Your worldview is a meme—and it’s clashing with everyone else’s.
Why do humans butt heads endlessly? How can smart people see the world so differently? What’s fueling the culture wars? Spiral Dynamics cracks the code—revealing the hidden stages shaping our values, conflicts, and growth.
What is Spiral Dynamics?
Think of it as a psychological roadmap for why we think, act, and argue the way we do. Developed by Clare Graves and later expanded by Don Beck, Christopher Cowan, and Ken Wilber, Spiral Dynamics maps eight developmental stages—each a unique lens on values and worldview.
These stages aren’t just personal; they shape entire cultures. Once you know this system, you’ll begin to see the memetic values of each stage in everything—including the news. From survival-driven Beige to order-obsessed Blue, to the pluralistic Green, we all grow through these stages. So does society. So do you.
This week, let’s decode three current headlines through this lens. You’ll never see the world the same way again.
1. Trump’s Call for Religious Revival: Blue’s Iron Grip
At a National Prayer Day event, former President Donald Trump vowed to “make America religious again,” declaring that “we must be one nation under God” to counter the “radical left.”
Spiral Dynamics Lens: This is classic Blue (TruthForce / Amber Mythic)—a worldview craving order, hierarchy, absolute truth, and divine authority. Think of it as the backbone of most Abrahamic religions: “Our God is the true God. Our way is the only way.” It’s Bible Belt America. It’s traditional Islam. Trump’s rhetoric activates a population whose center of gravity sits in Blue. This is why many see him as a priestly or godlike figure—especially post-assassination attempt. Blue seeks stability, clear moral structure, and an “us vs. them” narrative.
2. Mourning Pope Francis: Blue’s Sacred Rituals
The passing of Pope Francis led to a global outpouring of grief, with millions participating in traditional Catholic ceremonies. The world watched as ritual met mourning.
Spiral Dynamics Lens: Again—Blue in full expression. Hierarchical. Ritualistic. Anchored in collective faith. The Church offers meaning through tradition and duty. There’s no greater rupture than losing the man at the top of the sacred structure. Yet, in our pluralistic societies, Blue often clashes with individualism and modern values.
This tension plays out in Conclave (2024), where a progressive American cardinal warns against electing an ethnocentric Italian or a culturally conservative African pope. Despite surface-level diversity, both embody strong Blue traits—rigid dogma, moral absolutism, and nationalism. These conflict with Green’s universal compassion and relativism—often dismissed today as naïve or weak.
Why It Matters: Blue offers comfort and order—but resists evolution. Do these rituals ground you? Or feel outdated? No wonder Trump would love to be pope.
3. Tech Mogul’s AI Utopia: Orange Meets Yellow
At a global summit, a tech billionaire (let’s call them “Elon 2.0”) proposed a vision of AI-run cities: efficient, wealthy, sustainable. Critics called it elitist. Supporters saw salvation.
Spiral Dynamics Lens: This is pure Orange (Achiever / Multiplistic) with glimpses of Yellow (Integrative). Orange values innovation, autonomy, and rational progress—think Silicon Valley, free markets, and success-driven metrics. Yellow surfaces in the system-thinking and sustainability talk—but the dominant driver is Orange’s ambition and tech optimism.
The vision appeals to those who trust progress, but alienates Green’s equity concerns and Blue’s moral structures.
Why It Matters: Orange builds the modern world, but can feel soulless. Are you inspired—or uneasy?
Why Spiral Dynamics Matters Now
This isn’t just a framework—it’s psychoactive. Once you learn it, you can’t unsee it. It explains why Trump’s base romanticizes the past, why mourners lean on sacred rituals, and why tech visionaries chase disruption at all costs. Each stage has strengths and blind spots—and we each carry values from multiple stages. You likely have a “center of gravity.”
For example:
Do you believe “Christ is King”?
Are you skeptical of the UN or WEF?
Do you study your Torah, Quran, or Bible weekly?
Do you believe women should stay home under a husband’s authority?
That’s Blue. That’s Amber Mythic. That’s a worldview rooted in mythic literalism—the belief that Moses literally parted the sea, that Ganesh literally has an elephant’s head, that your neighbour is literally an infidel.
Understanding Spiral Dynamics turns the news from noise into insight. Headlines become more than “events”—they’re memetic clashes of development. And with that lens, you can navigate the world with both clarity and compassion.
Ending Note: Where Are You on the Spiral?
Which stories resonated most? Are you drawn to Blue’s stability, Orange’s drive, or Yellow’s systems view?
Remember:
“Your conflict isn’t with them—it’s with their stage. See it, and you’re free.”