The word integral means comprehensive, inclusive, non-marginalizing, embracing. Integral approaches to any field attempt to be exactly that: to include as many perspectives, styles, and methodologies as possible within a coherent view of the topic. In a certain sense, integral approaches are “meta-paradigms,” or ways to draw together an already existing number of separate paradigms into an interrelated network of approaches that are mutually enriching.
— Ken Wilber
What is Integral Theory?
During the last 40 years we have witnessed a historical first: all of the world’s cultures are now available to us. Knowledge itself is now global, that means that also, for the first time, the sum total of all human knowledge is available to us. What if we took literally everything that all the various cultures have to tell us about human potential and put it all on the table? What if we attempted, based on extensive cross-cultural study to use all of the world’s great traditions to create a comprehensive map that included the best from all of them?
Over the last several decades, Ken Wilber and others have lead a search for this comprehensive map of human potentials. This map uses all the known systems and models of human growth — from the ancient shamans and sages to today’s breakthroughs in cognitive science — and distills their components into 5 simple factors, factors that are essential elements to unlocking and facilitating human evolution.
This is the integral approach.
Holons
A holon is something that is simultaneously a whole and a part. Holons are self-reliant units that possess a degree of independence and can handle contingencies without asking higher authorities for instructions. These holons are also simultaneously subject to control from one or more of these higher authorities.
A hierarchy of holons is called a holarchy. The test of holarchy is that if all instances of a given type of holon cease to exist, then all the holons they were part of must cease to exist too. Thus an atom is of a lower standing in the hierarchy than a molecule, because if you removed all molecules, atoms could still exist, whereas if you removed all atoms, molecules, in a strict sense would cease to exist. Ken Wilber’s concept is known as the doctrine of the fundamental and the significant. A hydrogen atom is more fundamental than an ant, but an ant is more significant.
Quadrants
Each holon can be seen from within (subjective, interior perspective) and from the outside (objective, exterior perspective), and from an individual or a collective perspective.
All four perspectives are complementary, rather than contradictory. It is possible for all to be correct, and all are necessary for a complete account of human existence. Each by itself offers only a partial view of reality.
Each quadrant is as valid as reality in the others; no quadrant can be reduced to the others. No exception. For instance, your felt emotion is not less real than electro-chemical reactions in your brain. It is the same “thing” but looked at from a different perspective, both being real.
Levels
Levels in Integral Theory refers to stages of evolutionary development of individuals, organizations, societies, and indeed our species as a whole. It is based on the works of Clare W. Graves, Don E. Beck, and Christopher Cowan, and became a part of Integral Theory through collaboration between Don Beck and Ken Wilber.
These levels or stages of development describe how our various value systems influence our world views, with the intent being to replace skin pigmentation or ethnic categories with an understanding of value systems. Graves was able to prove through various studies that these value systems have a greater influence on affinity and the ability to collaborate and see other people’s point of view than race or skin color. Don Beck achieved historic success using these principles to help bring an end to Apartheid over the course of 63 visits to South Africa.
Moving through the various different levels is dependent on cognitive development (different levels are available as a person grows into adulthood), and life conditions supporting a move to the next stage. No level is inherently positive or negative, each has their gifts and problems and each new level a person moves through is developed as a response to solving the problems encountered at the previous level.
Lines of Intelligence or Development
If you were to hear that someone was intelligent, what’s the first thing you think of? Is it doing well in school? Rocket science or brain surgery perhaps? Lines of Intelligence adds needed depth to our typically reductive ideas of what it means to be intelligent by answering questions such as “why is it that a person with an IQ of 160 can find themselves unable to apply that cognitive ability in many situations?”
Lines additionally expand on the Levels of Development. If a person’s value system is predominantly green, for example, they are likely not green across the board. Our example follows a well meaning gent by the name of Gil. Gil is a 30 year old working in new product development in a large company. He is passionate about new ways people can share experiences, and always tries to respect others and put their needs first. At this point in his life, his Lines of Intelligence are as follows.
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral | |
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral | |
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral | |
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral | |
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral | |
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral | |
| Instinctive | Magic | Impulsive | Rule/Role | Achiever | Sensitive | Integral |
Types
If levels describe a person’s values, and lines describe a person’s development through various capacities, types can be described as their individual expression of those values and capacities. When we talk about someone’s personality, we are usually referring to a conglomeration of their types.
Types are an important element to consider as they complete the portrait of an individual and are sometimes conflated with levels or lines. An example of this is observing someone yelling at someone else and assuming they are at the red level (impulsive rage) in that moment, where they may just have an aggressive anger style. Dozens of ways to assess types have been developed over the past several decades such as Enneagram or Myers-Briggs, choose the typological system that works best for you.
Types are rarely binary, a person usually exists somewhere on a spectrum between different types, and may evidence different type based behaviors in different situations. Some examples of types can be seen below.
