Paradigms in flux: we are the (r)evolution!

🧠👁️🫀🖐️Bringing our whole selves into the transformation the world needs

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, (published in 1962!) by philosopher Thomas S. Kuhn, revolutionized our understanding of scientific progress. Kuhn challenged the traditional view that science advances through the gradual accumulation of knowledge. Instead, he proposed an episodic model where periods of steady progress, or "normal science," are disrupted by scientific revolutions.

These kinds revolutions occur when accumulated anomalies challenge the current paradigm, leading to a shift in how scientists interpret data and approach problems. New paradigms reshape the direction of research and redefine the rules of the field.

We need to bring our “common sense” back into the picture. In Spanish there is a saying (more like a play of words): “El sentido común es el menos común de los sentidos”, which literally means that the common sense is the least common of the senses. Indeed, we seem to have lost our sensing abilities. They are less common for they have made way for the following of we consider “normal”. And thus our culture and knowledge and science and collective wisdom are normative instead of sensing. Something needs to change, if we are going to deal with the changing nature of reality.

Developing a (r)evolutionary mindset

As our context changes, most of us continue to do things as we’ve always done: not questioning relevance but rather seeking comfort in familiarity and habitual routines. We seek validation in the “norm”, ie. that which everyone else is doing. Hence the snowball effect of our stagnant practices: we get more and more stuck and understand less and less why we experience so much friction. To break free from this, we need to bring about a (r)evolution.

The concept of (r)evolutionary practices merges two key ideas—evolutionary and revolutionary—to describe a dynamic approach to change that balances gradual improvement with transformational leaps.

The (r)evolutionary process includes both steady, incremental progress (evolution) and sudden, radical shifts (revolution) in thinking, behaviour, or systems. There is no timidity in the incremental: rather, these are experiments towards what might be, initiated out of curiosity. To explore what can be changed instead of staying stuck in the impossibility of what is believed to be unchangeable or broken. The radical shifts are the consequence of collective learning as we see that the incremental steps are adding up to new, transformed perspectives of what is possible and serve as inspiration to others to do more incremental steps in different contexts and domains. So together we can change our world. The exponentiality of this learning in the collective is what makes it transformational.

(R)evolution starts with a shift in mindset. Because it requires the courage to break convention, even if in small incremental steps at first. It means doing things differently than the default or collective mindset. The key lies in cultivating wide-eyed curiosity, a personal mindset that’s open to challenge and willing to explore uncharted territories.

The power of wide-eyed curiosity

Wide-eyed curiosity is more than simple interest or surface-level inquisitiveness. It’s the ability to look at the world with fresh eyes and question assumptions that may seem obvious or unchangeable.

Kuhn’s notion of “paradigm shifts” in science, involves abandoning a long-held theory for a new one that explains the data more effectively. In life and business, it could mean rethinking strategies, values, or habits that no longer serve us.

Curiosity forces us to step outside the comfort zone of familiar perspectives, and this is where transformation thrives. When we question deeply, we reveal gaps and inconsistencies in our current understanding. We find new plausible explanations for what is going on, what is needed and what might be.

Wide-eyed curiosity is a tool that opens up the possibility for paradigm shifts in our lives. It allows us to see that the constraints we face might be self-imposed or based on outdated beliefs.

Transforming our world through (r)evolution

Transformation doesn’t need to be painful. It happens, one way or the other because we live in a world and on a planet that thrives on vitality and change. Things will transform. But many of us don’t like accepting this because it often means confronting deeply held beliefs and routines that feel comfortable but are holding us back. We may find that the practices that once brought success are now the very things standing in the way of progress. This is a painful but necessary realization in the journey of change.

How might we apply this to everyday life and business?

Practical tips for cultivating transformation

1. Develop self-awareness: Take time to reflect on your habits, thought patterns, and beliefs. Are they serving you, or are they outdated paradigms that need to be replaced? Journaling or working with a coach can help you gain clarity on where transformation is necessary, where it’s possible, and where it is desirable. So you can cultivate different stages of your (r)evolution.

