Old paradigm, new paradigm, paradigm shift....more buzz words. So what the heck is a paradigm? A paradigm is a generally accepted world view. The principles and beliefs which support that way of looking at the world are the foundation of a paradigm.
Paradigms apply to individuals as well as families, organizations, institutions, nations and corporations. If you google "new paradigm" you'll get a ton of hits relating to the new paradigm in business and management styles. As individuals, the beliefs of the paradigm we align with become our operating principles. Those operating principles underly every choice we make from how we behave in public to what we buy at the grocery store.
A paradigm shift is a revolution. We are living in the midst of a paradigm shift. This is a radical change in individual and societal thinking. Paradigm shifts facilitate the emergence of new truths and are an essesntial part of our evolution. This is not about the old paradgm being "bad" and the new paradigm being "good." The old paradigm worked for where we were as a species but we're outgrowing it...have outgrown it.
In a historical context, the Renaissance explosion of art and science was birthed from a shift out of the paradigm of the Middle Ages. We've experienced small paradigm shifts in our lifetime. In the 1970's we drove gas guzzler cars. We believed the use of fossil fuels was benign and our supply was unlimited. Today we have hybrid vehicles and electric cars. Environmental concerns have become so mainstream they're used to advertise everything from appliances to paper towels and cleaning products.
Paradigm shifts don't just happen. The shift momentum comes from change agents. The environmentalists of the 1970's were change agents. They stuck to their convictions even though those ideas were unpopular and marked them as a fringe element. That's not an easy choice to make.
Embracing a new paradigm in a world that still holds the old places you, to varying degrees, on the edge of or outside the society you live in. On the personal level, emabracing the new can put you at odds with friends and family who don't understand where you're coming from. (Astrologically, the Aquarians are likely to lead the change. They are the born visionaries, change agents and messengers of the new.)
All of us are born into whatever paradigm is in place at the time of our birth. Whether we internalize that paradigm as our own or take on a new one depends on many different factors. Children tend to take on their parents beliefs. As we mature we have the opportunity to question those beliefs and create our own. Sounds simple, but in order to ask questions you have to be aware that questioning is an option. As you'll see in the list below, asking questions isn't part of the old paradigm.
Paradigm shifts are a time of intense transition and upheaval. Some people immediately embrace the new because they recognize it's more aligned with who they are. While others cling to the old, trying to hold it in place because the new threatens their way of life. Most people fall somewhere in the middle. They like some of the new and fear letting go of some of the old.
Several years ago I began making a list of the old and new paradigm principles I saw colliding around me. I found a couple similar lists on the internet, including A Comparison of Old and New Paradigm Perspectives Here's my list:
Paradigms apply to individuals as well as families, organizations, institutions, nations and corporations. If you google "new paradigm" you'll get a ton of hits relating to the new paradigm in business and management styles. As individuals, the beliefs of the paradigm we align with become our operating principles. Those operating principles underly every choice we make from how we behave in public to what we buy at the grocery store.
A paradigm shift is a revolution. We are living in the midst of a paradigm shift. This is a radical change in individual and societal thinking. Paradigm shifts facilitate the emergence of new truths and are an essesntial part of our evolution. This is not about the old paradgm being "bad" and the new paradigm being "good." The old paradigm worked for where we were as a species but we're outgrowing it...have outgrown it.
In a historical context, the Renaissance explosion of art and science was birthed from a shift out of the paradigm of the Middle Ages. We've experienced small paradigm shifts in our lifetime. In the 1970's we drove gas guzzler cars. We believed the use of fossil fuels was benign and our supply was unlimited. Today we have hybrid vehicles and electric cars. Environmental concerns have become so mainstream they're used to advertise everything from appliances to paper towels and cleaning products.
Paradigm shifts don't just happen. The shift momentum comes from change agents. The environmentalists of the 1970's were change agents. They stuck to their convictions even though those ideas were unpopular and marked them as a fringe element. That's not an easy choice to make.
Embracing a new paradigm in a world that still holds the old places you, to varying degrees, on the edge of or outside the society you live in. On the personal level, emabracing the new can put you at odds with friends and family who don't understand where you're coming from. (Astrologically, the Aquarians are likely to lead the change. They are the born visionaries, change agents and messengers of the new.)
All of us are born into whatever paradigm is in place at the time of our birth. Whether we internalize that paradigm as our own or take on a new one depends on many different factors. Children tend to take on their parents beliefs. As we mature we have the opportunity to question those beliefs and create our own. Sounds simple, but in order to ask questions you have to be aware that questioning is an option. As you'll see in the list below, asking questions isn't part of the old paradigm.
Paradigm shifts are a time of intense transition and upheaval. Some people immediately embrace the new because they recognize it's more aligned with who they are. While others cling to the old, trying to hold it in place because the new threatens their way of life. Most people fall somewhere in the middle. They like some of the new and fear letting go of some of the old.
Several years ago I began making a list of the old and new paradigm principles I saw colliding around me. I found a couple similar lists on the internet, including A Comparison of Old and New Paradigm Perspectives Here's my list:
Initially the beliefs on my list felt a bit random. It took me a couple years to see the connecting thread. The crux of our current paradigm shift lies in where we place our authority. The old paradigm is based in hierarchies and the belief that most people need to be led and controlled by an external authority that knows better than they do. The new paradigm is based in the belief that all of us are our own best authority.
Seeing the principles laid out in a list may not mean much. The real impact comes in looking at how these beliefs play out in our lives.
Seeing the principles laid out in a list may not mean much. The real impact comes in looking at how these beliefs play out in our lives.
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I love this chart. It brings peace in many ways, and interesting insight into things around me in many ways. I also LOVE your way of saying it isn't necessary bad or good...it simply is for everyone. :)
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