Spiral Dynamics - Stage Red Notes

[Daniel Balan]

Red is very ego centric and domineering. Power hungry. Society at stage red is very explottative. If one can physically abuse and harm another without consequences, it will do just that. Might makes right. Stage red can hurt and manipulate with no remorse even it's family and closest friends. Red sees life like a jungle. The strong win the weak will lose.

 

Is impulsive, and wants instant gratification.

No guilt or concern about others.

Red has this attitude of challenging death and coming up on top. Prevailing.

 

 

Stage red values:

• Personal power, strength, might, and brute force.
• Displays of toughness.
• Valor, courage, heroism, and daring actions. Being number one. Winning at all costs.
• Conquering one's enemies, domination.
• The thrill of conquest.
• Warrior mentality
• Glorify death don't fear it
• Daring and bold, fearless.
• Loves competition
• Resolves conflict through brute force and intimidation rather than through diplomacy.
• A just do it mentality. Very pragmatic and direct.
• It values showing off and bragging.
• It values status and the recognition of prowess.
• Very charismatic, a plain talker, not too intellectual. Speaks brutally, and not to elaborate or academic, is very direct and blunt. Quite vulgar in it's speech.
• It values intimidation, manipulation and exploatation as a survival strategy. It gets delight when it successfully bullies others.
• Values sexual conquest and exploatation
• Lives life to the fullest. Values thrill seeking, adventure, and living boldly.
• Values power conquests like arm wrestling and face slapping.
• Values breaking rules and finding loopholes. It's not very good at following rules or obeying authority.

Another stage red characteristics:

• Seeks self preservation and is looking to get respect. And it feels very insulted when he doesn't get the respect it thinks it deserves.
• It enjoys itself to the fullest without regret or remorse. Free of guilt or shame. Indifferent to the colateral damage or harm that it caused to others.
• It tends to be narcissistic.
• It tends to be impulsive rather than strategic. It goes by it's gut feeling and intuition and it is not analytical. It doesn't make very long term deep plans.
• Uses power for personal gratification and enrichment.
• Societies at stage red use force, fear and itimidation to govern. There is no democracy at stage red.
• Glorification of absolute rule and vengeful Gods.
• There is a glorification of war, genocide, rape, and enslavement.(Much like what Russia is doing in the war with Ukraine.) Life is cheap and people are expendable at stage red.
• Relationships tend to be transactional and expendable. Stage green puts a lot of effort into forging meaningful and deep relationships. In total contrast red uses other people in order to get ahead or to manipulate the other person for their own personal gain.
• Red doesn't care about the sovereignity of other beings. If somebody or something is weaker than me, I have a right to abuse it.
• Red treats other humans in the same way humans treat the animals that they it.
• One sure sign someone is stage red, is that if they are gamblers. They frequently go to casinos or play poker for money.
• Red usually has a life phylosophy of winning through sheer audacity.
• Red only trusts himself.
• Whatever red can take it's his. Might makes right. Red perceives himself as the law.
• Red has a high sense of entitlement. It feels like he owns the world. (He feels like he deserves every woman, every car, every house, every field.) He feels that he deserves everyone and everything.
• Red is prone to anger, rage, mania, shouting, violence. A lot of domestic violence comes from stage red men, or women.
• Stage red tends to be materialistic and hedonistic, valuing tangible objects like trophy wives or getting a rich husband or fast cars, gold, diamonds, expensive watches, jewelry. In summary red values items that It can brag about.
• Red likes to show off his muscles and puff his chest.
• Tends to be pragmatic and very results oriented.
• Expects personal loyalty and respect.
• Uses shows of power and courage in order to gain the respect from others.
• It delights in cruelty, torture, revenge and violence. Not only red engages in violence and harming others, it even takes delight when doing evil to others.
• Red will hold grudges for 10 - 20 years for petty things, or insults, because red is very easily insulted. When you see a person that is angered quickly or feels insulted from small gestures or remarks, that is a clear sign that that person is a stage red individual.
• At stage red there is no compromise, no forgiveness. It is ruthless and bloodthirsty.
• Rules and regulations are to be tested and ignored not to be followed.
• Red is not only dominating other humans, it tends to dominate the environment, like the forests, by overly explotating the wood. Also has no remorse throwing trash out the window when he drives a car.
• Red has no capacity for self reflection or to admit that he behaved in a bad way. For every bad thing that it does, red believes that it is the victims fault for provoking him to do harm to the victim.
• Stage red doesn't learn from punishment.
• Because there is no self reflection, there is an instant defensiveness when it's ideas are challenged
• Very high ego at stage red.
•  Stage red is unable to exercise restraint and self-control. Self-control and discipline is something that it is developed at stage blue. Because red gives in to it's cravings and immediate gratification, his life boomerangs in it's face because of the bad choices it has made throughout it's life.
• It's unable to plan well. Unable to save money for a rainy day or do preemptive maintenance work.
• It tends to be very corrupt. It doesn't see corruption as a bad thing. It sees corruption as something that can benefit him.
• Red is about controlling and expanding more turf and territory.
• It's whole approach to life is to control others.
• Aggression and violence are seen as legit tools to get what red wants.
• Tends to be very confrontational and doesn't back down. Always seeks conflict with others from the most petty things to the biggest matters.
• It creates enemies and demonizes other people, and has a mission of trying to destroy and conquer those enemies.
• Red loves hierarchies and always strives through any means to get to the top of the hierarchy. A red boss will rule with an iron fist so that the others who oppose him are discouraged from ever challenging his authority.(Putin in Russia as a perfect example).
• It tends to exploit religion and the superstitions and traditions of people.
• Often times red mixes up with blue. Example Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union

