An Introduction To Spiral Dynamics

Some slides to support an introductory training in Spiral Dynamics

1. 1
An Introduction to Spiral Dynamics

2. 2
The pathfinder
‘Briefly, what I am proposing is that
the psychology of the mature human
being is an unfolding, emergent,
oscillating spiralling process marked
by progressive subordination of older,
lower-order behaviour systems to
newer, high-order systems as man’s
existential problems change’
Dr. Clare W. Graves
(1914 – 1986)

3. 3
The implementers
Don Beck
Christopher Cowan

4. 4
Many models of staged development, many domains of application
Certainty
Variety
Significance
Connection
Personal growth
Contribution
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
Egocentric
Ethnocentric
Worldcentric
Survivalist/Instinctive
Magical/Animistic
Egocentric/Impulsive
Purposeful/Authoritarian
Achievist/Strategic
Humanistic/Egalitarian
Integral/Ecological
Holistic/Global
Pre-conventional
Conventional
Post-conventional

5. 5
The oscillating Spiral
Egalitarian
order
Absolute
order
Global order
Tribal
order
Survival
sense
Powerful
self
Enterprising
self
Integrated
self
First Tier
Second Tier
AN
CP
ER
GT
BO
DQ
FS
HU

6. 6
The
V
Meme attractor
Philosophies
Icons
Fads
Architecture
Motorcar
Language
Lifestyles
PsychologiesSport
Archetypes
Politics
Literature
Music
Fashion
Religion Philosophies
Icons
Fads
Architecture
Motorcar
Language
Lifestyles
PsychologiesSport
Archetypes
Politics
Literature
Music
Fashion
Religion
Each
V
MEME is an organising principle, centre of gravity,
self-replicating force and magnetic field that attracts
content-rich little memes

7. 7
Beige
V
meme
Survivalist/Instinctive Meme - starting 100,000 years
ago
Worldwide:
A natural milieu where humans rely on instincts to
survive
Mindset:
Do what you must to stay alive. Food warmth, sex,
and safety have priority
Manifestations:
First human societies, starving masses, African
Bushmen, street people

8. 8
Purple
V
Meme
Magical/Animistic Meme - starting 50,000 years ago
Worldwide:
A magical place alive with spirit beings and mystical
signs
Mindset:
Keep the tribe’s nest safe and warm; observe tribal
customs and seasonal cycles
Manifestations:
Family rituals, shamans, blood oaths, magical New Age
beliefs

9. 9
Red
V
Meme
Egocentric/Impulsive Meme - starting 10,000 years ago
Worldwide:
A jungle where the strongest and most cunning survive
Mindset:
Avoid shame, get respect, and do what you want
Manifestations:
Feudal kingdoms, rebellious youth, epic heroes,
“terrible twos”

10. 10
Blue
V
Meme
Purposeful/Authoritarian Meme – starting 5,000 years
ago
Worldwide:
An ordered existence under the control of the ultimate
truth
Mindset:
Life has meaning, direction, and purpose; enforcing
principles of rightful living
Manifestations:
Puritan America, codes of honour

11. 11
Orange
V
Meme
Achievist/Strategic Meme – starting 300 years ago
Worldwide:
A marketplace full of possibilities and opportunities
Mindset:
Play the game to win; cultivate optimistic and risk-
taking self-reliance
Manifestations:
The Enlightenment, Silicon Valley, Fortune magazine,
corporate states

12. 12
Green
V
Meme
Humanistic/Egalitarian Meme – starting 150 years ago
Worldwide:
A human habitat in which we share life’s experiences,
freed from dogma
Mindset:
Seek peace in the inner self and explore the caring
dimensions of community
Manifestations:
Human rights movements, communes, Woodstock,
multiculturalism

13. 13
New Life Conditions cause new Adaptive Capabilities to emerge
“The problems we face cannot be solved at the same
level of thinking we were at when we created them”
Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955)
“We are shaping the world faster than we can
change ourselves and we are applying to the present
the habits of the past”
Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965)
“Any challenge as complex and multifaceted as
climate change is not susceptible to simple solutions.
It requires a holistic approach and the combined
efforts of the global community to both mitigate and
adapt to the effects of climate change”
Roger Ferguson – Vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System till 2006

14. 14
Yellow
V
Meme
Integral/Ecological Meme – starting 50 years ago
Worldwide:
The world is a chaotic organism forged by differences
and change
Mindset:
Flexibility, functionality, self-responsibility and
spontaneity have highest priority
Manifestations:
Integrative structures, systems thinking, “Third Way”
politics

15. 15
Turquoise
V
Meme
Holistic/Global Meme – starting 30 years ago
Worldwide:
An elegantly balanced system of interlocking forces
Mindset:
Experience the wholeness of existence through mind
and spirit
Manifestations:
Holonic, intuitive thinking; global networks for global
results

16. 16
Enters minds of
prophets &
visionaries
Becomes “cutting
edge”
Attacked by
antibodies of
earlier
V
MEMEs
Residue
remains
Codified by
truth-
keepers
Starts to become
calcified
& rigidised
Becomes
symbols &
rituals
Modus operandi
no longer handles
problem
Spreads
widely
FIRST
AWAKENING
ENTERING
DOMINANT
THINKING
PEAK
EXITING
A
V
MEME’s life cycle

