What are Western/national values?

Why do we have different values?

What motivates different people’s behaviour?

Don’t they change with age and situation?

What is the difference between Western values now and on the past?

How can we get people with different values to cooperate?

Values are what we care about. They are the motivations which drive our behaviour and choices. If we clearly know our values and those of others, then we make better decisions, motivate ourselves and get our priorities right. Western values aren’t totally unique or set in stone. They have adapted over time and continue to evolve. For the last 500 years, the West has been developing at a faster rate than the rest of the world, so we have defined ourselves in terms of that difference. What we call Western values mark us out as being at the leading edge of cultural evolution. That includes all the strengths and weaknesses of our current way of life. On the positive side, we value freedom of the individual, freedom of thought, democracy, science, the right to own property, business, education, success, comfort, convenience, safety, materialism, self-criticism, equal rights, equality of opportunity, protection of the weak, inclusion of minorities, freedom of religion, patriotism, justice, fairness, creativity, self-doubt, self-criticism, open mindedness, exploration, self-awareness and continuous evolution. Put all those together and the net Western value is the maximisation of human potential.

Hall and Tonna identified 500 unique global values of which 125 are particularly prominent in Western culture. Our individual values vary according to our situation, stage of development, character and upbringing. The most comprehensive model of values and development is the ‘Emergent, Cyclical, Double-Helix Model of The Adult Human Biopsychosocial Systems’ discovered by Professor Clare Graves. He found a natural pattern in the way that our values unfold according to life conditions. He found an underlying structure of values with eight major value systems which can be seen in the way that values have changed over time as our life conditions have changed. This model has been built upon by the work of Don Beck and Chris Cowan called ‘Spiral Dynamics.’ They gave each of Graves’ value systems, the name of a colour as a shorthand. The development of human values moves through these stages: BEIGE, PURPLE, RED, BLUE, ORANGE, GREEN, YELLOW and TURQUOISE. These capacities exist in all human beings and are activated by life conditions.

BEIGE: At the earliest stage of human development, survival is the number one value. For 900,000 of the last million years, humans lived in small clans of 1-200 people who were closely related. They were bound by genetics, family and personal relationships. They depended on those groups for survival. They depended for survival on trade and cooperation with other local groups but the norm was one of being highly suspicious of outsiders and well defended from them, for good reason. Life was dangerous. That is not just a part of our history. Every human has the capacity to operate at the level of survival. When there is a natural disaster, a war, a terrorist attack or when someone is vulnerable as a newborn, or sick and elderly, we act instinctively to do whatever we have to in order to survive. Anything else is a waste of time and energy.

PURPLE: Once survival was taken care of, the population increased, tribes expanded and sought more territory and resources which brought them into competition and conflict. Security became the number one value. The tribe protects the territory, that which is sacred, the essential food and water supplies of the people from bandits and other tribes. The group thinks as a whole, acts as one. Deference is shown to the chief, the elders, the family and the shaman. The culture is based on rites, rituals and magic. The thinking is traditional, mythical and superstitious.

We are still tribal, territorial social animals. We belong to intersecting tribes of sports teams, companies, social classes and professional groups. Some people feel Australian, Chinese, Palestinian, Texan or Parisian. Queen Elizabeth II is the British and Commonwealth tribal figurehead, our magical fairy godmother. Traditionally, we were born into a particular tribal group and stayed that way. These days things are becoming more flexible and mixed up.

The PURPLE world view is a powerful force for good or evil. In its healthy manifestation, the PURPLE values system brings family, community, care, togetherness, security and meaning. Honour and deference is the foundation of morality. In its unhealthy forms it brings irrational, superstitious mysticism, unquestioned deference, endemic abuse of hierarchy, ‘honour’ violence, suppression of thought, racism, war and genocide. When a tribe feels violated or threatened, the group draws together as a unit and total war or genocidal rage can be unleashed. In its unconscious form, a group simply acts and thinks as one without awareness. This can be seen when a group gets whipped up into a tribal, ethnic state during a war. In the West, patriarchal subcultures vote en masse in accordance with the decisions of fathers and community leaders.