Examples of people at stage red:

• Donald Trump( Although he is not exclusively stage red, he has elements of blue, and orange)(A good leader should have compassion about the suffering of others, Trump doesn't care about the suffering of others, that's why he is at stage red.)
• Saddam Hussein. (Former president of Iraq).
• Hitler
• Stalin
• Pirates
• Mafia figures
• Prisoners
• Online Hackers
• Toxic Narcissists
• Sociopaths
• Psychopats
• Pimps
• Hustlers
• Strippers
• PornStars
• Domestic violence
• MMA and UFC tend to attract and appeal to a lot of stage red people.
• Mike Tyson
• Connor Mcgregor
• Bankrobbers
• Tyranical bosses that bully you.
• People who wear gold chains
• The hood
• Alex Jones
• Andrew Tate

 

Regions in the world where stage red is prevalent:

• Iraq
• Syria
• Russia
• Romania(half blue half red).
• Liberia
• Somalia
• North Korea
• Myanmar
• Palestine
• The entire middle east
• Belarus
• Ukraine
• Saudi Arabia 

Stage red sayings:

• Might makes right
• Desperate times require desperate measures
• No guts no glory
• You have to break some eggs to make an omelettee
• An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
• It's a dog eat dog world
• Survival of the fittest
• To the victor goes the spoils
• The world is a jungle
• If you are not with us you are against us
• Fight tooth and nail
• Take no prisoners
• You scratch my back I scratch yours

 

How to distinguish stage red from orange:

 

• Stage orange will manipulate the wall street market for his own good.
• Stage red will also manipulate the market but will beat you with a baseball bat if you catch him.
• Stage orange is capable of guilt and shame, might commit some white collar crime
• Stage orange generally follows the rules. Sure it may exploit it's workers, or it may pay them dirt wages but follows the rules, doesn't do anything illegal. Red engages in violent crime and always seeks to bend the rules.
• Red will actually enjoy hurting others. Red can't control it's impulses and urges. Orange usually can.
• Orange is rational and strategic. Orange doesn't fly off the handle into some rage. Capable of remorse and shame. Not physically violent. Tends to be democratic at least in principle. If you ask Bezos or Bill Gates if they want to live in a democracy they'd say Yes. If you ask a stage red person they'd say no. They'd say that they'd rather live in a totalitarian regime with a strong man as their leader.
• Stage orange is scientific and usually has a high degree of education. Values science and education.

What triggers stage red:

• Signs of weakness, softness, and emotional vulnerability
• Triggered by disrespect, ridicule, disloyalty and betrayal.
• Triggered by anyone trying to dispute the bosses authority
• Stage red is triggered by losing the fight. When red loses a fight he will become 10 times more vindictive.
• A lack of actions, indecisiveness, and making excuses.
• Doubting one's power.
• The biggest trigger of red is stage green. Progressives and Social Justice Warriors are driving red mad. Everything that is seen as feminine and soft. What Red wants the most is power, and it only respects other individuals that display higher power than him. To red truth is something that only serves it's needs.

Unhealthy manifestations of red

• It leads to a downward spiral of violence and abuse and corruption
• A lot of sexual exploatation and rape.
• Treats women very horribly.
• Oppression of women and minorities.
• Gross human rights abuses.
• It's criminal, barbaric, harsh and brutal.
• Terrorism comes from it.
• Corruption and theft.
• Extremely good at exploiting preexisting systems.
• Narcissism, psychopaty, sociophaty.
• Only thinks about himself.
• Stage red can't built a peaceful, stable and healthy society.
• A lot of nepotism at stage red societies.
• Toxic masculinity and patriarchy.
• Healthy and good aspects of red
• Unification of squabbling tribes under a strong stage red ruler.
• Fast and decisive in it's actions. It's not a victim. (Being a victim is even worse than being a little bit hot blooded and angry) When angry you aren't in suicidal depression and you can accomplish things in the world.
• It's stands up against bullies. It protects against bullies.
• At it's best red has a noble warrior spirit.
• Helps the individual to thrive and survive in brutal environments.
• It tends to be pragmatic rather than superstitious and religious.
• Red offers rapid expansion of civilization and conquest of new territory.
• Creative, innovative and non conformist.
• It is independent, and doesn't need a babysitter to take care of him. He can survive on it's own.

Statistics about stage red

• It's estimated that 20% of the global population is in stage red. So roughly every 5 people you meet one is solid stage red.
• Stage red tends to surge in times of crisis and uncertainty.

