Recently I’ve come across a highly interesting article on adult mind development by J. Garvey Berger&Z. G. Achi titled “Understanding the leader’s ‘identity mindtrap’.“

The following is my own understanding of the concepts laid out in the article.

As humans with human mind-brain structures, we have developed ways and means of being ‘ourselves’ as individuals. We understand being ourselves as being separate entities, defined by bodies and what we experience as our “own specific character”, or persona. This persona is called our ‘identity’ – or ego. This ego-identity is made up of our stories of who we were in the past, and who we think we are going to be in the future.

We believe that the person we are right now – whoever that is – is not going to change much in the future and that we can’t do much to actively change ourselves. We believe this even tho most of us would agree that we have changed quite a bit in the past. 

A part of us is simply afraid of change and would rather defend this persona against outer influences. Our thinking traps us in a variety of ways into trying to stay the same person. These ways can be traced back through the millennia of human evolutionary theory, and most of them have made good sense at some stage – but they are no longer useful and supportive in the fast-changing world we find ourselves in now.

We trap ourselves through

• Trying to stick to one finite identity, the person we think we are right now – including defending this identity against perceived challenges;

• Believing simple stories of hero and villain – even though we intellectually know the world generally isn’t that simple;

• Believing ourselves – or someone – to be ‘right’, and the other side, ‘wrong’ – the feeling of certainty acts like a positive emotion in our bodies;

• Craving agreement with the people around us and doing what we can to stay in agreement – and we want to stay in agreement to the detriment of innovation and creative ideas;

• And wanting to be in control. 

While we can’t really stop our thinking patterns from falling into these kinds of traps, we can become aware of them and be less likely to act in accordance with their simplified belief structures.

Adult developmental theory of different mind forms

Researchers have suggested that just as bodies and mind develop during childhood, teenage and young adult years, our mind patterns and understanding continues to evolve. This adult development is somewhat different in that it doesn’t necessarily occur in all people the same way. Mind develops in response to challenges, and the results show not so much in the amount of information we ‘know’ but rather in how we make sense of what we know.

The self-sovereign mind

The self-sovereign mind is the early adult developmental mind form. It is seen in teenagers and young adults.

The self-sovereign mind is the first state of ‘being who I am’. It sees the world in shades of black and white, me-against-the-world, and tribal allegiances. This state of mind is grounded in a logical, rational world, and thus evolves from the make-believe world of childhood, but it is not well suited to thriving in a complex, challenging and fast-changing environment. 

The socialized mind

The next developmental step is the socialized mind. In this mindset, we tend to shape our world as social beings, and we acknowledge the importance of teamwork and getting along. We receive our ‘truth’ of how we are doing from outside perspectives and try to be the person that gets the most appreciation and love. 

When we operate out of the socialized mindset our personal wellbeing seems to depend on others and our environment. We feel powerless to change that. 

About 1/3 of the adult population operates out of this mindset. 

The self-authored mind

About 1/2 the adult population operates out of the self-authored mindset. In this developmental stage, we pick up our pens and write our own stories. Values like excellence, achievement, integrity, and self-control become important in this state. We hold ourselves and others accountable for our emotional states, for our world and our personal purpose.

This state of mind is dependent on a certain amount of self-awareness. It is a mindset that gives our power back into our hands and allows us to take an active, influential part of our lives and societies.

The self-authored mind reaches it’s boundaries when we called to deal with issues that require a wider perspective, and need us to amalgamate seemingly opposing viewpoints and values. 

The self-transforming mind

The self-transforming mind is the last adult developmental state mentioned in this article. In this state we come to the limits of our ability to control; we understand that the world operates beyond our personal control. 

The self-transforming mind is open to consistently questioning its own belief systems and its identity. In questioning the truth of its identity it is able to drop being defensive, and it can listen well and marry opposing viewpoints. In questioning its belief systems the self-transforming mind is able to be open to constant change. It develops the ability to reassess any situation continuously and can act with agility and clarity. 

Challenges are the daily bread of the self-transforming mind, and they are actively welcomed as tools and gifts that allow further expansion, understanding, self-knowledge and connection with a complex world. 

These developmental states are of course not clear cut – we don’t take a step, finish one and start the other. At any one time, we can experience and exhibit parts of any one of them. The more however we move towards the self-transforming mind, the better equipped we are to living joyfully and being actively involved in this volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.

To me, inquiry is the ideal tool and practice for the development of a self-transforming mind.

I am going to add another mind form to this theory:

The awake mind

The awake mind would be on the far end scale of the self-transforming mind. 

The awake mind is totally ‘awake’ to itself – meaning it is in touch with its own movements at all times. It has no or very little identity left, and as a result, it does not need to defend anything. The actions that arise out of this mindset are characterized by kindness, generosity, altruism, and inclusiveness. It has a yet again wider perspective that is unable to exclude one viewpoint in favor of another – both are seen as true within their limitations and understood as limited. 

The awake mind has no illusion of any control, it is content being in this world. It acts as an instrument of a higher order, and this order is perceived as friendly and supportive. 

People with this mindset generally live a joyful life. They are full of energy and appreciation for the world and all of its inhabitants. When they are called to take an active influence in society we experience them as peaceful, wise, and inspiring. 

You can read the original article here. Further reading: Robert Kegan – The theory of the evolving self. More in-depth: Medium.com. The Leap, Steven Taylor – Description of the awake mind.

Photo by Michel Stockman on Unsplash