RED: About 10,000 years ago with the advent of agriculture, sanitation and better organisation, cities began to develop in what is now Syria and then slowly spread round the world. Once things were made safe, people could break out from the stifling tribal conformity to be individuals following their egocentric impulses. The old power structures broke down and a new order was born. In its healthy manifestations RED is courage, risk taking, boldness, force, energy, vitality, sexuality and power. In its unhealthy form it is abuse, bullying, cruelty, continuous conflict, shame, domination, slavery, exploitation, crime and corruption. The boss is interested in power and control, not your feelings or beliefs. Shame and fear is the foundation of morality. RED is the world of might is right. The strong dominate the weak. The clever exploit the naive. The well organised control the masses. It is the world of kings and warlords, a world of constant threat, intrigue, courage, valour, shame, cruelty and brutality. Life is Machiavellian and the laws of the jungle apply with constantly shifting alliances, conflicts and struggle for power. The dominant person does as they please. The weak must serve and obey. Loyalty is demanded and expected. Most of our mediaeval history was spent in this phase with continuous battles between different powerful groups and individuals. The RED system was the major drive behind imperialism. It still exists in all of us today. We seek power, status, possessions, control, sex and money. It is essential in sport, business and politics.

BLUE: Even the most successful people in the RED system cannot rest or sleep safely in their beds because there is always someone out to get you, someone who wants to take your position, power and possessions. Five hundred years ago, exhausted by the costs of continuous warfare, Europeans were hungry for justice, truth, order and stability. This might mean submission to God now for heaven later, or might mean dutifully working in an institution in return for rewards, pensions and benefits in later life. Eventually, people internalise this code of morality, righteousness, justice, truth, right and wrong, duty and sacrifice. Guilt became the foundation of morality. It is righteous to delay gratification in the present for reward in the future.

As the BLUE system became dominant, people’s beliefs became more dogmatic and fundamentalist. They became much more organised with the beginnings of bureaucracies and the nation state. Spain, Portugal, France, Holland and Britain led the way. People felt patriotic about their flag, country, institutions and traditions. This way of thinking is more black and white. You are either with us or against us. You are one of us or you a foreigner. People can become part of a nation but they must assimilate, taking on its beliefs and traditions. Nationalism tries to supersede tribe and force people’s religions to fit within its framework. That can be a powerful force for civilization or can unleash the horrors of PURPLE rage. In its moderate form, patriotism is a healthy glue that keeps a group healthy and cohesive. Nationalism in its extreme form can be exceptionally intolerant and fundamentalist.

By the late mediaeval period, these were the dominant values, as expressed in religion, bureaucracy, government, formal institutions, the law and accounting. That brought stability, order, a degree of justice and peace. That enabled people to become wealthier, and gave them more time to think and play. Eventually the sense of righteousness, conformity and order becomes stifling and people want to think for themselves, be masters of their own destiny. The BLUE system manifests in many ways today, in our structures, laws, institutions, processes, rules, regulations, welfare system, inner morality and religious belief. In its healthy manifestations, it provides order, discipline, structure, justice, morality and stability. In its unhealthy forms it is oppressive, rigid, stifling of creativity, crushing of individuality, totalitarian authoritarian, ideological and intolerant.

ORANGE: The stability brought by the BLUE system enabled the Reformation, Renaissance and Enlightenment of science, democracy, liberty and capitalism to get going. It started quietly, under the radar, in secret, often persecuted but gradually the ideas spread. The ORANGE system is the pragmatic, materialistic world of science, entrepreneurialism, business and democracy. We master the world by understanding its mechanisms and applying the knowledge intelligently for maximum reward. It is the world in which there is a constant striving for progress through better ideas, better technology, better government and improved material life conditions. This was the dominant Western force behind the Industrial Revolution, industrialisation and the modern world until the middle of the last century. It is still a primary core of modern Western values.

This way of thinking has no attachment to tribe, group, religion or country. It is supremely pragmatic. One uses whatever opportunities are available to advance one’s own destiny. If a country, institution, culture or religion makes a convenient vehicle, then that is fine. ORANGE thinking is unsentimental and totally happy to discard or change allegiances for something more useful. ORANGE is the world of progress, democracy, liberty, capitalism and science.

In its healthy form, the ORANGE system gives us freedom to pursue our destiny, choose our way of life, democracy, science, the quest for knowledge, new technology, pragmatic decision making, evidence-based policy, technical medicine, a dynamic economy and meritocracy. In its unhealthy forms, it creates winners and losers, an underclass of those who didn’t make it; it undermines meaning, value, purpose, truth, family, community, environment, nation and security – the foundation upon which it is built. Inequality between rich and poor, successful and unsuccessful increase. ORANGE doesn’t value what it can’t measure or see. It dehumanises the world and leaves us in a meaningless, alienated state, detached from our instinct and nature.