 

How to transcend stage red

• Start to develop some discipline and rules you follow
• Develop a sense of morality
• Develop a sense of guilt and remorse. Acknowledge that your actions are causing suffering onto other people.
• Find a purpose that serves the collective rather than your own self.
• Go to college and invest in your education.
• Start reading books.
• Change your environment and your circle of people you hang out with.
• Soften and explore your feminine side more
• Try to join a more stage blue group.

 

Conclusions

 

• Red is not evil. What you call evil is someone's only way to put food in the plates of his children and family, and to send them to school.
• If you are judging and demonizing red, if you fancy yourself being at a higher stage, it is probably the case that you are still missing some important aspects of red from your life and you should bother to work to integrate them.
• Red is not a function of race, ethnicity or religion.
• Remember that a person is not purely one color, same with societies. Humans and societies often encompass a mixture of stages in their behavior. Someone might have a red core and an orange shell and also some aspects of blue mixed in there.
• People have a center of gravity. When we say Trump is stage red this means that his center of gravity is red. It doesn't mean that he hasn't aspects of orange or blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Daniel Balan]

I've re - watched Leo's video on Spiral Dynamics Stage Red. I've watched it when it released but I didn't do it by taking notes as the information unfolded and I did that just today. No AI no nothing, I just typed onto my commonplace book, every idea and nuance that @Leo Gura expressed. 

Thank you Leo for exposing to us this brilliant model. Without it I could probably  be dead now. This stage red video when it released in 2020 made me cut out of my life all the stage red friends I had back then. Most of whom are in jail or drug addicts that severely injured people in car crashes and violent club fighting. I'm forever grateful.

[The Renaissance Man]

@Daniel Balan When you have time study the 9 stages of ego development series, you'd love it.

Spiral Dynamics bundles together a lot of lines of development, from civilizations, to moral, to cognitive, to values, and so it ends up stereotyping the stage excessively, where almost nobody fits into it that nicely.

The 9 stages are all about ego/worldview development/epistemology, and so they can make you better understand the individual.

PS - The higher the stage, the more the possible ramifications in the various lines of development, and the more SD becomes forced. So stage red is likely one of the most precise one anyways.

[Ninja_pig]

Im an American currently volunteering in an extremely impoverished part of the world and i would say the predominant stage is red. Its probably %10 purple, %60 red, %25 blue, and maybe %5 Orange. The country was pretty much entirely tribal until only about 100 years ago, so this distribution makes sense from that perspective. Some common socially accepted practices include:

• Having multiple wives
• Beating wives for disobedience or disloyalty (however disloyalty from the husband is okay)
• Beating children for disobedience, or to force them to learn prayers
• Discarding trash literally anywhere
• Scrolling tiktok in public with maximum volume on the phone
• Embezzling school or other public funds
• Demanding unnecessary fees from students
• A total disregard for traffic laws
• Burglary, pickpocketing, robbery 
• A general lack of respect for laws except in fear of stronger authority

I think that stage red is something that we usually only see in criminals in developed nations, but here it is the norm. It is something we largely left behind in western Europe and America by the 1800's. It is very interesting to me to see the stage acted out on a large scale. I think one common mistake that volunteer organisations make is that people are "inherently good", and that we just need to provide the proper assistance in order to rescue them from poverty. The truth is that people are inherently going to act out their current stage. They aren't going to be acting out whatever your stage's version of good is just because you educate them about it. The fact that we don't understand that makes %95 of foreign development efforts useless.

Also, the predominant religion is Islam in this country, with a little bit of Christianity and anamism (a stage purple version of spirituality similar to paganism). Interestingly, i find more of the stage blue people to be Christian, while most muslims are stage red. I think that the christian religion lends itself more to a stage blue lifestyle, although christianity here is practiced in more of a stage red manner than in the US (stricter rules, fasting, different traditions for Christmas). I think the religeon of a nation may be one of the most important things determining its spiral dynamics stage. That is why islamic nations are normally not very developed. Also, i would venture to say that the concept of a nation, in terms of a national identity is only possible at a stage blue level of consciousness. The stage red people just see it as another system to exploited and menuvered for personal gain. Therefore, any stage red "nation" will always function more like a kindom than a country, which is what we see with most undeveloped nations.

I work as a volunteer in education, and i believe a well run (stage blue) school, with order, strict rules, and committed, uncorrputed staff  is probably the best way to further psychological development from stage red. Education is generally very effective for psychological development no matter the stage. This is why we should focus on education especially to make a healthy society in my opinion. 

[Daniel Balan]

Hi @Leo Gura what do you think of the summary for stage Red? I watched few 10 seconds, then wrote on my commonplace book what I understood from those 10 seconds, and I played your video again for 10 secs and paused and again I wrote. I did this till I finished the video. It was grueling work but now I have a solid fundation for a lifetime for each spiral dynamics stage. Today I am going to do the same for Green. Hope I did something useful 

[Leo Gura]

Excellent notes.

[Daniel Balan]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

Excellent notes.

Thank you for appreciating my contribution 

[Daniel Balan]