Inquiry

I probably "live" most of the time with Robert (UL), but visit Lisa (LR) on a regular basis (although it used to be more like "joint custody").  Huy (UR) and Nicole (LL) feel like distant cousins most of the time (but we do have quite a bit of fun at those family reunions - especially with Nicole!).  This orientation creates what may seem to some like a fairly insular, remote way of "experiencing" the world - but to me it's the place that most often provides that deep sense of meaning that I'm constantly drawn toward (...searching for? in need of?).  Now with this more consciously defined lens through which to view different orienting perspectives, I anticipate that it will help me be more patient with, and feel more compasisionate toward all my apparent "others" (including myself).  Maybe it will bring more joy as I learn to sit back and truly enjoy these amazing performances - live from our Native Perspectives!

Thanks so much to everyone for putting together this incredibly creative and effective way to look at/from the 4 quadrants!

This presentation was immediately helpful in helping me to determine that the UR, 'jumping right in', is my native perspective! Interestingly, it has engaged my UL, as that's where the previous sentence was written from. Anyway, I'm suddenly realizing that I have at times found myself in the middle of a project, having 'jumped the gun', wondering one or more of the following:

• 'Is this work actually meaningful to me personally? Do I really feel fulfilled?'  (UL)
• 'I wish I knew these people I'm working with better- I think we'd be more productive and happier.' (LL)
• 'Omigosh! I'm in the midst of this project but have a pretty dim view of the bigger picture! I need to pause and gather some background information, such as 'What general need is this project intended to satisfy?'  (LR)

Another epiphany is that while I simply KNOW that better results are obtained through teamwork, I sometimes fall back into that old 'If you want something done right, do it yourself'-type thinking.

As for how recognizing where others are coming from affects my relations with them, well, "native perspective" is somewhat new language to me, but I've keenly felt that each one of us has 'some' unique perspective, and that we all 'matter', for some years now. I suppose that at the beginning of every encounter with a group, I either shut up and listen to them or offer my own perspective first, then shut up and listen. Of course, very few people understand AQAL (some even become resentful!), so I leave that out. Once whatever project or discussion gets going, I'll most often gently and respectfully advise the leader(s) of the other perspectives present as well as those that are not. With people whom I know trust me, though, I'll both participate and moderate.

Terrific video! Thanks!

Jeff 

The four perspectives are basic coordinates of the 4D integral space of view, which seems to be a reasonable way to understand the nature of the world and separate individuals. It seems extremely limited to have just one point of view, from which you can see just one side of a problem. Such simplified narrowed approach always leads to misunderstanding and arguments. It's like looking at different plane projections of a cylinder. From one point of view, it seems to be a rectangle, while from the other it looks like a circle. People will argue about its shape, a circle vs a rectangle, and the both sides will be right, from their points of view, being in the same time wrong about the true nature of the object when they reject the point of view of the other side. However, if we decide that the object of our study is both a circle and a rectangle, we will be able to perceive its true shape as a cylinder.

No one is perfect, we are all human beings, and that's just simply beautiful and fun. Let's have a fight, just to experience the joy of making peace after we beat up each other pretty well. I see nothing wrong with that. 

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When listening to these four introductions, I observed myself thinking in what kind of role each of them could best serve the team work. The UR guy I would immediately suggest to function as a secretary in the project. It is often difficult to get anybody to volunteer as a secretary. That guy certainly would.

I would also suggest  to start the project be a LR analysis, and then gradually bring in the other perspectives also.

My own native perspective was easy to spot – LR/Systems – with a close affiliation with UR. I found the translations quite funny. The simulated responses to UR and LL were far more polite than the voices I hear in my head. So strong is my reliance on LR I often find it hard to see anything but self-indulgence in UL or irrelevant endless 'we-ing' in LL 'sharing'. 

Once we have labelled another's perspective it might be useful to gauge how foreign a way of engagement/perception it is for us by locating our response to another's perspective on a spectrum. Such as spectrum might go like this:

| Appreciation<--->curiousity <--> frustration<---> dismissive<---> repulsion <--->incomprehension |

These video and the "Integral Native Perspective" follow up are the best items I've seen here in a looong time, that don't just repeat what those of us from the Integral Naked days have heard many times over.

My native perspective developed early as UL because of my parenting.  Both of them only inhabited (and still do) a first-person perspective.  Everything that didn't fit their perspective was automatically "wrong".  They both were heavily UR, but because of their total rejection of "me" and wanting to inject their own projection of themselves onto me, I developed UL out of "neediness".  I mean, when your parents don't care about how you feel about anything, just that you be their puppet, you can't help but develop a strong UL perspective from having to defend yourself all the time.  Because of this, I quickly learned to analyze everything I did through a LR lens before acting, to make sure I wouldn't be "wrong" in their eyes.  In elementary shcool, I could see their separate perspectives.  I thus was able to hold multiple perspectives early, but more of a tangible, LR type.  It wasn't until middle school that I truly awakened to LL, and really didn't go there until after college.  And being totally dysfunctional, I didin't like hanging in that corner.

