Over the last two months I have posted several articles about the importance of individual values VS group imposed values and the consequence of misunderstanding people’s thinking.
In the series NLP Values and The Evolution of Consciousness which was a mini crash presentation on different values and different ways of thinking on this planet, I have argued that many conflicts and misunderstandings between people, institutions, societal groups, women and men, young and old and so on, are due to different ways of thinking of individuals, and therefore different values levels.
If you are not familiar with that series here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12.
In case you missed them, here are two other articles where the same line of reasoning is advanced in support of the same some proposition.
Bizarre, Not so. Values Levels Conflict
B.F. Skinner Meets C.G. Jung on NLP Coaching Website
Now let’s consider the following scenario.
A highly technological civilization (will call it civilization A) with advanced weaponry, thermo-nuclear capability, high computing capacity and other similar technical advancements meets a civilization (will call this civilization B) and civilization B lives on a different planet than civilization A.
Civilization (A) has conquered nature, figured out most of its laws, has a highly developed economy and trade and in general a good standard of living. And of course has mastered the science of space travel because it has discovered a very rare crystal-type element on the planet where civilization B resides. This element is necessary for further development of technology which will defend civilization A planet against local and non-local aggressors. In other words it is necessary for this planet’s and its inhabitant’s survival. We can safely assume that this civilization has arrived at VL 5 type of complexity of thinking.
People part of civilization B live happily in nature, utilizing nature’s gifts. They have artfully transformed caves into homes to provide shelter, streams and rain are used for water supply, sun for heat, wind for cooling, herbs for healing and the natural cycles of the sun and the moon for agriculture. They live in nature and with nature for their support. They have learned the laws of nature exceedingly well; they know when the rain comes, when the weather will change, and where the best food sources are. They have an innate sense of union with nature and rely on it for their sustenance. The environment is perfect for their survival. From this description we can deduce safely that civilization B belongs to VL 2 type of thinking.
What do you think will happen when the two civilizations meet?
Possible scenario
Civilization B does not want to allow Civilization A access to the ore because (1) they feel invaded in their space of living and this makes them unsafe and suspicious (2) this is the sacred ground where they worship their gods (3) this is the place where their ancestors are buried (4) this is their place of dwelling (5) they have faith in the great gods who will protect them (6) they have no notion of their race or their planet as a whole, are disorganized and have little military strength (7) they do not understand nor do they care about space travel, other planets, science or technology or anything that VL 5 tries to argue (8) they are fearless warriors and they believe in themselves, their gods’ protection and their ways of life. The only objects that entice their interest are some of the weapons which they can use in the fight against other challenging tribes on their native planet.
Civilization A (1) scorns at all these reasons as being senseless (2) must execute the mission for which they travelled from the their native planet (3) tries to reason with representatives of civilization B but to no avail (4) tries to negotiate a reasonable treaty with the inhabitants including offering them safe relocation in another area (5) considers the future fate of their own planet’s survival and knows it must make efforts to improve further their technology (6) knows its military superiority and their ability to destroy Civilization B virtually overnight (7) recognizes that it could resort to warfare to get the resources they need for their own survival.
The difference between VL 2 and VL 5 in terms of complexity of thinking – which in turn gives birth to different cultures and different environment – is significant.
Now let’s analyze what could interest each of the two civilization in achieving a collaboration with each other and if this could work.
The possessions of the VL 2 people are of little if any significance for the VL 5 people with the exception of the ore. VL 5 has forgotten the ability to communicate with nature in any other way than with technology and technology allows them to completely control nature. Maybe even the inhabitants of this world are of little significance to them.
Vice-versa the possessions of the VL 5 people (expect for some weapons) are of little if any interest to the VL 2 people, and even if they were, they may not be able to maintain those possessions for long. They simply do not value them. They are not important to their way of life. Consider the barbarians (VL 2-3) who overthrew the Western Roman Empire as an example. Relative primitive conquerors with little grasp of the value of the assets the Romans displayed at that time.
So what could possibly happen?
- Possible assimilation by the more advanced (VL 5) civilization.
- Possible enslavement as cheap labor force of the VL 2 people by the VL 5 civilization.
- Possible negotiation (a lucky scenario) – if there was anybody in the negotiating team capable of understanding the difference in values levels thinking and therefore the difference in life concerns and motivation. (as an aside, it would be wise for the reader to remember that values are not what we like or dislike but what is important to us. Likewise it is important to remember that our values determine our motivation in life and they reflect our immediate life concerns toward survival).
- Possible treaty with offerings of necessities valued by the VL 2 people, agreements over the use of territory with respect to environmental rules and respect toward the sacred grounds. Whether these rules will ever be respected by the VL 5 or not, this is another long topic better left for another article.
- Oppression of the VL 2 people as part of the assimilation process.
- Extermination of the VL 2 people as a possible threat (even if a minor one) against the exploitation of the ore.
So as you can see the situation does not lean in favor of the VL 2 people. Our own planet is full of examples where a more technologically advanced people conquered less advanced people and the result was always favorable to the more advanced people. And this has nothing to do with being more evil or prone to more reprehensible behavior. It is an issue of technology, weaponry and complexity of thinking. As you may well remember from my other articles, the difference between the two civilizations is not in intelligence, only in complexity of thinking.
Nevertheless using the understanding of the different values levels thinking and development, in a similar situation it is conceivable that solutions could be found. These solutions would have to satisfy at least to some point both parties involved in such a conflict. Otherwise the more advanced civilization always will win over the less advanced one. And it is the thinking that makes the difference. It is the thinking that created the technology.
It is not a clash of civilizations per se (with apologies to Samuel P. Huntington) although it is, but from the NLP and NLP values point of view it is a clash of values levels thinking which leads to a clash in understanding and difference in complexity of thinking.
In its turn complexity of thinking leads to technological development which in turn leads to more understanding and development and so on.
Now what I want you to do is to take this made-up metaphor and compare it to your own life. Find out where you meet other people with which you have conflicts and irreconcilable differences. What different values levels thinking do they have and how could you dissipate that conflict by using your understanding of values levels?
If you have questions, let me know in the comments below.
Until next time, be well.