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Reading the Times …
Posted by Joseph Riggio on Wednesday, August 30, 2006Knowing how to “read the environment/context” and knowing specifically what to do and how to do it will make all the difference in what outcomes you get ... or not!
Howdy Everyone,
Sometimes I find writing here a challenge and sometimes I find it a breeze. Usually, it depends on two things:
What I found particularly interesting today was the "outing" of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) regarding his so called "secret hold" on the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, S. 2590, originally introduced by Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK).
One of the things that intrigued me most was that another senator, Senator Bill Frist, M.D., R-TN - U.S. Senate Majority Leader, began a movement on his blog at VOLPAC (Volunteer Political Action Committee - a group "Working to Elect Republican Candidates Throughout The Country") to uncover the "secret hold" by an unknown senator on the bill.
This bill was a bi-partisan effort to make evident the range of government spending by making it public knowledge. It initially seemed to be on "cruise control" towards being passed and then ... the secret hold preventing it from going to vote before the August recess of the Senate. What everyone publicly was saying was a great idea who's time had come ... was now tanked by a "hold" placed on it by an unknown senator.
So here goes Sen. Bill Frist on his blog calling for both other senators AND bloggers in a call to action to "out" the unknown senator (The Bright Light of Public Scrutiny). As a result of this effort Sen. Ted Stevens "hold" on this bill effectively single-handedly blocking passage in the Senate - of a bill everyone says they agree with in principal ... at least publicly ...
Another blog Muckracker.com referred to Sen. Ted Stevens, "Pork King," a reference to his pork-barrel spending voting record in the Senate ... yet his supposed reason for "holding" this bill was that the "Bill's Cost Troubled Me".
So here we have a story of triumph in terms of the success of this campaign to do exactly what this bill was designed to do ... make public the information that typically gets held behind closed doors and an utter failure of our system that allows individuals like Sen. Ted Stevens to behave so atrociously, conceivably under the impression no one would have ever found about what he had done. I find myself left with the question:
Well one thing I think I can point to would again be the work of Dr. Clare Graves. His work was built around the idea of an evolution of cultural values over time in societies across the planet. In the simplest terms I can use what Dr. Graves put forth was that as cultures evolve the environment/context they find themselves in evolve as well - in part due to their own evolution. The creates a situation in which the existing values they hold no longer serve them and so they evolve new values again evolving their culture and continuing the cycle.
So what does this have to do with Senator Ted Stevens "Pork King" and his "bad behavior"? Let's take two ideas that I think will shed some light on this for us:
I also want to add an important distinction, which I hold separate from the two ideas I presented above:
What Dr. Graves postulated was that people in the context of culture hold values that are specific to that cultural form and that guide them in their responses in that system. He further speculated that the mechanism for the cultural values evolution he described was akin to any other evolutionary survival mechanism. Specifically, that specific values sets would best serve those that hold them in specific environments/contexts where those specific values offer the most advantage.
I'm speculating that those values that best serve people like Senator Ted Stevens to get elected are the same values that generate what I've referred to as his "bad behavior" above.
In addition, these same values are those that are holding the environment/context in which these folks operate in place - and we are beginning to see the pressures of a significant values evolution emerging.
Essentially, these folks who are used to using the values that have been in place and have worked to generate the successes they have known to date, will no longer be able to generate the same successes using the same strategies they have in the past. Of course this applies beyond the confines of the American political arena as well.
In this small microcosm the other story has been demonstrated by the effect of the call to action by Senator Bill Frist vis-a-vis his request to bloggers to get the word out and create the response that they did. This action was based on a completely different set of values than those employed by folks like Senator Ted Stevens. In fact Senator Steven's "shame" was a result of a confrontation of values.
This confrontation of values has been emerging in different ways and at different levels across the planet for centuries ... however never at the speed or scope of that we are experiencing it today.
And, beyond that we are seeing the evolution of completely new "behavior sets" associated with new "values sets" that are emerging planet-wide.
As these new values sets continue to evolve and emerge the world we find ourselves living in will seem very different than the one we found ourselves born into.
Having the ability to recognize the range of values sets as well as those that are dominant in the environment/context in which you are operating in, or want to be operating in, will create the greatest opportunity for choosing the "behavior sets" that will work best in producing your outcomes in that environment/context.
