This article is based on a premise that every single person on this planet lives in a Paradigm. The reader is encouraged to read the Paradigm article in order to understand the context. The paradigm refers to a set of belief systems, how does a person processes the world and its stimuli, and how does the person behave to such. So in this context the existence of a paradigm is undeniable. However, the modern world may not call it that way.
The premise is also that a Paradigm (and we know scientifically that it transfers trans-generationally - from a parent to a child) is something external to the person (the host). This is a metaphysical leap from modern psychology and we acknowledge it. Yet, the person will embody the paradigm and will believe that it is its identity. This article however differentiates the host (person) from the paradigm (belief system).
Blindness
The paradigm always hides itself from the host. The host defends it. The host will find logical arguments to support the paradigm. In doing so, it will believe that the view, the arguments are universally true. The paradigm will filter and reject anything that doesn't fit itself. The host however, through painful experiences can start seeing its own paradigm. The host can start experiencing that its paradigm is e.g. maladaptive and causing problems with other people (paradigms). The host may attempt to change, and sometimes successfully, and other times not so much.
For example, in addiction, such as alcoholism, an alcoholic will go through stages. First stage might be denial. This is the stage where the paradigm completely rejects its behavior to the host. The host really believes that is not addicted but that it can control the drinking. Upon painful experiences, damage done to family or friends perhaps, the reality of the addiction can no longer be hidden from the host. The host admits that it is addicted. It might have been a decade to get here (paradigms are powerful at hiding and denying) Yet, even if no longer in denial now, if he attempts to confront the addiction, the paradigm fights back. Alcoholic may express "I can't control IT", or "I do not know WHAT is inside of me". The IT and WHAT are cast to be external. They ARE external. It's the paradigm. Only painful experiences like the above forces a person to recognize it, even if the host many times does not understand it.
The addiction description above may be understandable for the reader. However, this applies to many things that we do not call addictions, yet they are as rigid, and the host in denial, as the alcoholism above. A person might have a compulsive reaction to a spouse. Or a political view. And if challenged, the person will become angry or emotional or controlling in some way. This emotional reaction is to protect the paradigm. The fact-finding for e.g. a specific political view, is nothing but a paradigm validation. Every single person on this planet has a paradigm. Yet some paradigms can co-exist with others without being triggered to this level. And other paradigms can't.
Below are levels of blindness. Do not attempt to gauge your level. You can't. Your paradigm will fool you. The paradox is that the higher the level you think you are, the more blinded and fooled by your paradigm you are and thus the lower you are. The most paradigm aware people know that there is a universe inside that they do not know.
Level 1 - The Warrior
Level 1 describes a person who is not aware of his biases, motives, and belief systems. It only knows to be true what it believes to be true. It cannot see any other position. The person is judgmental of anyone who opposes its view. And will become emotional, or controlling, if anyone challenges its view. It will seek data, and call them facts, to support the view. It will dismiss or question legitimacy of any other data that challenges its position. And it will spend zero resources to investigate the legitimacy of conflicting information or data. Because it does not want to. It's motive is to validate itself and not to search a balance, truth, or shared resolution. 'My way or highway' is its motto.
Logic and intelligence is used to protect the paradigm. The more intelligent a person is, the more logical structure the person creates to support the paradigm and harder it is for him/her to see it. And harder it is for other people to challenge it, as logical arguments are immediately presented. Intelligence has NO correlation with the Level of awareness. We'd even say that intelligence is counterproductive to awareness, but that is a guess.
And because they believe in their own truth as being absolute, they are incredibly judgmental. Anybody who opposes, or doesn't have a level of success in their lives as them, is judged. Is judged as 'it is their fault', 'they are stupid', etc...
Person on level 1 is a warrior for the paradigm. It will defend it and fight for it to the death. It will alienate its own families if it has to. It's a warrior of the darkness.
This does not mean that the host of the paradigm is malevolent or even struggling. Its paradigm may very well be benign and benevolent. Such person can stay his/her entire life on this Level and do well in life. If the paradigm, the view, does not challenge other paradigms, and is helpful and compliant for the most part, the person might have a happy life. A blind life but happy life nonetheless. 'Ignorance is a bliss' is true indeed.
Every human being starts here. Nobody is born or grows up in adolescence as self-aware. Only painful experiences combined with paradigm's ability to look inward allows a person to move up. And the person usually finds environments, including a profession, groups, friends that do NOT challenge its paradigm. So it takes time to encounter enough to go through the blindness uncovering. There is no causation between age and wisdom but there certainly is a correlation.
