Don Beck - 10 Essential Qualities for a "New Paradigm"

Albert Klamt posted this at his blog, and I thought it deserved more attention from the integral community.

Here are Don Beck's 10 Essential Qualities for a new paradigm:

Any new paradigm will need to be an open system rather than a closed state since conditions constantly change.

Any new paradigm must be consistent with current research into the deepest functions within the human brain.

Any new paradigm must subsume all previous paradigms as being legitimate for different times and circumstances.

Any new paradigm must be able to penetrate all areas of human life - biology, psychology, spirituality etc.

Any new paradigm must accommodate the full texture of human cultural differences as they evolve over time.

Any new paradigm must contain an effective mix of political and economic models calibrated to stages of emergence.

Any new paradigm should be able to anticipate different realities, future visions and contain its own sunset clause.

Any new paradigm must address multiple bottom-lines on issues regarding standards of living and the quality of life.

Any new paradigm should contain the DNA-like codes to reveal its assumptions in a clear, understandable manner.

Any new paradigm should be equally relevant to individuals, organizational groupings, and to society-at-large.

Albert posted these additional thoughts from Don:

".... I must admit that I have little interest in history right now but only in creating enough focused energy and insight to deal with serious problems in our current society, so we can have "a history" worth recording. So, I am only interested in mobilizing enough of a critical mass to get to the core of these problems, so when efforts are compromised, or they dissipate into a series of "mini" efforts, then we have lost any leverage. Orange does that to us...-

I have found the work of Graves to be extremely powerful and a pure, clear tone, especially the major piece on how systems change that I do not find anywhere else. We had had a unique set of experiences over the last 35 years that have taught us a great deal about complex transformations. I am a student of the human spiral, and there are many different wrappings -- and I like them all -- but I cannot carry them all into the real world because the audience would be so confused."

Good stuff.

I think the ten points are essential to any new system that hopes to be integral in any way. It's the first time I have seen anything spelled out so clearly, offering a set of principles for the rest of us to use in seeking integral systems in whatever field in which we are working.

Tags: Don Beck, 10 Essential Qualities, New Paradigm, Spiral Dynamics, Integral, society, systems thinking, Clare Graves