Terms Defined

While there may be no single definition for “authenticity,” this blog uses the term in the context of a self-reflective consciousness (what I’ve described as “post-modern”) that can reference itself – that is, it transcends the socially constructed requirements of the outer world and responds more fully to the dictates that come from within.  Many people have come up with different terms for essentially the same concept.  Parker Palmer talks about the “true self” that can emerge under the right circumstances.  Sir John Templeton talked about a “humble approach” to science, meaning that we should not be too wed to the existing paradigms, which could ultimately limit our understanding.  Duane Elgin describes the emergence of a “self-reflective” consciousness starting around 1970.  All of these terms (and more) touch on what I see as the emergence of a qualitatively different and more complex form of human consciousness that can be described as “authentic.”  As I have said before, “authentic is the new conventional.”

In the blog I often use terms to describe various stages of consciousness.  Again, there are many maps of the same territory, and it is wise not to confuse the two.  Major sources for these concepts are Robert Kegan, Clare Graves, Ken Wilber, Jenny Wade, and Don Beck, among others.  While I will roughly define below the terms used in this blog, no tab on WordPress can replace a dedicated reading of the texts by experts in this field.

“Survival” – At this level of consciousness, the individual is wholly dependent on others for survival.

“Naive” or “Tribal” – Individuals at this stage rely on acausal or magical thinking, surviving by doing what has worked before or what elders tell them to do.

“Egocentric” – Power is all that matters to individuals at this level.  These individuals cannot conceptualize the future – as Kegan writes, the future is only “the-present-that-hasn’t-happened-yet.”

“Conformist” – When we think of a wild teenager who has been “socialized” into society and has become a good citizen, we are thinking about this level.  This conformist level was long seen as the end-point of individual development and defined as “conventional” – that is, constructing reality in terms of the “conventions” imposed from without.

“Achievement” – Whereas “conformists” want to know their place in the pyramid, “achievers” want to go straight to the top.  These individuals construct their identity on the basis of their achievements – material, professional, artistic, academic, etc.

“Affiliative” – Individuals at this level emphasize ethics, equity, and sustainability so that no one is left behind by the success of others.

“Authentic” – By this, I mean the post-modern or self-reflective consciousness described at the top of this page.

Individual development recapitulates human evolution.  Thus, if you couldn’t figure out if these levels refer to individuals or to society as you were reading through them, you’re on the right track.  For example, the majority of people living in a tribal society where magical thinking is common may very well construct reality in ways that are less complex than those that would be common in an advanced democracy.  This is not to say that the advanced democracy is the peak of evolution; there’s no reason to believe that that “peak,” if it exists at all, is within sight.  Nor is it to say that there are no Americans who construct reality according to a tribal paradigm.  Regardless, the purpose here is not to objectify people with a clever model; rather, it is to appreciate the subjective differences in how different people construct reality, and with compassion to help others, and ourselves, evolve to higher states of awareness.