GREEN: The GREEN system arose 150 years ago in response to those problems associated with the ORANGE system. It became a powerful force in the 1960s. This is the thinking of equality, fairness, universal spirituality, diversity, inclusion, human rights, multiculturalism, environmentalism, social justice and inner meaning. One of GREEN’s first victories was the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. GREEN values drove the counterculture that challenged racism, sexism, homophobia, empire, social hierarchy, militarism and nationalism. It is engaged in a determined effort to right the wrongs of the ORANGE system and its unbridled capitalism, social inequality, destruction of the environment, alienation, meaninglessness and the dehumanisation of materialism. The GREEN value system took off because the ORANGE value system gave people the wealth and opportunity to become educated and to enjoy leisure. They had the luxury of time and resources, allowing them to open their minds and hearts. From the GREEN perspective, all human beings are equal. Racism, nationalism, tribalism, domination and exploitation are bad, regressive behaviours which must be suppressed. GREEN thinking values equality, fairness, empowerment, diversity and sensitivity to other cultures. It is in favour of open borders. It suppresses patriotism and nationalism, which are seen as racist, exclusionary and fundamentally nasty. After generations of the dominance of Western Civilization in general, and of white people in particular, the GREEN system is determined to promote multiculturalism and mass immigration in order to give the others a chance and create a fairer world.

The GREEN system has not yet reached maturity nor yet been successful at replacing the earlier stages of development. The GREEN worldview is the first stage at which humans are able to see the world as a complex system in which all the previous certainties are just possible perspectives among many others. In its healthy form, GREEN values give us fairness, equality, social justice, human rights, a global perspective, respect for other cultures, valuing difference, diversity, holding power accountable, sustainability, inner peace, meaning, compassion for all people and beings, a holistic way of thinking and being and challenge to traditional bigotry. In its unhealthy form, we see some of the major blocks to our development today: inability to make decisions, unwillingness to make judgements, undermining healthy authority, moral relativism, anti-science, anti-male, anti-business, anti-security, anti-police, inability to assert values or truth, encouragement of victim mentality, making excuses for crime, promoting a revenge mentality, patronising minorities, shadow racism, anti-white racism, anti-family, inability to set boundaries, fundamentalist egalitarianism, political correctness, self-hatred, self-denial, hatred for success, promotion of mediocrity and incubating religious fascism in minorities. It is a long and growing list. The battle between PURPLE / BLUE versus ORANGE versus GREEN is the culture war, a counterproductive waste of energy that risks arresting human development or letting it slip backwards into chaos.

YELLOW: In 1974, Graves published Human Nature Prepares for a Momentous Leap in which he saw the early signs of two new world views emerging: YELLOW and TURQUOISE. The BEIGE, PURPLE, RED, BLUE, ORANGE and GREEN world views each think that they are right, the final truth and superior to the previous belief systems, which they disrespect and undermine. Each emerges in response to the problems created by the previous system and creates new life conditions in which new challenges and problems emerge. GREEN is the first level of operation at which humans perceive the world as complex and see all the value systems in operation. But GREEN still feels that it knows best and is determined to replace all the others. YELLOW emerges when people see the harm done by fundamentalist GREEN. YELLOW sees the whole complex system and realises that we need each of the value systems operating together in harmony in their healthy, adaptive manifestations. YELLOW acts as a steward, promoting the healthy versions of each value system in any particular context. YELLOW values can be seen in some of our best leaders, and are emerging ever faster in younger generations. We are a long way from this value system being dominant. It is still experimenting and finding its way.

TURQUOISE: Graves detected another value system that incorporates the healthy versions of all the previous ones, like YELLOW but taking things a step further. TURQUOISE perceives our interconnectedness as not just a complex system but as a conscious living system of which we are all a part. It perceives us as a global tribe and is beginning to experiment with the magic of our consciousness and being. This value system has always existed in the most enlightened beings, and is beginning to enter the wider consciousness. Each year, events such as terrorism, Ebola, climate change, migration and the disappearance of the Malaysian airliner strengthen our global awareness. As our challenges become ever more global, we will be forced to raise our consciousness to the YELLOW and TURQUOISE levels and make them practical realities. They are not yet sufficiently well established for us to have noticed their unhealthy manifestations, apart from the sense of intellectual and spiritual superiority.

Our task is to do the best we can to become fully aware of our values, to adapt as best we can to our situation and to maximise human potential using our amazing capacities.