The Spiral of Human Development (Stage Seven)
Order of the Nautilus: Integration, Emergence, and Complexity (Yellow)
At this stage, one has made a quantum leap. Most are not ready. Many will remain mired in the First Tier, clinging to some dogma or the security of in-group affiliation.
Soon, though, a subset of that population will ascend.
(BEIGE) Order of the Naked: Survival, Sensation, and Self-Concept
(GREEN) Order of the Leaf: Environment, Consensus, and Equality
(YELLOW) Order of the Nautilus: Integration, Emergence, and Complexity
(TURQUOISE) Order of the Lotus: Holism, Paradox, and Ineffability
You have made a quantum leap in consciousness. The first thing you see clearly, that you could not before is the value of integrating insights from the prior Stages. Not only does each stage have value in the context of specific historical life conditions, but each has value in the niches of modern life. We must relate to others in different Orders and appreciate the subtler circumstances that require us to see and be in those modalities from time to time.
Those who have not yet ascended might interpret your agile movement among the Stages as wickedness or wizardry. But it will be necessary for those who have ascended to become fluent in each Order’s tongue, including this one.
Apart from the need to integrate diverse values, one of the primary insights of this Stage is the ability to parse two different types of systems: those which we design and those which emerge. The latter, emergent systems, are the hallmark of this Stage. Members of this Order focus on protocol design instead of system design, for the former gives rise to systems that are beyond our ability to design.
Evolution and emergence work together to form complex systems governed more by rules and less by men. Indeed, complex systems exhibit stunning degrees of order, despite our urge to control. And this order, in turn, is essential for understanding the development of life on Earth. Here, one discovers the sweet spot between flexibility and function, which means we must learn to guard against the urge to design and plan everything. This urge can manifest itself as unhealthy technocracy, that is, authoritarian versions of so-called ‘systems thinking.’Â
Add to integration and emergence the ability to live comfortably in the flux and flow of open systems. Life is bountiful in its diversity, and there seems to be a close connection between that very complexity and our flourishing. We know, however, that diversity and complexity can be threatening to those in prior stages, so we must, in our mastery, develop heuristics for those still ascending.
What rules, tools, and cultural norms will help us reckon with the onrushing change?
Mastery in this stage also leads to limits. We alluded to the limitations of systems thinking, which too frequently lapses into technocratic overreach. One can also flock to others who appear to have ascended but, once embroiled, can engage in an obscurantist arms race. On other occasions, one grows weary of interacting with the other Orders on their terms, and she can feel like a chameleon. One day, though, she experiences a breakthrough of sorts. It involves uncovering new mysteries while investigating old ones. Questions beget questions, as doors of the adjacent possible open into spaces of possibility. It consists in wondering at the dynamics of the whole.
Next: Order of the Lotus: Holism, Paradox, and Ineffability (TURQUOISE)
Dr. Don Beck, with co-author Christopher Cowan, expanded Clare Graves's original vision and applied the insights around the world. Dr. Beck passed away on April 17, 2023. May he rest in peace. This series is meant to honor his efforts.