Anger style
Everybody gets angry on occasion, anger style describes how we express this very powerful and sometimes frightening emotion. Understanding the way a person responds in a conflict situation can help everyone involved resolve that conflict more easily and with less pain.
Aggressive
People with an aggressive anger style will typically raise their voice and speak and act very forcefully when upset. The experience can be intense and uncomfortable, but an aggressive anger style person will typically tell you exactly what’s going on with them. One knows where they stand with an aggressive anger style person during a conflict.
Passive Aggressive
People with a passive aggressive anger style rarely show their anger directly, and will sometimes express the opposite of what they’re feeling — smiling and pretending everything is just fine while seething on the inside. This anger will often manifest at a later date in off-handed comments or actions. If the aggressive person strikes with one grand blow, the passive aggressive person inflicts death by a thousand cuts.
Passive
People with a passive anger style will typically shut down during a conflict. The force a passive person exerts is to withhold whatever it is the other person wants from them. This can be amplified in a conflict with an aggressive person who will push very hard for what they want, enabling the passive person to cause extreme frustration.
Assertive
The three above anger styles all come with noise that can get in the way of clear communication. We are born with or develop one of those original three, and can with work learn to express anger in an assertive style. This involves overriding the impulse to yell, smile, or withhold, and state the need or hurt in the clearest way possible. Assertive anger seeks to express what they need to express, understand the needs of the other, and bring the conflict to resolution as quickly as possible.
Social comfort
Social comfort refers to a person’s desire/enjoyment around being alone, being in a small group, or being in large groups. People don’t always show up the same way in different situations, for example it’s possible to be extroverted in a work setting, but be more shy and introverted in casual social situations, and vice versa. Social comfort is a spectrum between introversion and extroversion, it is uncommon to find a person who’s 100% introverted or extroverted.
Introvert
Introverted people are often referred to as quiet or shy. It can be difficult for an introverted person to express themselves, but there’s nuance as to how introversion manifests in person to person. Multiple of the following can be true about an introvert at the same time.
Social Introverts are what people usually picture when they think about introversion. They prefer to socialize with small groups rather than large ones, or in some cases, no group at all. Although they may appear shy, there is no anxiety involved.
Thinking Introverts are more comfortable focusing on their inner thoughts and ideas, rather than what’s happening externally. They are thoughtful and introspective and can get lost in a fantasy world of their own creation.
Restrained Introverts prefer to consider many variables before they speak or act. They are likely to sit quietly and listen in a meeting or social situation only offering their thoughts when asked or at the very end.
Anxious Introverts are not very confident in their social skills, and try to avoid social situations. They often have a tendency to ruminate on past perceived failures and future things that may go wrong. They feel self conscious around others and need alone time to recharge.
Extrovert
Extroverted people are often described as positive, talkative and sociable. Their outgoing, vibrant nature draws people to them, and they have a hard time turning away the attention. They tend not to dwell on problems and are more likely to engage in risky behavior. They thrive off the energy of others and are sometimes uncomfortable being alone for too long. Extroverts outnumber introverts by about 3 to 1.
Preferred role
Preferred role describes how active a person feels comfortable being in the decision process from situation to situation. Who is choosing the restaurant or the movie in a group of friends? Who is taking partial information at work and making the best call in order to proceed? Who is guiding the conversation, and who is contributing? Frequent arguments around decisions usually indicates a group of mostly leaders, and inability to make rapid decisions usually indicates a group of followers.
Leader
People with the leader type experience less pressure or stress around making rapid decisions causing people to naturally look to them for guidance. Leaders, regardless of whether they have that role in any given situation, often find themselves becoming impatient with excessive discussion and will move to make or facilitate a decision. Having the leader type does not mean a person is comfortable having that role, there are many reluctant leaders who inhabit that role as a means of serving others.
Follower
People with the follower type prefer getting on with doing their work without being bothered with decisions and other distractions. They are perfectly content to be good at what they do without dealing with the politics or pressures of leadership. A follower doesn’t have strong feelings regarding most choices, their passion lies in their craft. Their flexibility and skill focus tend to make them very valuable assets.
Implementation style
Implementation style refers to a person’s approach to making progress towards a goal or performing their job/function. Unlike some of the other types above, this type tends to extend across areas of a person’s life. Similar to other types, this speaks to a person’s comfort level and skill, a theoretical person can act practically and vice versa, it just takes much more energy to push through the discomfort leaving less energy available for the task at hand.
Theoretical
A theoretical person loves to talk ABOUT a given function, as opposed to actually performing the function themselves. They spend an extensive amount of time reading about and studying their job/interests, and can describe the totality of how it all works. They are encyclopedias of knowledge which are typically very happy to share with anyone who asks.
Practical
A practical person will seek just enough knowledge necessary to understand a task before jumping right in and getting started. They prefer to learn by doing, making mistakes and adjusting as they go. A practical person’s knowledge often lives in their body, and they may have difficulty describing what they do unless asked in context while they are in motion.