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An Interview With Don Beck
Dr. Don Beck
I think I'm beginning to see people as colors! Having just immersed myself
for the past three months in Spiral Dynamics—an incisive and far—reaching
theory of human development—I can say without exaggeration that Spiral
Dynamics is, indeed, one of the major breakthroughs in mapping and managing
complexity—that complexity being us. Our diverse worldviews, our beliefs,
our very identities, represented by eight "memes," or value systems, which
apply as much to individuals as to entire cultures. And, as I am discovering,
this dynamic spiral-shaped model of human consciousness, with its hierarchy
of color-coded memes, is literally coloring my perception.
I was at a friend's wedding and suddenly realized that I was seeing the
BLUE (absolutist) meme in the conservatively-dressed woman wearing a crucifix,
the ORANGE (achievist) meme in the young go-getter with the Rolex, the GREEN
(egalitarian) meme in the aging bearded hippie. And not only that—I'm
beginning to see just how "GREEN" I am, with my longing for communal living
and acceptance, my strong bias against corporations and political conservatives,
and my passion for environmental causes, even though I am, admittedly, attached
to driving my Audi (ORANGE), fast (RED—impulsive)!
Should I be worried? Am I typecasting other people, and myself, with these
apparently broad-brushed, color-coded characterizations called "memes"?
Is the Spiral Dynamics model, comprised of these memes, simply a convenient
way to avoid having to grapple with the complexity and diversity of human
beings and the challenge to discern who we really are? On the contrary,
I have been finding that, rather than a cold analytical detachment or one-dimensional
perspective, Spiral Dynamics is giving rise to a profound clarity of insight
into the sweeping patterns of human psychologies, beliefs, and values (including
my own) that are, often unconsciously, guiding our choices and shaping our
very identities. Spiral Dynamics is also resulting in an unexpected and
liberating objectivity because it places my own experience in the context
of the entire history of human psychological development, the totality of
which is present in each of us—from the most primitive survivalist
instincts (BEIGE) to evolved spiritual aspirations (TURQUOISE), with, in
my case, a good dose of righteous eco-egalitarianism (GREEN) thrown in!
But why a spiral, you might ask? Spirals are a dynamic expression of natural
and cosmic forces, a "dominant universal fractal" evident in everything
from our DNA code to the spiraling galaxies that inhabit the universe. Spiral
Dynamics posits that the evolution of human consciousness can best be represented
in this way: by a dynamic, upward spiraling structure that charts our evolving
thinking systems as they arc higher and higher through levels of increasing
complexity. Certainly, human consciousness has dramatically increased in
complexity over the span of millennia, as evidenced by our fast-paced highly
interactive world. But, despite any illusions I may have about how far up
the spiral I am in my technology-rich postmodern life, according to Spiral
Dynamics, we human beings are only just emerging from the first great episode
of human history—a 100,000-year epoch defined fundamentally by survivalism:
the Spiral's "First Tier."
Dr. Don E. Beck has been developing, teaching, and implementing Spiral Dynamics
for nearly three decades. Transmitting the genuinely inclusive or "integral"
perspective that is the essence of the Spiral Dynamics model, Beck portrays
the vast tapestry of global cultures with the care, insight, and easy familiarity
with which one might speak about the members of one's extended family, each
with their unique capacities and challenges. And this evolved humanitarianism
conveys Beck's passionate and sincere conviction that Spiral Dynamics can
resolve the immense challenges and responsibilities we face at this juncture
in history.
Indeed, one could call Don Beck a philosopher-activist for the new millennium.
As cofounder of the National Values Center in Denton, Texas, and President
and CEo of the Spiral Dynamics Group, Inc., a global enterprise, he is,
by his own definition, a "Spiral Wizard," employing the Spiral Dynamics
model to effect large-scale systems change in and among various sectors
and societies of the world. Together with Christopher Cowan, he wrote Spiral
Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change in 1996,
which is based on and enhances the groundbreaking "Value Systems" theory
of human development proposed by the late Professor Clare Graves. Beck's
long consulting career has taken him to such diverse settings as 10 Downing
Street, to meet with members of Tony Blair's Policy Unit; inner-city Chicago,
to address the difficulties faced by educational institutions there; the
World Bank, to address the future of Afghanistan; and the boardrooms of
major banks, energy companies, airlines, and government agencies.
