Anodea Judith – The Global Heart Awakens

What do you mean by organizing principle? How is that different from values, and what are we changing into? 

Values tell us what is important. We can value the dollar or we can value the environment. We can value the people that work for us, or we see them as expedient and place higher value on their output. We can value peace over war. We can value the feminine contribution as much as the masculine.

An organizing principle is like an operating system for society.  In your computer it becomes essential to upgrade your operating system every so often, so that it runs more efficiently and can embrace new and better programs.

An organizing principle relates to the way our society is structured. How does power flow through a system? Is it a chain of command or a web of connection?  Is it organized hierarchically from a top down system of power and control or is it organized more horizontally, through peer-to-peer networks, online communities, and collaborative technologies?

For the last 5000 years or so, humanity has been organized—held together as it were—by a principle that I call the love of power —one where a few held power over the many, in ancient times through kings and slaves, in medieval times through serfs and feudal lords, or in modern times through CEOs and employees, for example; where there are those who call the shots and those who follow orders as the central way of organizing human resources and getting things done. When we were in younger stages of cultural development—when the average person knew little about the world, had no technology and couldn’t read or write—it took this kind of organizing principle to keep society functioning, just as it takes firm control by parents to rule a family with young children.