People on this level are not fitted to be in any leadership position. Their blindness will make members of the group they lead miserable. Yet, unfortunately the Narcissistic Paradigm people are at this level, and very good at climbing the ladder. But it is also only people on this level that allow them to do so. So if they do, it reflects the members, or the society, and a lack of maturity of such. Whatever the paradigm of an individual, on Level 1, one can easily become Flying Monkey. Narcissistic Paradigm is really good at inducing psychosis. And Level 1 individuals have hard time resisting it. In this regard, the Narcissistic Paradigm is dominating and powerful. Ironically, the people with Narcissistic Paradigm are also on Level 1, which proves that the paradigm is external and in charge.
A lot of people stay on this level until they die. If they have a malevolent paradigm, such as a Narcissistic Paradigm, they will fight to protect it. Create wars. Bad policies. Abuse others in order to hide it. Manipulate and deceive. They are destructive and they don't see it, nor are willing to look at it. The paradigm is too fragile and it will NOT allow its host to look at it.
Both Narcissistic Paradigm and Codependent Paradigm operate on this level.
Warriors marry warriors. Yet if one moves up and not the other, they divorce.
Level 2 - The Slave
This level refers to people who, through painful experiences, realize that there is 'something' inside of them that they do not control. It's an analogy to an alcoholic who is no longer in denial, admits she / he is an alcoholic but keeps drinking. Perhaps s/he tried to stop but quickly realized s/he can't. The drinking is always there, can't be resisted, and 'so be it'. The person doesn't even give it a second thought. It is aware of its powerlessness, it submits to it, and moves on. And it accepts the consequences, the pain, the suffering of the submission.
A person on this level, we will call a Slave. Because this person, now being aware of its inability to challenge itself, is a slave to the paradigm. And it knows it but doesn't ruminate too much about it. The person simply accepts its destiny. 'I am who I am'. This doesn't have to refer to alcoholism only. It can be about being a morning or evening person, or having specific political views, etc... This person tried to go against its own paradigm, and it realized how powerless it is (the person), so it consciously embodied the paradigm, and accepted it. Not really knowing what exactly it is accepting.
The Slaves are less judgmental of others than Warriors. They know that people do have 'something' inside of them that they can't go against. They get it. However, if they meet anyone who challenges them, and their inability to get to a higher level, they will judge and attack. Warriors are really good at this.
Slaves marry slaves. Yet if one moves up and not the other, they divorce.
Level 3 - The Loser
This level refers to people who, through enormously painful experiences, realized that you just can't win against a paradigm. These people tried to conquer the paradigm. They fought and fought. But they lost. This is our alcoholic who really tried to stop. Who put enormous energy to stop it. To heal. And s/he did. Or so s/he thought. Months went by without a drink. Only to find a trigger, a stressor, and off back they went.
A person on this level, we will call a loser. A loser to the fight with the paradigm. They tasted the darkness. As the reader can see, the higher we go, the humbler the label. A loser has lost the fight. The Slave never even tried. And again, this is not only about alcoholism or drug addicts but about all addictions. Yet, as a society we do not recognize e.g. an addiction to political views. If a person has compulsive thoughts, or behaviors, then it is addicted to such.
Losers are less judgmental of others than Slaves. Losers know that the fight can't be won. They know what people go through. They don't judge. They get it. They will support others but only up to the Loser level. That's when they will become judgmental.
Losers marry losers. Yet if one moves up and not the other, they divorce.
Level 4 - The Sinner
This level refers to people who, through enormously painful experiences, conquered the paradigm. What does that however mean?
It does not mean that their paradigm is different than what it was at Level 1. Or that the struggle as on Level 2 was. Or that the fight is gone like on Level 3. What it means though is that it no longer controls them but they control it. The paradigm still attacks, yet they yield to the attack so it has no effect. The paradigm is still there, the monster lingers, but there is no reaction to it. It's an enormous strength. "He who conquers himself, conquers the world." - Zeno of Citium
They know if they take a certain path it will lead to their destruction and acting out the paradigm. They know where the path leads so they don't take the step. They know if they do, they will regress so they don't. "What is wrong with the world today? I am." - G.K. Chesterton
They know that the paradigm is their burden. That it is their bias. That it will stay. But they learned to carry the pain and not show it.
We'll call them Sinners. For they know they carry the sin and will never get rid of it.
Sinners marry sinners. Yet if one moves up and not the other, they still keep married.
Level 5 - The Saint
There are probably many more levels between 4 and 5. And perhaps even 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, etc...
Only the Saint can describe the Saint. And we are not such. So we humbly leave it alone.