Don Beck has discussed racial issues with President Bill Clinton and deep
reconciliation strategies with President Nelson Mandela, playing a central
role in the peaceful creation of a democratic South Africa, for which he
received a legislative honor in 1996 in his home state of Texas. More recently,
he has joined forces with integral philosopher Ken Wilber and President
of the Arlington Institute John Petersen, among others, to make Spiral Dynamics
an even more powerful tool "for managing large-scale interventions, change,
and transformation"—a new initiative called "Spiral Dynamics integral"
(SDi).
Drawing from his vast experience, Dr. Beck illustrates why Spiral Dynamics
is invaluable for anyone who sincerely recognizes the necessity for human
transformation and global reconciliation at this critical and all-demanding
period in history. And indeed, as one becomes familiar with Spiral Dynamics,
it easily becomes apparent why this compelling theory is called nothing
less than "a new definition of human nature [and of the] evolutionary significance
of human intelligence."
- The world is a single, dynamic organism
with its own collective mind
- Self is both distinct and a blended part
of a larger, compassionate whole
- Everything connects to everything else in
ecological alignments
- Energy and information permeate the Earth's
total environment
- Holistic, intuitive thinking and cooperative
actions are to be expected
YELLOW Integrative
MEME—starting 50 years ago
Basic theme: Live fully and responsibly as what you are and learn
to become
- Life is a kaleidoscope of natural hierarchies,
systems, and forms
- The magnificence of existence is valued
over material possessions
- Flexibility, spontaneity, and functionality
have the highest priority
- Differences can be integrated into interdependent,
natural flows
- Understands that chaos and change are natural
"What I am proposing is that the psychology
of the mature human being is an unfolding, emergent, oscillating, spiraling
process, marked by progressive subordination of older, lower-order behavior
systems to newer, higher-order systems as man's existential problems change."
Dr. Clare Graves
First Tier: "Subsistence" valueMEMES
GREEN Communitarian/Egalitarian
MEME - starting 150 years ago
Basic theme: Seek peace within the inner self and explore, with
others, the caring dimensions of community
- The human spirit must be freed from greed,
dogma, and divisiveness
- Feelings, sensitivity, and caring supersede
cold rationality
- Spreads the Earth's resources and opportunities
equally among all
- Reaches decisions through reconciliation
and consensus processes
- Refreshes spirituality, brings harmony,
and enriches human development
ORANGE Achievist/Strategic
MEME - starting 300 years ago
Basic theme: Act in your own self-interest by playing the game
to win
- Change and advancement are inherent within
the scheme of things
- Progresses by learning nature's secrets
and seeking out best solutions
- Manipulates Earth's resources to create
and spread the abundant good life
- Optimistic, risk-taking, and self-reliant
people deserve success
- Societies prosper through strategy, technology,
and competitiveness
BLUE Purposeful/Authoritarian
MEME - starting 5,000 years ago
Basic theme: Life has meaning, direction, and purpose with predetermined
outcomes
- One sacrifices self to the transcendent
Cause, Truth, or righteous Pathway
- The Order enforces a code of conduct based
on eternal, absolute principles
- Righteous living produces stability now
and guarantees future reward
- Impulsivity is controlled through guilt;
everybody has their proper place
- Laws, regulations, and discipline build
character and moral fiber
RED Impulsive/Egocentric
MEME - starting 10,000 years ago
Basic theme: Be what you are and do what you want, regardless
- The world is a jungle full of threats and
predators
- Breaks free from any domination or constraint
to please self as self desires
- Stands tall, expects attention, demands
respect, and calls the shots
- Enjoys self to the fullest right now without
guilt or remorse
- Conquers, out-foxes, and dominates other
aggressive characters
PURPLE Magical/Animistic
MEME - starting 50,000 years ago
Basic theme: Keep the spirits happy and the tribe's nest warm
and safe
- Obeys the desires of the spirit being and
mystical signs
- Shows allegiance to chief, elders, ancestors,
and the clan
- Individual subsumed in group
- Preserves sacred objects, places, events,
and memories
- Observes rites of passage, seasonal cycles,
and tribal customs
BEIGE Instinctive/Survivalistic
MEME - starting 100,000 years ago
Basic theme: Do what you must just to stay alive
- Uses instincts and habits just to survive
- Distinct self is barely awakened or sustained
- Food, water, warmth, sex, and safety have
priority
- Forms into survival bands to perpetuate
life
- Lives "off the land" much as other animals
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