17. 17
Descending
V
MEME
Ascending
V
MEME
Wave-like development of
V
MEME’s

18. 18
Individual potential for change
Open
Arrested
Closed
Relief from immediate problems
Create some relief from current problems to allow some freedom and excess energy to
explore the next more complex systems
Discomfort with the status quo
Awareness of the growing gap between the life conditions and the current means for
handling these problems.
Enough turbulence to create a sense that ‘something is wrong’ without so much chaos that
the whole world seems to be coming apart.
Insights into alternatives
What went wrong with the previous system and why
What resources are available for handling the problems better
Barriers identified and resolved
Eliminate
By-passed
Neutralised
Reframed
Endurance
Overcoming the confusion, false starts, long learning curves and awkward assimilation
Moving from high energy awakenings to mature expressions
Moving from the individual to the collective shift
The six conditions for change

19. 19
The seven variations of change
Quantum
Movement in a number of
v
Memes simultaneously
Seen in era-shifts like the Industrial Revolution or
Information Age
Shift Up
Evolution of critical mass to the next
v
Meme
Break Out
Assault on barriers
Risks regressions
Stretch Up
Dominant thinking remains in current
v
Meme but
incorporates some elements of more complex
v
Meme
Stretch Down
Temporary reawakening of earlier
v
Meme
Expand Out
Richer content
Enhanced thinking
Fine Tune
Same thinking
Improve techniques

20. 20
Historical worldviews
CognitionBehavioural Cultural Social
Turquoise holarchical integral
mature
worldcentric
informational
Yellow holistic systemic
mature
worldcentric
informational
Green pluralisticpostmodern worldcentricinformational
Orange rational modern worldcentric industrial
Blue traditionalconformist ethnocentric agrarian
Red power predatory egocentric horticultural
Purple magical animistic egocentric foraging
Beige instinctual archaic pre-egocentric foraging

21. 21
Some Dr. Clare W. Graves quotes
“I am not saying in this conception of adult behaviour that one style
of being, one form of human existence is inevitably and in all
circumstances superior to or better than another form of human
existence, another style of being.
What I am saying is that when one form of being is more congruent
with the realities of existence, then it is the better form of living for
those realities.
And what I am saying is that when one form of existence ceases to
be functional for the realities of existence then some other form,
either higher or lower in the hierarchy, is the better style of living.
I do suggest, however, and this I deeply believe is so, that for the
overall welfare of total man’s existence in this world, over the long
run of time, higher levels are better than lower levels and that the
prime good of any society’s governing figures should be to promote
human movement up the levels of human existence.”

22. 22
The marks of Spiral Wizards
Spiral Wizards Think in OPEN Systems rather than
CLOSED Final States.
Spiral wizards Live and work within Natural Flows and
Rhythms.
The Ultimate Goal of Spiral Wizards is to Keep the Spiral
Healthy.
Spiral Wizards Interact Comfortably with Many
Conceptual Worlds.
Spiral Wizards Possess a Full Complement of Resources,
Strategies, and Skills.
Spiral Wizards are Systemic Thinkers and Integrative
Problem Solvers.
Spiral Wizards Possess a Unique Blend of Personal
Beliefs and Values.

23. 23
Principle I: Humans possess the capacity to create new
V
MEMEs
Principle II: Life conditions awaken
V
MEMEs which may
emerge, surge, regress, or fade in response
Principle III:
V
MEMEs zigzag between Express-self and
Sacrifice-self themes
Principle IV:
V
MEMEs emerge along the Spiral in a wave-
like fashion
Principle V:
V
MEMEs spiral up and down through levels of
complexity
Principle VI:
V
MEMEs coexist within our onion-like
profiles
Principle VII:
V
MEMEs cluster in Tiers of Six along the
Spiral
Principles

24. 24
v
Meme qualities

V
MEMEs manifest the core intelligences that form
systems and impact human behaviour

V
MEMEs impact all of life’s choices

V
MEMEs express both healthy (for-better) and
unhealthy (for-worse) qualities

V
MEMEs are structures of thinking

V
MEMEs can brighten and dim as Life Conditions
change

25. 25
25
V
MEMEs express
both healthy
(for-better) and
unhealthy
(for-worse)
qualities
V
MEMEs can
brighten and
dim as Life
Conditions
change
V
MEMEs
are structures
of thinking
V
MEMEs
impact all of
life’s choices
V
MEMEs manifest
the core
intelligences
that form
systems
and impact
human behaviour.
V
MEME
QUALITIES
A
V
MEMEs transposes itself into
a world view, a value system, a
level of psychological existence,
a belief structure, organising
principles, a way of thinking,
and a mode of living.
v
Meme qualities

26. 26
VMEME Detection: A Check-List of Recognition Principles
Step outside your own
V
MEME profile
Identify the prevailing Life Conditions
Ask the ‘why?’ question
Different
V
MEMEs may brighten in different situations
Realise that an organisation is also a mixture of
V
MEMEs,
not a simple type
Remember that
V
MEMEs ebb and flow as conditions get
better or worse.