What is a Paradigm?

The paradigm operating underneath our lives, organizations, nations, and across our cultures is usually never seen – or even considered. It is simply the accepted foundation of “how things have always been done .”

So how can we conceive of something so hidden and vague with clarity? This is certainly necessary before we can begin to talk about it. We offer a spoked wheel as model for the structure of a strong, balanced and productive paradigm:

  • The HUB: holds core values for the integrity and consistency of intent and implementation,
  • The SPOKES: extend the intention into growth,
  • The RIM: provides means for movement of behavior and accomplishment.

Diagrammed using the spoked wheel analogy, the dominant paradigm in use throughout the world, looks like this:

If the wheels on our cars looked like this, what kind of ride would we be giving ourselves? How is the “ride” these days in our lives, families, churches, businesses and organizations, communities, nations, and our world?

This paradigm uses, almost solely, human intellect (the Mental Aspect) to compel action or change to take place in physical reality. There is nothing to effectively mitigate or balance the intellect’s absolute authority.

Dominance of this paradigm causes pain because it:

  • treats symptoms, not causes;
  • tends to polarize problems, situations and groups;
  • objectifies each other and citizen groups,
  • builds callousness concerning others,
  • causes breakdown – within and between families, organizations, and community;
  • breeds apathetic (non-engaged) and sabotaging (disaffected) citizens,
  • causes diversity issues to GO BERSERK! It either disconnects or fails to connect individuals and groups; and
  • generally tries to subjugate those who disagree with it.

To change the currently dominant paradigm, we must enhance or replace it with something of greater value. Below is the holistic, balanced paradigm.

This is the paradigm in the founding documents of the United States of America. This paradigm is actually spherical. At the center is the Highest Power, breathing His LIFE into us His children. That LIFE is the “who we are.” This LIFE is our Highest Common Denominator, the ONE thing we all have in common.

It transcends toxic diversity.

Note that this paradigm still has the mental and physical spokes of the dominant paradigm. The addition of the other components creates a huge, positive change in the quality our lives.

This paradigm:

  • restores and engages largely ignored or missing dimensions of ourselves as human beings,
  • engages, connects, and integrates all resources of each and every person;
  • is toxic-diversity transcendent,
  • establishes integrity-based collaboration with shared core values,
  • treats causes of problems, not just symptoms;
  • establishes and/or strengthens collaboration and mutual appreciation throughout diversities.

Individuals in this paradigm are no longer objectified, treated like objects.

In any building foundation, every block is important. Weak blocks weaken the structure. In our human model, they make the individual, family, church, organization, community, and nation go out of alignment. This new paradigm transcends the old one, mending the fabric of our people by establishing undisputable, harmonious, common ground, and shared core values.

Justice requires reciprocity to be sustainable.

Like a long overdue maintenance on a motor, together we can clean out the gunk and re-calibrate it. Our 4-cylinder, life motor – that has been running on only two cylinders – will spring into greater life and power.

This paradigm creates a sound base for ongoing constructive collaboration, innovation, and sustainable prosperity for all.