2. Embrace failure as feedback: Paradigm shifts in science often happen when experiments “fail” under the old system. In life and business, we mustn’t be afraid to embrace failure. Instead of seeing setbacks as obstacles, view them as opportunities for learning and feedback on where transformation is needed.

3. Adopt a beginner’s mindset: Even in areas where you are an expert, stay open to new perspectives. Wide-eyed curiosity means recognizing that there is always something more to learn. Encourage questions from people around you, challenge assumptions in strategy meetings, and create space for innovative ideas that might seem unorthodox at first.

4. Set small, yet bold goals: Transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Identify areas where small shifts in thinking and behavior (evolution) can lead to larger changes over time (revolution). For example, if you’re trying to shift an organisational culture from hierarchical to more collaborative, start by encouraging cross-departmental projects or open-door communication policies. Dare to go beyond your comfort zone.

5. Seek out new perspectives: Kuhn’s idea of paradigm shifts came from the realization that new ideas often come from unexpected places. In organizations, this could mean collaborating with someone outside your industry or learning from perspectives that seem unrelated to your field. Diversity of thought is often the seed for true innovation.

6. Embrace lifelong learning: Stay curious and keep learning. Always and ALLways, as I like to say. The world around us is constantly evolving, and to remain relevant and adaptable, continuous inquiry and exploration are essential. Attend workshops, read widely, and surround yourself with people who inspire you to think differently.

Bringing our whole selves into the transformation

Thomas Kuhn’s insight into how scientific revolutions occur provides a powerful metaphor for personal and systemic transformation. True change doesn’t happen one increment at a time; it requires a radical shift driven by increasing insight into how we see the world, driven by curiosity and a willingness to challenge the status quo.

If we want to transform our world, we must first transform ourselves. By adopting a mindset of wide-eyed curiosity, embracing failure, and committing to lifelong learning, we can usher in paradigm shifts that lead to meaningful growth and lasting success.

The increments start within ourselves, and the synergy is brought about by doing. In an embodied way, intentional and anchored through our senses and our being in the world (but not of it!):

🧠 Changing how we think, and reframing how we understand the world. By asking questions, adopting a beginner’s mindset, assuming nothing. Wondering out loud why things are so.

👁️ Changing what we see, and reviewing our perspectives. By letting go of the rules, the dogmas. Allowing multiple perspectives to co-exist and emerge.

🫀Expressing how we feel, and not dismissing the signals that emotions provide. By feeling our feelings, giving expression in words, movement, actions to what we feel and holding space for others to do so. Including the full spectrum of emotion into our dashboards as we seek out information, knowledge, understanding and ultimately wisdom.

🖐️ Changing what we do. One action at a time, trying things out, acting in different ways. By bringing intention into what we do, into how we interact with others and humbly accepting that we are co-creators of our world. Our actions inform our belief systems and vice-versa. That’s why intention is critical to this shift.

🔼 Changing our belief systems, changing the paradigm. As a continuous learning loop that feeds into our embodied being in the world, through out thoughts, perspectives, feelings and actions.

These concepts are difficult to explain because they do not respond to linearity, but in this model I’ve tries to capture these ideas:

As we change the way we think and the way we see, our perception changes.

As we change the way we see and the way we feel, our empathy grows.

As we change the way we feel and the way we do, how we apply our talent evolves.

As we change the way we do and the way we believe, we integrate a new world view.

Which we in turn, aligns to our thinking, and with our new perception: we find resonance to express what needs to come into being, we internalize a new world view, we harmonize more and more with life around us and we become (re)unified with all that is.

All of this is happening synchronously. There is no beginning or end, there is no linear process, there is no user’s manual which can dictate emergence.

The more we do this, the more we remind ourselves and each other that our way of being in the world can be (r)evolutionary: the more exponential the change will be. It takes all of us, each of us, to be the change we want to see in the world. We are an integral part of all that is, and the more we come to terms with this fabulous capacity we have, the more we can attune our talents, intentions and actions to create a life that thrives of creativity, change, and possibility. As Rumi said: “What you seek, is seeking you.” We are the (r)evolution!

If you enjoyed this article, please leave a ‘♡’ and/or share it with others. You may also like: