In this episode we welcome back Jordan Greenhall of Neurohacker Collective to talk about a concept he calls deep code. Jordan explains what deep code is, and how it works. He describes the basic cycle of learning that can be applied to anything we do, which is crucial for increasing our capacity to navigate today’s world. This episode airs in two parts.
Designing a New Viable Civilization
Jordan describes the given culture as a collection of different kinds of institutions and practices that try to meet our needs. We as humans continue to choose to interact with these institutions, and this is what holds culture together and shapes it over time.
He argues that the current civilization framework we are operating under is no longer adequate for the set of challenges that humanity is facing, and this civilization will ultimately collapse under its own weight.
Looking through the deep code lens, Jordan has been analyzing why is the case and where we are on that trajectory. He and his colleagues have also been trying to design a new viable civilization, and to understand what the actionable steps are for humanity to get to the next stage.
In dealing with the problems that the civilization is currently facing, Jordan explains it is necessary to go deep and find the underlying structure of the process of learning. We have to examine the assumptions our current civilization is operating under, and deconstruct them so that we can reconstruct something anew, a process known as “solve et coagula” in alchemical terms.
The Cycle of Learning
Jordan identifies six basic capacities which constitute learning:
- Discernment
- Attunement
- Coherence
- Clarity
- Insight
- Embodiment
This cycle is the deepest basis of any kind of capacity building in any possible domain.
All choice-making in all possible contexts is founded on these capacities. Once a person masters the skills in this cycle, one is ready to respond to any possible set of circumstances. This is how deep code can be applied in everyday life.
This is particularly important in our rapidly changing world where our skill sets are becoming obsolete at the accelerating pace. The fast pace of change calls for adaptive skills at a much deeper level. Instead of giving people basic skills, we need to give them the basis of learning.
The Difference Between Mastery and Sovereignty
Jordan defines sovereignty as a measure of the relationship between one’s capacity and the conditions the one is in. The distinction between sovereignty and mastery is actually subtle. While mastery relates to skillfulness in a certain domain, sovereignty is the ability to make choices in response to whatever is happening in one’s environment, and to be able to increase this ability on an ongoing basis.
Collective Sense Making Systems
In order to maintain our sovereignty in the overwhelming flow of information, we should consider the discernment capacity mentioned above, in its three aspects.
The first aspect is building discernment around internal cognitive and emotional responsiveness to information and communication coming to you. It means becoming capable of listening and understanding.
The second aspect is becoming discerning around the context and the content of what you express – building the clarity of expression.
The third aspect is a process where people are both using their capacities to express and listen in order to build a collaborative relationship between the two.
Playing the New Game
Today, people are increasingly communicating across different cultures through virtual channels like social media. In order to use this medium adequately, it is necessary to significantly upgrade and become artful in our communication.
When we begin to recognize individuals who have reached a high level of discernment and with whom we can engage in a conversation, we can build a collaborative space where everybody has a responsibility for expressing and listening.
This way of communicating and building relationships is part of the new game we are playing as a civilization, and only through collaboration can we build the skillfulness in this new game.
Learning How to Learn
The best way to become good at the basic learning capacities is to engage in activities with the purpose of building awareness of our capacity to learn in itself. In this way, different activities become mediums of experimentation. Everybody, everywhere has the ability to enter this journey from where they are now, with what they have access to.
Talking about parenting, Jordan explains that as a parent you have to simultaneously have an enormous amount of humility and compassion for your own inadequacy, and have a commitment to be the best that you can be. The same goes for our relationship to the whole world.
In this episode of Future Thinkers:
- What is deep code, how it works, and why it matters
- Why our civilization is threatening to collapse under its own weight
- The design criteria for a future viable civilization
- Why it’s important to deconstruct and reconstruct all the assumptions society rests on
- The six basic capacities of learning
- How the cycle of learning relates to large groups of people
- How the pace of change affects our ability to respond adequately to our environment
- The distinction between sovereignty and mastery
- How to maintain sovereignty in a world of fake news
- The three aspects of discernment
- Going from communication to conversation, from conversation to collaboration
- Playing “the new game” and how to become skillful at it
- How to have a good relationship with your own body
- Applying deep code to parenting
Mentions and Resources:
- Deep Code blog and Youtube channel by Jordan Greenhall
- Neurohacker Collective
- Jim Rutt, who coined the term “deep code”
- Robert Kegan, Professor of Adult Learning at Harvard
- The Uplift Academy
- Landmark Forum
Book Recommendations:
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Khun
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- Charles Sanders Peirce’s books
More from Future Thinkers:
- Jordan Greenhall on Sovereignty in Chaos (FTP048)
- Jordan Greenhall on Collective Intelligence During Global Collapse (FTP047)
- Daniel Schmachtenberger on Mitigating Existential Risks (FTP046)
- Daniel Schmachtenberger on The Global Phaseshift (FTP036)
- Dr. Jordan Peterson on Failed Utopias (FTP038)
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