your unique skills? (This assesses the candidate's mindset regarding sharing.)
A9: I think as of now my expertise would involve the “why?” build this. And the “why?” do it that way “why?’ is it important to change the way that you do things. I want people to know the truth and how the world fundamentally is operating and why it needs to change for the better. I guess thats universal to anyone in the project though so I suppose my technical expertise would steer towards low cost securing of raw materials, low cost, low effort but effective building techniques and recycling already existing infrastructure. I would essentially also like to find a solution for people in my position that struggle as I did where finding someone who is doing the right thing isnt a rare godsend of a happening that took seeking out the exact parameters and utilizing AI to navigate the entire internet to discover! (thats how I found OSE, specifically interrogating my google AI until I distilled all the BS and found yall) . Id like to make myself obsolete in that endeavor. Which I guess is to say to make a village construction set applicable and executable the world over for people in the most scarce and dire of situations. I suppose my angle would be minimum viable product that could balance the disparity in the world. Help build up from the bottom so when the top collapses inevitably downward it does so into prosperity rather than destruction.
STARTUP ENVIRONMENT
The OSE program, in its early cohorts, will inherently have elements of a startup – iterating, problem-solving on the fly, and building its own processes. What aspects of being in a dynamic, evolving environment excite you, and what potential challenges do you anticipate? How do you believe your personality and work style would contribute to the growth and development of a relatively new and ambitious endeavor? (This directly asks about comfort with a startup-like environment, acknowledges potential challenges, and seeks to understand the candidate's perceived contribution to a developing organization.)
A10: The question kind of answers itself for me. I love the idea of constantly iterating and adapting and even flipping switches in my genetic code to overcome obstacles if I have to haha. I am entirely invested in solving the most difficult problems and constantly asking myself, “what was the question”.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17PRNjg5xEjWv6OZJLzE4wByFVpxIYFaPDMTgBWYPXYE/edit?tab=t.0 Building a new civilization, even in an experimental micro-scale, will undoubtedly involve setbacks and unexpected challenges. Describe a time you faced a significant obstacle or failure. How did you respond? What did you learn from the experience, and how did it shape your approach to future challenges? (This probes resilience, the ability to learn from mistakes, and a growth mindset – essential for navigating the ambitious goals of OSE.)
A11: I was addicted to alcohol for years drinking heavily and blacking out frequently. Ive almost died countless times because of it im sure. Anyway, the last time I drank I blacked out for a week. It was supposed to be a fun little adventure. My first time alone in New york City, going to see a show that I hold dearly in my heart and come back home with a special edition collectible playing card. Not ever doing anything for myself, it felt like the first time in my life id gone to do something unneccesary and unimportant just because I wanted to. I finally decided to give myself a break and enjoy something and stop stressing over problems in the world 24/7. I watched the show and got the card and I went to grab some more alcohol while I waited out the extra time to hop on the train. I had trouble getting it from one shop and found someone who brought me elsewhere and we eventually got to drinking and time just evaporated. I wake up, struggling to function what I think is like a day or two after with absolutely nothing. I lost all my possessions… Hallucinating and navigating a city and travel system that felt like an alien planet while my chest caved in itself, anxieties like a waking nightmare. I got up. And got to work. With the knowledge that in about 16 or so hours I would go through life threatening withdrawals. I managed to make it home where I found out I was actually gone a whole week. I tried to treat myself at home but eventually I caved and went to the hospital for help. I learned then the final lessons that alcohol was to teach me and I no longer have any sort of craving or desire or voice in my head that secretly says “maybe just beer, maybe if we make it ourselves, maybe in the future” nothing. I don’t have to fight anything. I am just straight up cured of alcoholism. So I guess we can look at aloholism as an obstacle or failure, I allowed the issue to journey with me until the issue revealed itself to me in its true form. The issue was me, I hold nothing against alcohol itself and view it as a great spiritual teacher. I realized that I never did anything for myself. I realized I was the recipient of spiritual attack and I had fallen for lies and deciet I havent fully come to terms with yet. Well I guess the important part is that I realized I could change that! No problem too impossible to tackle! Nor too complex for the human mind!
We are creating infrastructure as you learn. Can you describe a time you were in a situation with limited existing structure or resources? How did you approach the uncertainty, and what steps did you take to create order or contribute to building something new? (This question directly addresses the theme of building infrastructure and navigating ambiguity based on past experiences.)
A12: I feel this was generally answered. Travelling homeless requires success in this arena. I suppose that something new I did is a built a conventional Tipi when I was living as a homebumb out of an umbrella some saplings and plastic I pulled out of the dumpster which got me through a winter with a negative 20 degree windchill factor at one point. I slowly upgraded it overtime as I acquired new tools and financial ability.
