Category: Spiral Dynamics

Spiral Dynamics is a model of human biological, psychological, and social development pioneered by Clare Graves during the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. He called it The Emergent Cyclical Levels of Existence Theory. He wanted a more robust model for understanding and predicting human behavior and development than Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Grave’s work was taken up by two of his students, Don Beck and Christopher Cowan and developed into a book. Spiral Dynamics: mastering values, leadership, and change was first published in 1996. This work has been and continues to be hugely important in psycho and social realms today. Recently, Spiral Dynamics has been increasingly referenced by the spiritual community as a terrific model for understanding human levels of consciousness.

Spiral Dynamics is incredibly complex and nuanced. The goal of this post is to provide an overview so that I can reference the model in later posts and even go into more depth in the future. I have found the model to be very effective for my own understanding of human behavior, development and existential awareness. It is important to note that Spiral Dynamics is a conceptual model to better understand the human bio/psycho/social predicament, and not a hard fast tool that quantifies any one human being. Like all of reality, humans are not finite. We are ever changing, and to place restrictions would be misrepresenting  our potential. That said, to be human is to quantify, label, and conceptualize and Spiral Dynamics does that very well.

To better understand the approach that Graves used to assess his subjects, I have provided a quote from his work.

“Those who have tried to develop instruments have based them on what people think, do or believe, which is not the proper base for assessment devices. They should be based not on what the person thinks but how s/he thinks, not on what people do or what they believe but how they do what they do, and how they believe that which they do believe.”

www.clarewgraves.com

This is important to consider because humans place importance on content and action. These two things are relative to each person as I’ve mentioned in previous posts so evaluating them is futile. No, the best way to understand each other is by connecting with the ideology each of us employs. Much of the time people are not aware how they approach any given situation. Spiral Dynamics is the model that helps us to understand this.

The model, as its name suggests, is a spiral with different colors denoting the stages. The reason for the spiral is two-fold. It reveals the fluid nature of all positions and that they are continuous with others. Also, the two sides of the spiral represent the primary perspective most influential in that stage. The left side, the warm colors, operate from the perspective of ‘self’. The right half, the cool colors, operate from the perspective of ‘other’. The colored stages represent how individuals, groups, and societies view the world and their methods of approaching the challenges that arise from those views.  

The first stage is beige. It is the most primitive with basic needs being the utmost concern. The human most associated with this stage would be an infant or someone with a debilitating mental condition such as Alzheimer’s. They do not have the mental capacity or awareness to concern themselves with anything beyond their own survival.

Next is purple. This stage can be explained best by examining tribal culture. The family or the tribe is the key to individual survival. Tradition and ancestors are the foundation for much of the belief system found in purple. As such, magic and ritual are key components of this stage. There is a connection with the land and therefore, it is revered usually through the creation of deities. Most often there will be a shaman or medicine man who is responsible for maintaining the people’s connection to spirits, ancestors, and tradition. Examples of stage purple are Native American culture, Amazonian tribal culture, and African tribal culture.

Stage red is the third stage, but second ‘self’ stage. It is egocentric and often exploitative. The motto is as follows: kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, survival of the fittest, I gotta get mine. Survival of the individual is paramount at any cost. Rules of society are an obstacle to be overcome because they put limitations on the expression and acquisition of happiness for this individual. The worldview of stage red is that life is a jungle. Its uncertainty and danger warrants being ruthless and distrustful. Some examples might include dictators, gang members, and revolutionaries in unstable regions of Africa.

Blue is the second stage of ‘other’ and the fourth stage on the spiral. Authoritative conditions are key to maintaining order. Everyone has a role to play for the greater good of society. People in this stage feel connected to their role because it gives their life meaning and a sense continuity. Rules must be followed to maintain order otherwise that which is considered right and good will be defeated by the darkness and chaos that is inherent in the world. A divine figurehead emerges as the central authority to guide the human hand. In stage blue, one often considers the purpose of life and the grand plan. Heaven and Hell emerge as rewards and punishments respectively because these are the motivational forces for a stage blue person. Unlike the first three stages, stage blue examples are prolific all over the world because much of humanity resides in stage blue and or stage orange. Good examples include Christianity, Islam, the United States government, Hinduism, Zen Buddhism, and Victorian England. 

Stage orange is marked by autonomy and ambition. It operates from the perspective of ‘self.’ The world is full of opportunities, one just has to seize them. Play to win and enjoy the ride. Stage orange is all about excelling and achieving. This is not to be confused with stage red however. A stage red person would take what they want even if it meant hurting someone else. A stage orange person would strive for that same goal only they might bend the rules to find a grey area from which to operate. The main difference is that the orange person doesn’t want to directly infringe on someone else’s rights, but if it happens inadvertently then so be it. In stage orange, one must work to get ahead because the rewards are there for those that want them badly enough. From the framework of stage orange, there are many solutions to a problem, but one is the best. Orange recognizes that the forces of nature are far more powerful but seeks to control them or manipulate them anyway. Modern day science is the religion of stage orange while the motto is: seek out the good life and acquire material things.

