Transcending Paradigms: The Most Important Challenge of our Time Pt. 4

Introduction

This series of essays is offered as an inquiry into such questions as:

"What does it mean to be human? What are the obstacles to our 'full flowering'? What is possible for a human being and for society?"

I will attempt to focus on the invisible paradigms (or worldviews) that guide our thoughts, perceptions, and actions. The dominator paradigm is one thoughtform driving societal behavior. Our unconscious penchant for reductionism and fragmentation is another.

In exploring these subjects, I have found an enormous sense of affirmation, and validation--along with a priceless expansion and deepening of perspective. For me it is truly like stumbling upon buried treasure (or perhaps more descriptively, looking carefully and long and deeply into a mystery, and then suddenly unearthing an "open secret" with a feeling of "Aha!"

My conclusion has been that our social institutions, our politicians, power brokers, etc., are using obsolete paradigms to solve our problems - a worldview that is no longer appropriate.

As previously discussed, the "power-over," centralized model is passe'. Philip Slater and Warren Bennis stated more than 50 years ago that democratic systems, for all their disorder and sloppiness, are better equipped to deal with complexity and adaptation to change.

Our dominant culture is in decline because it subscribes to outdated concepts and values.

At the same time, we are seeing a change in consciousness, an emerging, inspiring new vision of reality.

**

There is a habitual, mundane way of operating in which the whole is obscured by the parts of a project. People working on subprojects are isolated from one another. This is how the first atom bomb was constructed. It is now utilized in the massive industry dealing with extraterrestrial visitors.

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