Ken Wilber's Description of the Major Memes (Points of View)

(Quoted from Ken's article "The Deconstruction of the World Trade Center")

"Very briefly, here are the basic needs of the major waves or memes and the types of responses to the attack that they might prefer:

Beige--physiological necessities, water, food, shelter, safety; needs to reestablish basic physical security disrupted by the attack.

Purple--emotional bonding, vital needs, organic identity, tribal or familial; needs to reestablish emotional 'us' versus 'them'; will retaliate to do so.

Red--dominance, control over rival groups; would like to kill the terrorists, period. Any reason will do, just kill the bastards, which will reestablish my control.

Blue--need for certainty and stability (not merely physical, but in terms of values and principles); the terrorists threaten eternal truths and need to be vanquished; a crusade against evil-doers; rally around the flag, around God, around nationalism: united we stand, divided we fall; this is a simple case of good versus evil--the terrorists need to be removed because the attack on the good demands retribution; only by 'bringing them to justice' can the one good and true way be reestablished.

Orange--need for individual achievement, excellence, progress, profit. The attack was an attack on civilization itself and an attack on freedom itself; the terrorists need to be apprehended; whether we actually kill them or not is less important than the fact that we strategically reestablish free market, business, democracy, industry, progress, profit.

Green--need for caring community, sharing of feelings, subjective bonding, self-expression, trying to honor multiple viewpoints; the attack is an opportunity to join together to reestablish community and reaffirm peace and nonviolence, which is the only correct stance. We should have love in our hearts, not military retaliation, which will only increase oppression and further aggravate the problem.

Second-Tier--acting with a view of the patterned whole, how can I best facilitate the health of the entire Spiral? Act to support and promote actions based on the Prime Directive--i.e., actions that promote the greatest depth for the greatest span. Will support military action if in support of the Prime Directive (i.e., it takes Krishna-Arjuna's view of military action if warranted, as does Third Tier).

Third-Tier--in the basic All Rightness of the Kosmos, all things arise exactly as they should; and therefore, paradoxically, I must work even harder for the health of the entire Spiral. There are no others to save ; therefore, I vow to save them all . In practice, supports the Prime Directive."