Too bad for Senator Ted Stevens that he didn't learn this particular lesson sooner ... and too bad for all of us who would possibly have benefited had he. However, keep a lookout for more and more evidence of the growing "clash of values" that we are witnessing globally.
Joseph Riggio, Ph.D.
Princeton, NJ
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Shout out to Sen. Tom Coburn from Oklahoma...however, he is EXTREMELY, UBER conservative - very “rightish”...but, moving on…
How does someone handle such clashing of values without alienating the group that shares those values AND aren’t there times when the values are in such contradiction of your own, that it’s necessary to walk away b/c of too much compromise?
If folks are living without compromise then there are values and behaviors that are not going to fit with them, incongruent with how they want to be...but on the other hand, this hardly helps everyone play nice with each other and live together on this planet.
I get that it’s beneficial to be flexible so to operate in different environments and contexts but this could easily turn into a hypocritical and unethical way to be. Where is the balance? One still needs to be able to hold a position that is truly who they are, instead of bending all over the place and be flexible too. But, if you’re constantly bending all over the place, then it becomes more difficult to stand up tall. For instance, I know that I have to “play along” with a lot of things at work, use language that I don’t particularly care for (I work in an office of folks with Graves 6 like tendencies and a lot of “problem solvers” who want everything to be fair but only done their way.). In my office, everyone trashes Republicans and they all love Hilary Clinton. Well, I just sort of keep my mouth shut - it’s like I’m some kind of spy or something and I’m on the inside now 
But, this is all based on the values that they hold dear to them and then their behaviors fall into place adding the meat to the bones. I get this, but then what do I do with it??
I’m very aware of the value sets of my chosen career and I use to really believe in these values when I was in school and fresh out, and I still believe in some of it - a tiny bit, but now it’s becoming different for me...does that make sense? Just offering an example…
Anyway, I truly believe (and know) that there are new value and behavior sets emerging, which excites me to the bones, and I can kinda’ feel it happening...it’s in the air, ya’ know? Very cool.
Thanks for getting me thinking, Joseph.
Allison
Fundamental human values do not change, I perceive, neither do they evolve really, they are always there and always fresh. I believe they just “hide”, or change position in our priorities, or they are simply… forgotten when we live for things or for others, and not for ourselves. Homer was blind, that’s why he is such an eternal poet. His eyes could not seduce him away from the desires of the soul. Agnes
Allison,
You’re welcome.
Keep your eyes peeled and you’ll get a bit more on values before this weeks out ... I’ll even be introducing another “values” model for ya’all ...
Joseph Riggio, Ph.D.
Agnes,
I clearly recognize what you are saying. Although I won’t claim an absolute knowledge of what the “fundamental human values” are ... would they include not eating other humans ... or refusing to have sex with your hosts wife (or husband) ... or maybe just knowing that we are all under the gaze, protection and obligation to honor G-d? I think rather that it would seem to us all, regardless of where we are that what “IS” true must be - yet that I fear may be just illusion and folly.
What the good Dr. Graves suggests does not necessarily dispute what you’ve say entirely, let’s just say rather that he “extends” it beyond what you say.
What Clare Graves said specifically was that once a values set had been experienced and incorporated those values always remain available to the individual. Yet he also clearly said that values do in fact evolve. In regard to your comment it would make perfect sense for you to perceive what Homer writes and experience it as resonant as well. You have complete access to the values set that Homer would have been writing from (most likely a Graves Four position - although I’d not be surprised to know that he in particular had evolved beyond his peers of that day).
However, for Homer there not being a “Noble Class” for instance, or the idea that the “Priests and Priestesses” did not have “special” privilege would likely have been unthinkable to him. This would have required an evolution of values. More to the point and more pointedly ... for Homer and his kin to think that no man has the right to ensalve another would also have been unthinkable ... it was obvious to them that this was the way the world worked, even if they didn’t like it.
Does this make sense to you ... I can assure Dr. Graves work makes tremendous sense to me. The idea that we as a species are continuing to evolve and that the greatest evolution has been in our “extensions” as reflected in our access to higher brain function and integration seems to me to be evidenct and ongoing ...
Then again maybe I just misunderstood you ...
Joseph Riggio, Ph.D.
