2.1 A Quick Example of a Development Theory

The Spiral

I’m sorry. I can’t go any longer without seeing an example of the development theory. We’ve talked about grades in schools and the letter, word, sentence, model, but I need some more substance.

You’ve been very patient. Thanks for hanging in there. I think the following preview^⁠1 of Spiral Dynamics MEMEs does a great job of introducing what we will be working with. This is nearly verbatim and each level includes the Color label, the “popular name,” and the basic motives of those at that level. I have included the full list of SD MEMEs and bolded are the 5 that I will be using most often in our discussions.

BEIGE, SurvivalSense, staying alive through innate sensory equipment.

PURPLE, KinSpirits, blood relationships and myth in a magical and scary world.

RED, PowerGods, enforces power over self, others, and nature through independence, strength, and power. (This is a small but loud segment of our population.)

BLUE, TruthForce, belief in one right way and obedience to authority. (Possibly the largest segment of the US.)

ORANGE, StriveDrive, focuses thinking and skills on making things better for self, family, organization, etc. (About as large as the Blue cohort.)

GREEN, HumanBond, well-being of people and building consensus to meet human needs. (Smaller than Blue and Orange, but outspoken and often activist.)

YELLOW, FlexFlow, flexible adaptation to change through connected, big-picture views. (Small but growing segment, with vital contributions to make.)

TURQUOISE, GlobalView, attention to whole-earth dynamics and macro-level actions.

Are these descriptions seen as positive or negative? Are these good or bad groups?

Each level has positive features and a “shadow” side. Given the vast possibilities of human capability and fallibility, each level can manifest in infinite ways. And yet, there is a thematic similarity to the positive and negative outcomes that I think you will see in upcoming discussions.

What ages do these stages show up?

A nice segue to our next discussions! To give you a vague and accurate answer, each stage has something like a bell curve representing ages of the cohort, which means…it depends. Two important things are at play: we develop at different rates, and we are never purely at one stage.

Does the example above help you get a feel for a developmental model?

[After thinking about this for a few hours…] I’ve been thinking about myself and a few people I know, and some people in the news. Just looking inward, I can remember the magical thinking I had when I was a little kid. Much of it came from the Bible; I often imagined the parting of the waters and what the bottom of the seabed would have looked like and what panic I would have felt as the walls of water caved in on the Egyptians. I could really get wrapped up in that scene.

Really evocative isn’t it? Some theories emphasize the power of myth for this stage. Later on we will learn that not only do developmental theories involve individuals, but they help explain groups, tribes, religions, and eras in time. Our cultural heritage can be told as a developmental tale. When we dismiss religions because of their fantastical stories, we dismiss our cultural heritage, how we made sense to ourselves in earlier times, and how we still make sense to ourselves during our formative years.

I can remember the Purple stage but I don’t really remember the Red, power stage.

One of the “rules” coming in the next few posts is that the stage is not age-dependent, and stages cannot be skipped. Basically, this means that our experience of some stages is dramatic and memorable, while others might be subtle and forgettable. According to development theory, each stage is a prerequisite for the next. Each stage develops, at least partially, to solve problems of the previous stage, so the rebellion inherent in Red is responding to the overly insular closeness of Purple.

For several reasons, people can also become stuck in a stage, so there are relatively few adults still in Red; however, they can cause an inordinate amount of trouble in our families, organizations, and communities.

Hang on to your thoughts and memories about the stages. We will explore them in all the detail you want, but first let’s review the rules that hold development theories together.

¹ Beck and Cowan, Sprial Dynamics: Mastering values, leadership and change. p.41, 2006