In a startup or a setting where infrastructure is being built, priorities can shift quickly, and individuals often need to wear multiple hats. Can you share an example of a time you had to take on responsibilities outside of your defined role or comfort zone? How did you handle the learning curve, and what did you discover about your capabilities? (This probes flexibility, willingness to step outside one's comfort zone, and the ability to learn new skills on the fly – crucial in a developing environment.)
A13: Well I recall a time when we ended up having to do a rush job on a roof and I ended up speedrunning roofing and the guy was so impressed he gave me 300 dollars that day instead of 2 and we finished that night! I swear if we stayed any longer that night the neighbors were gonna grab pitchforks and come for us haha, it was TIGHT. Maybe I can include acting as a public relations agency as a role too lmao.
PERSONAL GROWTH
Do you think that you have a mindset fundamentally geared to creating a world that leaves nobody behind? What are your shortcomings in terms of your ability to share or collaborate, and how would you like to improve on these points?(This question delves into the candidate's existing learning strategies and their understanding of the "teach to learn" pedagogy, highlighting an interest in the process of learning itself.)
A14: Accommodations for everyone, I have issues myself and am no stranger to the struggles people can go through, visible or not. I would like to work on my ability to communicate effectively, translate learning into teaching and accept that I will make mistakes and embarrass myself thats okay. It matters more if your willing to course correct and psychologically get back on your feet after a blunder. Im not so good at that. I am traumatized from school. I couldn’t stand the idea that the teacher might call on me when I don’t know the answer and it was the most stressful thing in the world! I guess ill keep in mind that there are ways not to teach people!
Personal growth is often a byproduct of challenging oneself and stepping outside of one's comfort zone. What areas of personal development are you most interested in exploring or improving during this immersive experience? How do you envision the demanding nature of the apprenticeship – both the technical skills and the collaborative work – contributing to your personal evolution over the four years? (This probes the candidate's self-awareness regarding areas for growth and their understanding of how the program's intensity can foster personal development.)
A15: I am most interested in exploring my ability to relate over the technical aspects of the projects. I am unfamiliar with complex mathematics and physics and such so it will be a new field entirely for me to get down and dirty with data and software’s and the like. I guess im wondering if this program will de-traumatize me from the experiences of school haha. Part of me says “ahhh school, propoganda and programming, run!”. And another part of me says “this is what you wish school really was, this oppurtunity is the most important one youll ever get to experience what school should really be like and you better take it because the world desperately needs this!”
The program integrates various aspects of life – learning, working, building community, and potentially even living on-site. What does the concept of being an "integrated human" mean to you, and how do you see this apprenticeship fostering a more holistic development of your skills, character, and understanding of the world? (This question explores the candidate's understanding of interconnectedness and how they envision the program contributing to their development beyond just technical skills.)
A16: I will bring a tarp and a backpack and sleep in some nearby woods if I have to. Me? Allowed this responsibility? Im giving it everything. Except that trading card if you recall and catch my drift…
Reflecting on the TED Talk and the program description, the vision extends beyond just building structures to rebuilding how civilization works. How do you see your own personal growth and development within the apprenticeship aligning with this broader vision? What kind of person do you hope to become through this experience, and how do you envision contributing to this larger goal? (This connects personal growth to the overarching mission of OSE, exploring the candidate's sense of purpose and how they see themselves contributing to a larger societal impact.)
A17: I don’t have all the answers. I can come up with the perfect world for me in theory but it takes an involvement in a group to really get things moving along in the right direction. Im excited to work as a team and see how each individual improves the whole project and improves eachother!
Learning how to learn often involves reflecting on one's experiences and identifying patterns or areas for improvement. Can you describe a time when you intentionally reflected on a learning experience – whether a success or a failure – and how that reflection influenced your approach to future learning or challenges? What role does self-awareness play in your personal growth? (This question probes the candidate's capacity for metacognition and self-reflection, crucial skills for continuous learning and personal development.)
A18: So I have a few stories up there that involve serious situations and I chose them because they are somewhat simple and obvious as they are complex due to the gravity of them. It was a challenge for me to appropriately tell these stories and give these answers so that anyone who reads it in pursuit of a place in OSE may find value in it and value in OSE itself without having to go through what I went through. Being aware of the implications of what you do is crucial when your doing things that shake the foundation of society. Its a huge responsibility not to be taken lightly and self care is the most important tool to ensure you do not become the monster you seek to destroy. Keep it sharp and sheathed. Peace and love!