Practical Parallels with Hierarchical Complexity

Alexander Love offers a developmental tour through his version of the STAGES model, from Concrete to Subtle to Metaware tiers. Along the way, I make comparisons/contrasts to the developmental models based on hierarchical complexity. We discuss the content/structure distinction, the idea of a "center of gravity," as well as the unique contributions Alexander has made to the STAGES presentation. 0:00 Introduction0:55 Content vs. Structure: On Not Reducing Models to Typologies8:06 What Note is Your Piano? No One's "At" a Stage12:44 Constructing the World: What of Reality is Given?18:04 Concrete, Subtle, Metaware vs. Actions, Representations, Abstraction28:41 Capacity and Context36:41 Evolution's Engine46:35 Purely Structural vs. Holistic or Synthetic Models of Development53:44 The Metaware Tier1:07:16 Alexander's Contribution1:11:02 Scoring STAGES Data for Hierarchical Complexity? 1:12:46 How Do We Use Models Well1:16:49 Conclusion

Alexander M. Love, MCC, M.Ac. is an internationally recognized facilitator, coach, author, and acupuncturist whose work lives at the intersection of human development, contemplative wisdom, and deep transformational work. He is a Master Certified Coach (ICF), a certified STAGES scorer and developmental coach through Stages International. At the Newfield Network, he serves as Director of Curriculum Development and Senior Facilitator. He also holds a master’s degree in acupuncture from the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture. Alexander is the creator of the Lumina Process — a developmentally informed parts work modality that helps people work skillfully with shadow, shift their relationship to pain, and root more deeply in wholeness. He is also the author of The Evolutionary Gestures Trilogy, a mythopoetic work of magic realist memoir that explores the sacred gap between self and world, introduces a distinctive developmental vision, and opens toward post-tragic possibility. Over two decades, he has facilitated more than fifteen thousand hours of life-changing work with individuals and groups.