The Mean Green Meme

Another SD related post..  

I was thinking recenly about how it seems so easy for an ideology that otherwise stands for very positive things can often be so challenging to work with.   things like equality, inclusion, freedom of expression.  things we all can agree are good.  but how often do we find people who otherwise seems to stand for these things to be able to get aggressive or show disrespect towards others while standing up for compassion, respect, free expression and equality?

In the Spiral Dynamics theory of psychology/anthropology this egalitarian level of the spiral is said to be GREEN.   Most all civil liberties and anti-establishment movements tend to have what they call a GREEN center of gravity.

But if this ideology is all about standing up for human rights and wanting every voice to be heard how does it begin to go wrong?

this is lifted from the Spiral Dynamics article that was published in wie. 

 

 

What this negative version of GREEN does is destroy the capacity of ORANGE and BLUE social and economic systems to actually address the gaps that GREEN itself has identified.  It destroys ORANGE economic structures.  And it also destroys BLUE authoritarian systems, which are necessary to control RED…  It therefore becomes counterproductive.  It makes things worse.  It relieves RED of the responsibility to learn discipline and purpose in BLUE-ORANGE…   And in destroying the authoritarian, purifying systems in BLUE and ORANGE, there’s the flooding of RED undisciplined, egocentric, impulsive behavior into the GREEN zone, both in one’s self and in societies.  And it is this unhealthy meshing of RED and GREEN, in which strong egocentric narcissism combines with pontification about humanity and equality that becomes the breeding ground for what some are beginning to call the “Mean Green Meme”…

whoa.   seems kind of harsh.  

i think that's kind of the point though.  they say later in the article (which is really more of an interview) that this concept is meant to "uncap" GREEN.  to encourage it to rise above what is described in order to release the block from second tier YELLOW.  I feel many times i've seen this "mean green" rear it's head in my life and those around me.

Just thought I'd share this as the analysis does pose a challenge to keep the ego in check while trying to hold true to what we value.