Green's main negative judgement of yellow is that it is too neutral, passive and dispassionate - and specifically that it should care more about social justice and taking action to change things for the better.
But yellow is about taking a step back from (external) activism to study, research and think things through. Both towards one self (a kind of internal activism) and about the world through deep systems thinking.
Spiral Dynamics itself is the epitome of yellow. It studies the lower levels to understand why they are how they are. Study tier 1 to transcend it. But it also realises each colour has its place and use and can be healthily integrated into a whole with each colour supporting the next. So in a way a yellow is about becoming a rainbow. 🌈 (Or maybe a see-through rainbow)
Yellows gain a meta-understanding which provides perspective and means things don't feel so personal or triggering. It becomes easier to empathise with lower stages. A yellow see the partial truth of each point of view and how each stage is a necessary step along the path. Things may feel really urgent now, but this is because it is the now. A longer and wider perspective shows us that we have made so much progress already and we need to exercise patience. In a way, society is exactly where it should be, where we might expect it to be.
(Criticism - but this isn't to say we should forgo the green dream, and stop with the activism and attempts at positive change, nor that we should uncritically accept aspects of blue or orange - so this is where i say it's not about a rejection of the green ideals. An example of the green vs yellow difference regarding social justice stuff: a green encountering a racist person will call them out and cancel them. A yellow will seek to understand why they are that way, and then focus on systematic change to dismantle racism.)
In terms of philosophy and spirituality, yellow starts to look into non-duality, to dissolve the boundary between good and bad, right and wrong. As such, it can see the good in the bad and the bad in the good, and the oneness and interconnectedness of all things. It therefore becomes tolerant of intolerance in a way that green is not. It stops hating the haters. Reality cannot just be good things, it is all things. There are harsh truths that do not fit into neat boxes.
This may feel counter-intuitive and even dangerous. But it is saying that the best way to meet evil is with love (ah so still admitting there is an evil though!?). And resultantly, the best thing we can do to help the world is to work on our own self, to cultivate a loving mind.
This isn't to say yellow is devoid of practical actions.... but i suppose this mostly has to wait til the next community-oriented stage - turquoise -emerges. Yellow may be a period of equipping oneself for the task, whereas turquoise is when the fruits of this internal labour can be realised in the wider world.
The transition from green to yellow is tough. Going from the top of a tier, to the bottom of a new tier, plus knowing you are at a bottom. Because yellow has awareness. This is key, further developing this awareness is the way up/out. But it's also challenging as we are becoming increasingly aware of the often crazy things our mind does (conscious incompetence), such judging others and ourselves harshly. Still, it's best to avoid any temptation to rush. And be kind to yourself along the way.
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A quote from the end of the Green video which I do not like 🙃 : ''Politics is all ego. And a big distraction. It doesn't mix well with personal development which is about shedding ego. The whole point of self-actualisation is to destroy your identities''
My reaction: ''we need an egoless politics''
List of yellow traits:
healthy: open, flexible
unhealthy: overloaded
values knowledge (but also not-knowing)
interested in big questions (especially in what is true, also interested in differences between people), and in the long-term
existential - interested in questions like what is reality, also in existential threat
systems thinking
realises the complexity of the world
realises the interdependence of processes (but also seeks independence)
seeks alignment and integration of different and differing views and systems
change and chaos are natural
life is at risk of collapse - (:o a bit too pessimistic?)
ecological perspective, sustainability
individual freedom, but also take responsbility, principled
materialism is devalued, find value in simply existing
flexibility, spontaneity and functionailty are important
personal growth - intellectual, philosophical, spiritual
spirituality goes deeper, more complex, seeks truth, embraces suffering and sees the meaning in it
spirituality goes deeper, more complex, seeks truth, embraces suffering and sees the meaning in it
wants to be fully one self
follow your own path
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Happiness is not the end of the path? Or green doesn't make you happy?
Next: watch the Yellow video to learn more