Knowledge is the key enabler for evolution in individuals. Why? Because “knowledge” may be described as a map of the world we live in.
Seen from the point of view of one map, life may seem happy, unchanging and deeply dependent on material interactions. Seen in another map, the same set of events may be seen as symptomatic of stagnation and being trapped by material interactions.
These shifts in “maps” or “paradigms” are well understood.
A more important question is who creates the map? The creator of the maps defines what is in the map, what events are to be given importance, what outcomes are valuable, and which behavior is desirable.
The interesting part about human beings is that the creator (the human being defined at the identity level) and the map created (mental models) are deeply intertwined. A significant change in one will result in change in the other.
This reflexive space can be both a barrier and an enabler for evolution.
- When identity and held models are both “invested” into current reality, then reflexivity is a barrier to evolution.
- When identity and held models are invested into a possibility then reflexivity is an enabler to evolution into that possibility.
- Most problematic is when one of the two is possibility invested, while the other is current reality invested leading to deep reflexivity challenges in individuals and groups.