The green perspective has shifted back towards ‘other.’ It promotes harmony and generosity. The green motto, peace and love for all, is easily labeled as hippie and liberal by other stages on the spiral. Green understands that only through communication and acceptance of others can a community thrive. Each person deserves an equal voice and representation if they want to be part of the group. Green is also responsible for the birth of minimalism. It is of course a reaction to excessive and over-indulgent orange. Green’s foundational strength of equality also happens to be why the structure eventually falls. Not everyone is equal in their bio/psycho/social development and pushing this agenda like green does causes a misuse of resources as well as communal guilt for the suffering of the less fortunate. Green lacks real direction from a yellow leader to be fully realized, and is susceptible to group think. True spirituality emerges in green, though it won’t fully blossom until turquoise.

The first six stages represent the first tier of the Spiral Dynamics model. Exiting green and moving to yellow signifies a jump in consciousness. Up to this point, each respective stage is unaware of the other. To them, other worldviews are considered a threat, an obstacle, evil, inefficient, or uncaring. When people of the first tier and different stages come together, they tend argue, bicker, ignore one another, and generally fail to understand each other. It is normal upon discovering this model to believe we are at a different stage in our development than we are, but the truth of the matter is that just about 99% of the world’s population is in this first tier. The first tier is about humanity’s challenges in evolving from its primal nature alongside other species of the planet. The second tier however, is concerned with the global, holistic challenges of humanity as a unique being emerging in the sea of creation. People in the second tier have a mutual understanding and respect for others at any other stage of development along the spiral.  

As yellow rises, its like taking a step back and going macro; a bigger picture emerges. Its time to focus from the ‘self’ perspective again, but this time its from a more mature and integrative position. Yellow relies on their own knowledge and understanding rather than the opinions of others, but that is not to say it discounts those opinions. Stage yellow is a problem solver and systemic thinker. It recognizes the value of knowledge and personal development not because there is something tangible to be gained, but merely for the sake of understanding and knowing. Yellow’s hallmarks are flexibility and spontaneity. It recognizes patterns in the ever-changing movement of human dynamics. By looking to astrophysics, advanced mathematics, and quantum mechanics, it can satiate its thirst for understanding the ebb and flow of the cosmos.

Turquoise is the next stage to emerge, and is a return to the viewpoint of ‘other.’ From this place, the focus shifts to the good of all living entities rather than just those of humans. Harmonizing with all life is the goal and the point of this existence. Turquoise interacts with the first tier of the spiral fluidly and holistically. Conscious awareness expands to incorporate broader aspects of mind and psychic phenomena. Where green is enthralled with the esoteric talents of gurus and mystics, turquoise recognizes their abilities as inherent to this human experience. The primary concern of turquoise is the interdependence and mutual connection of all things. Any action will reverberate throughout and so careful consideration is given. The turquoise way of thinking has no qualms about shedding a perspective in favor of another because there is little to no ego remaining at this point. A different point-of-view is just another expression of the life experience.

You will notice that each stage builds off the worldview and life conditions of previous stages. In fact, the emergence of the next stage is in response to the problems and inadequacies that arise in the current stage. Also, each stage is an evolved version of the previous respective ‘other’ and ‘self’ stage. The ‘other’ emerges as a result of the limitations found in the previous ‘self’ stage. The next ‘self’ stage emerges in response to the limitations found in the previous ‘other’ stage. It is also important to remember that human life conditions fluctuate and people can move up and down the spiral in response to these changes, but will typically come to rest again within one stage. Some people will spend the majority of their lives in one stage while others may catapult through multiple stages. It comes down to individual life conditions and the person’s ability to respond and learn from them.

As previously stated, this material can be challenging to digest. This shouldn’t intimidate or discourage one from exploring it deeper. If approached with an open mind, value can be extracted by those of all stages. The information here is my brief assessment of Spiral Dynamics after studying and researching the material and contemplating on it for the last couple of years.  This model sheds light on how moving up the spiral initiates greater awareness of not only ourselves, but of others. It shows how an increase in consciousness benefits all life and that it is inevitable. Where one is on the spiral has no greater or lesser value than another place. We are all on our own journey and not in competition with anyone else. Everyone’s perspective provides value as a piece of the ever-expanding puzzle. Without your worldview, this reality would not be complete.