So I suppose LR would be more of a defensive knee-jerk reaction to my UL native perspective, which is also a product of my dysfunctional family life.  But I always plan things out and take as much into consideration before doing anything big.  The UL and LR share in the decision making.  UR is a simplified, singular perspective of the systems approach of LR to me, but just not so direct.  I'm working on being more direct in the UR, which is why I do my integral practice, which also helps the LL a whole, whole lot.

In fact, the more I meditate, the more I do shadow work, the more I ponder perspectives, the more I don't really have a native perspective.  I take the dominant perspective that is called for in the situation.  I dunno.  I'm not particularly left or right brained either. But instead of becoming more unfocused and ungrounded, this flexibility has made me more grounded, focused and effective in this world.

I am a LR. I had a ultra-sensitive UL mother (who didn't seem able to take care of a lot of needs outside her own) and felt abandoned most of my life so I am trying to overcome issues with shadow-work. I think I've always been a LR with a lot of UR as well; I just want everyone to be happy, everything to go smoothly. I often find myself as the leader of groups and projects, host a lot of parties, and am generally liked and known for my ability to bring out the best in a group.

The biggest problem I have as a LR is with people in the UL quadrant; I have to try extra hard to communicate with them, get them on board, help settle squabbles they have with others usually involving "feelings" within the group. I think they, at first,  feel threatened by me but in time I become their ally as I help them function in the group. The way I've learned to get through to their feeling nature is to channel my own inner voice and softly express how something makes me feel, draw them out, that sort of thing. It takes a lot longer than I need to spend with other folks and I almost always have to schedule special alone time with them outside the group. It takes extra work but I've learned that to get consensus in in a group, everyone needs to be on board. 

My boyfriend is an UL and the love just pours out of him. Our relationship is fraught, however, and the blocks are becoming just too great for me. I'm starting to feel it's too much work and my needs aren't being met. Also, while he wants to be life-partners, he frightens me with his self-absorption; out of the blue he'll adopt a homeless dog or bring in some needy person or suddenly change his mind (or his feelings) and quit a job to go on a trip he feels drawn to. 

So, through shadow work, I'm starting to see that maybe the attraction in the first place was that he's so much like my mother, unable to nurture anyone outside himself for long (unless it pleases him!), and I want to "fix" that, understand that, resolve that. I feel, as I did as a child, that my UL partner isn't interested enough in my needs and my welfare, thinks I'm strong and can take of myself (as I've had to all my life,) even though I've repeatedly tried to show him how inside my Being I am a downy cream-puff too. Just like him! (I also need to be included in some of these spur of the moment decisions he makes.)

Am I missing something? I'm starting to think that the UL quadrant is pretty narcissistic -- and I don't mean that in a bad way, just at an ego-centric line of development probably balanced by other stunning qualities in other areas...

So with all due respect and love, and pardon me to all you UL people out there, please help me understand my boyfriend and my mother; what does the UL person bring to a relationship with another person? How do you help and serve the needs of the other person? How can a non-UL person be nurtured and honored in a relationship with you? Can your sensitivity for your own needs and feelings expand to include empathy for another person in a relationship? How?

Thank you, Gina

Will someone please direct me to resources that provide validation for these four personality typologies that are based on the four quadrants?  I certainly accept, and use, the quadrants as an inclusive description of all possible perspectives for viewing and understanding the human world, but on what basis can we make the huge leap to the assertion that individuals actually gravitate habitually to one of the quadrants?  Show me the data!

Although I'm sure I have a predominant perspective, (I think it's UL) I also think that it depends a lot on a nature of the project. What is the project all about? To satisfy my goals, help others, dig into it and be busy and contribute, get the job done, develop a new system, short term, long term etc.? Also, being aware that there might be all four perspectives present in a meeting, we can choose to speak to each of them when we are, for instance making a suggestion or proposition, somewhat similar to having to address a group of people centered up and down the spiral. Either way, self observation and awareness seems to me to be, as always, very important. I wonder what you might think about this.

Radomir

Although I'm sure I have a predominant perspective, (I think it's UL) I also think that it depends a lot on a nature of the project. What is the project all about? To satisfy my goals, help others, dig into it and be busy and contribute, get the job done, develop a new system, short term, long term etc.? Also, being aware that there might be all four perspectives present in a meeting, we can choose to speak to each of them when we are, for instance making a suggestion or proposition, somewhat similar to having to address a group of people centered up and down the spiral. Either way, self observation and awareness seems to me to be, as always, very important. I wonder what you might think about this.

Radomir