This document discusses integrating individual identity ("I-culture") with collective identity ("We-culture") to achieve wholeness. It argues that modern societies emphasize rationality and individualism while traditional societies emphasize tradition and collectivism. Both approaches are incomplete when separated. True wholeness involves integrating both modes of awareness through embracing paradox and updating beliefs to incorporate greater knowledge of interconnectedness. Discriminating between "I" and "We" modes points to areas for personal growth through digesting fears and deepening experience of wholeness.

1. Integrating I-Culture and
We-Culture: The Two
Hemispheres of
Collective Intelligence

2. We invite you to explore …
• Learning to frame identities using the
lens of both I-Culture and We-Culture
• Exploring how you could evolve the
wholeness of the systems you participate
in through employing different frames of
self-identity
• Increasing collective and individual
intelligence through integrating parts of
self locked in unconscious judgments,
prejudices and fears

3. I-Culture Self Identity: What Makes
the Individual Unique
• Title
• Role
• Skill
• Expertise
• Strength
Who am I?

4. We-Culture Identity: What Is the Web
of Relations Woven Through Me?
• Archetypal: relationship with those
who share your worldview, belief or
passion
• Social identity: relationship with those
who help to define your social role and
status
• Bio-Emotional/Somatic: relationship
with those with whom you share
emotional bonds or physical space
Family
Work
Neighbor
Friends
Spiritual allies
Co-creative
Partners/Playmates

5. I- and We-Cultural Paradigms
• Self is defined as individual I
“I am an individual self.”
• Integrity of individual sovereignty,
equality, independence, innovation
• Individual interests prioritized over
collective.
• Self is defined as group-identity:
“I am my family/tribe/group.”
• Integrity of the group-identity:
hierarchy, structure, tradition
• Collective interest prioritized over
individual.
I WE

6. I- and We-Cultural Paradigms
• Weak sense of belonging and
connection on the somatic level
• Weak family and relational bonds
• Inefficient at achieving coherent group
actions due to too many fragmenting
voices
• Weak boundary around individual
• Lack of individual freedom, right and
sovereignty
• Majority voice overrides the minority
voice
I WE

7. I-Culture and We-Culture Distinction is
Context Specific
World
United States
North South
Demographic
US
White Collar
China
Blue Collar
Person
Work Home
Organization
Modern Traditional

8. Wholeness: Integration Of I- and
We-Cultures
• Wholeness expresses itself at the scale of individual, family, community, organization and beyond
• Wholeness of human systems evolves through the mutual inter-play between the two
• Group embraces the individual-I: each “I” is the smallest fractal version of the “We”
• Individual honors the group: the “We” is the larger fractal pattern of the “I”
• When one mode is inhibited, the other also gets weaker

9. Questions:
• Can you identify a context where your current sense of self is overly biased
towards the I-Culture mode?
• Can you identify a context where your current sense of self is overly biased
towards the We-Culture mode?

10. Do you experience a conflict between
I-Culture and We-Culture paradigms?

11. The Awareness Patterns
Underlying the I- and We-Culture

12. The Taoist Architecture of Psyche
Light Plane
Middle Plane
Dense Plane • Instinctual, somatic, sensory and emotional
• Embodied self/Familial lineage
• Anchoring a felt-sense of connection and
boundaries
• Archetypes, patterns and symbols
• Group identity
• Anchoring shared worldviews/beliefs
• Intellectual/rational mind
• Self-identity
• Anchoring shared social values

13. Hard/Linear Logic and
Poetic/Holistic Logic
- Separation of Light and Dense Planes
- The principles and embodiment of
life are separated and objectified
- Development of linear rational mind
- Light and Dense Planes as a
continuous whole
- The principles and
embodiment of life are
inseparable

14. - Linear rational
- “Left brain”
- Masculine mode
- I-Culture paradigm
- Holistic trans-rational
- “Right brain”
- Feminine mode
- We-Culture paradigm
Hard/Linear Logic and
Poetic/Holistic Logic

15. Describe this picture with hard or poetic logic

16. Describe this picture without the
following words:
tanker truck
accident
high way
firefighter
car
crash

17. Questions:
• Modern society highlights rationality, linearity and scientific materialism. It
tends to privilege hard/logic mode over poetic/holistic mindset.
• When hard/logic mode of awareness dominates, poetic/holistic mindset of
atrophies, leading to hyper-individualism.
• How might the hard/logic mindset perceive or judge the poetic/holistic
mindset?
• Do you identify this prejudice in yourself?

18. Questions:
• Traditional or indigenous society highlights tradition and poetic/holistic
mindset.
• When the poetic/holistic mindset rigidifies, hard/linear mode of awareness can
not fully develop, leading to hyper-collectivism.
• What kind of prejudice may the poetic/holistic mindset hold towards the
hard/linear mindset?
• Do you identify this prejudice in yourself?

19. Impact of Disconnecting the Hard/Linear and
Poetic/Holistic logic
• When we are disconnected from our own poetic/holistic mode, we
perceive “others” or our environment as chaotic, ambiguous and
uncertain.
• When we are disconnected from our own hard/linear mode, we
perceive “others” or our environment as threats and intrusions.

20. To evolve towards wholeness, consider:
• Conflict is a sign that wholeness at a greater
scale and finer resolution wants to emerge.
• Our fear and judgement point to where our
knowledge of wholeness needs to be
updated, AND our experience of wholeness
needs to be deepened
• Digesting our fear and underlying pain
provides the foundation for greater
participation of wholeness

21. Integrating I-Culture and
We-Culture: The Two
Hemispheres of
Collective Intelligence

23. Questions:
• Progressive left: more I-Culture than We. Yet it gives rise to the concept of
“Global-We”.
• Conservative right: more We-Culture than I-Culture. Yet it asserts more fortified
boundaries around local “We”, leading to inflated nationalism and
ethnocentrism.
• What lesson the tension between conservative-right and progressive-left is
pointing at? What are the gifts the conservative-right and progressive-left each
might contribute to wholeness on the global level?

24. What is an elephant? Linear logic
1. It is an elephant
2. It is a mammal
3. It weighs 6000 ~
13000 pound
4. It is herbivorous
5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
- Explicit and absolute: X is a, b, c, d…

25. What is an elephant? Poetic logic
- Implicit and qualitative: the vibe of X feels like A, B, C…