Promising Signs of an Emerging Paradigm

There are some obvious signs when an old paradigm begins to fail. Some people are desperate to keep the power and privilege accumulated in that old paradigm. These people don’t want to move forward…they want to hold back evolution. Things get uncomfortably loud.

When an emerging paradigm emerges in Nature, things get loud, too. But this happens naturally as the ecosystem evolves. Fires, earthquakes, and smaller shifts occur as the system experiences the adaptive cycle.

Conversely, humans become rigid when a new paradigm begins to take hold in our communities, organizations, and society. We love our structures and tend to hold onto processes and hierarchies long after their usefulness has faded.

I’ve written extensively about ways to spot failing paradigms. In this blog, I’ll explain the signs you’ll notice when a paradigm takes hold.

What is a paradigm, anyway?

Let’s first clarify the definition of a paradigm. It’s a pattern that emerges from a worldview of beliefs, habits, behaviors, and values.

We’ve lived in a paradigm of autonomy and self-interest for quite some time. It’s founded on an economic philosophy that short-term profits define success.  This explains our predisposition to extract and exploit natural and human resources for the sake of profit. In this paradigm, we don’t consider the impact of our actions on future generations, let alone on the health of our planet.

The idea of “universal solutions” is a potentially damaging subtheme within this paradigm. When we’ve found something that works, we apply it worldwide without regard to the uniqueness of context. Agriculture provides many good examples of this subtheme.  We see mono-crops, for example, as a good way to meet the world’s food demands. Unfortunately, we don’t see the fragility of this farming practice, where a lousy hailstorm can wipe out an entire crop.  Or, as the pioneers discovered in the Badlands, the ecosystem won’t support it.

When does an emerging paradigm become dominant?

Underneath a current paradigm, emergent ideas are pulling us toward our future. It is like a wave in the ocean. As one wave peaks, another wave forms underneath to overcome it. Living systems are designed to evolve. It shouldn’t surprise us that an emergent paradigm is filled with different ideas, designs, beliefs, and values. All of these, including the behaviors surrounding them, are constantly forming. They’re getting ready to fill the gap when the current paradigm falls.

During the recent Democratic National Convention, I saw signs of a substantial shift taking hold.  It was clear that an emergent paradigm is rising and strengthening.  I looked over the sea of delegates, and the room was full of diversity. I didn’t even think of trying to measure that diversity or figure out “who” was over- or under-represented.  The entire event felt like a celebration of the full diversity of our country. A tremendous amount of positive energy was generated, and the possibilities of who we could become were fully displayed.

Contrast this with another group, where the energy was focused on negativity and a desire to cling to old paradigms. Failing systems are held in place by fear, and the energy becomes negative and heavy. Fear is used to influence, control, and stop forward movement. Differences are ridiculed, and it’s hard to feel innovative or brave enough to suggest new ideas.

What are the signs of an emerging paradigm?

As a big part of my life’s work, I’ve become adept at noticing signs of an emerging paradigm rising and taking hold. Here are a few that may strike you as familiar right now:

• The new paradigm drops a defensive stance. People within an emerging paradigm assume they have a right to be here. 
• New ideas that challenge the status quo no longer need to be defended. People within organizations, communities, and society confidently champion those ideas but are not arrogant. They firmly believe that these innovations will help everyone move forward and evolve.
• There is a significant energy shift.  New paradigms bring positive energy. We connect more authentically with each other and the larger system as a whole. A positive feedback cycle emerges as that energy invites connection, innovation, and new ideas.
• We can feel it. When a new paradigm arrives, we can feel it in our hearts and minds. It feels like anything is possible. We feel lighter, and everything feels more positive. We feel a renewed sense of purpose.

Are you feeling a new paradigm emerging within your team, organization, community, or our country? Do you see some or all of the signs I’ve described? What are some other signs you’ve observed?