Recognizing the 2nd Tier
Posted on Feb 3rd, 2006
by
Robin
Sometimes it's a tricky thing to know what level of consciousness myself or someone I am dealing with is coming from. Try as we might to act from our highest truth we are complex beings with so many variables and natural tendencies towards previous levels of the spiral when triggered.
For anyone that doesn't know what I am talking about check out the theory of Spiral Dynamics and how it describes the evolution of human consciousness.
To help in recognizing the 2nd tier I decided to transcribe what is for me a highlight from the Spiral Dynamics book by Don Beck and Christopher Cowan. According to them (and they are the experts) these are the characteristics that someone operating from a 2nd tier center of gravity wiill likely display.
It's essientially what I like to use as a checklist to see how 2nd tier "Yellow" any given decision or tendency is. here goes...
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When it is in charge, the person/group:
- is disinclined to spend much energy on perfunctory niceties unless they are important to others present
- will not waste time on interpersonal gamesmanship or pointless interpretations or contrived layers of meaning or semantic trivia
- values good content, clean information, open channels for finding out more on their own terms, and an attitude of open questioning and discovery
- favors appropriate technology, minimal consumption, and a deliberate effort to avoid waste and clutter
- Has no need for status, exhibitionism, or displays of power unless power is demanded by the Life Conditions
- enjoys human appetites but does not become a compulsive slave to any of them
- is concerned with the long run of time rather than his or her own life or those of other humans
- fully expresses anger, or even hostility, but the emotions are intellectually used rather than emotionally driven or manipulatively applied
- sees life as an up-and-down journey from problem to solution, so both chaos and order are accepted as normal
- replaces anything artificial or contrived with spontaneity, simplicity, and ethics that “make sense”
- seeks after a variety of interests and will elect to do what he or she likes whether or not it is trendy, popular, or valued by others
- cannot be coerced, bribed, or intimidated since there is no compulsion to control or desire to be controlled by others
- will run the gamut of being gentle or ruthless, a conformist or nonconformist, based on the factors involved in a circumstance and the overall interests of life itself
- locates his or her core motivation and evaluative systems within his- or herself, thus becoming relatively immune to external pressure or judgment.
how did you do? ;-)
Tagged with: spiraldynamics, secondtier

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thanks…very helpful stuff!
I love this in referrence obviously to the thread we have both been following from the ideas section… I did not feel the desire to continue any dialogue in that arena. I love what you posted there as well as above.
But I have to confess Headlouse’s finally comment with the Ken Wilber quiz made me laugh out loud for a long time…
Welcome to Zaadz Robin.