The stage models, explained

Nine maps of how people make meaning as they grow. Each follows a different line (the self, reasoning, values, faith, morals), and all of them sit on one shared altitude scale, so a stage in one can be compared with another.

Cook-Greuter Ego Development · Ego / self-sense and meaning-making Loevinger Ego Development · Ego / character, interpersonal style, conscious preoccupations, cognitive style Commons Hierarchical Complexity · Complexity of the task / reasoning performed Fowler Stages of Faith · Faith / ultimate meaning-making (religious or secular) Kegan Orders of Mind · Subject–object balance; epistemology Torbert Action Logics · Leadership action-logic Spiral Dynamics Spiral Dynamics · Value systems (vMemes) Kohlberg Moral Development · Moral reasoning (justice) Wilber Integral Altitude · Altitude — the general level of consciousness across lines

The altitude scale

Every stage in every model is placed on one twelve-band scale (after Ken Wilber), so a reading in one model can be translated into another. Later isn’t better: each altitude includes the ones before it and adds a wider view.

Infrared	Archaic	Survival, Infrared
Magenta	Magic	Nominal, Sentential, Intuitive-Projective, Tribal / Magical, Magenta
Red	Egocentric / power	Impulsive, Opportunist, Impulsive, Self-protective, Preoperational, Primary
Amber	Mythic / traditional	Diplomat, Conformist, Concrete, Abstract, Mythic-Literal, Synthetic-Conventional
Orange	Rational / modern	Expert, Achiever, Self-aware, Conscientious, Formal, Individuative-Reflective
Green	Pluralistic / postmodern	Pluralist, Individualistic, Systematic, Individualist, Communitarian / Egalitarian, Social contract & rights
Teal	Integral / systemic	Strategist, Autonomous, Metasystematic, Conjunctive, Self-authoring → Self-transforming, Strategist
Turquoise	Holistic / super-integral	Construct-aware, Integrated, Paradigmatic, Universalizing, Self-transforming mind, Alchemist
Indigo	Para-mind	Unitive, Cross-paradigmatic, Ironist, Coral
Violet	Meta-mind	Meta-cross-paradigmatic
Ultraviolet	Overmind
Clear Light	Supermind

See the stage of anything you read. Worldview Lens is a Chrome extension that reads posts, threads, articles and books through 9 stage models, including this one, and helps you say things so people at any stage can hear them.

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Stage descriptions are paraphrased summaries for orientation, written for Worldview Lens; they are not the official scoring manuals. Example sentences were written to illustrate each stage.