Chapter 12 -- Spiral
Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change
Blue (TruthForce) The Purposeful Meme
red/BLUE: Entering Phase
Attention to consequences and deferred gratification are clearly replacing the Red memes egocentric impulsiveness.
Other people become increasingly relevant as beings with rights and worth.
The meme awakens to stabilize the tumultuous rivalries of Red
This meme binds impulses within rather that wildly expressing them.
A driving force in red/BLUE is the purging of impure thoughts and conversation of those who think wrongly.
When the BLUE meme takes firm hold, one feels the joy of purpose, reason, and direction in life.
When you are looking into BLUE, it is particularly important to differentiate the container and its contents.
One is expected to know one's place and keep it.
The categorical world BLUE creates is also hierarchical.
Blue often comes across as rigid, dogmatic, and redundant.
Guilt peaks in Blue and is integrated as a routine part of living.
The pleasure in life comes from serving the Way and obedience.
Good opposes Evil in an ongoing battle for dominion.
Behavioral freedom is tightly restricted by guilt and the fear of punishment.
Everything in Blue has a purpose, a place, and a reason.
There is a grand design behind existence and purpose to everything.
Everyone sacrifices for the common good.
Understanding and tolerance are limited.
In Blue people are selective in their choices of friends.
People prefer tight structure, certain schedules, and clear consequences.
Standards for proper behavior are detailed and strictly enforced.
The meme is not uncharitable.
BLUE/orange: Exiting Phase
At this phase of BLUE/orange we find a cautious, inoffensive, controlled move back toward independent thinking.
There is no room for Red house-play and no time for enjoying one's self in this highly compartmentalized thinking.
One feels a moral commitment to produce neat, precise, and successful outputs.
Tests and permits are assurances of meeting BLUE/orange specifications.
At first, BLUE/orange begins to gently assert the self against the deficiencies and errors.
The assessment of proper authority is moving from the outside of locus back within one's own right-thinking mind.
Beck, D.E. & Cowan, C.C. Spiral Dynamics: Mastering Values, Leadership, and Change.