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DIFFERENT LENSES
The concept that each person has a certain “worldview” can be attributed to physicist Thomas Kuhn. He asserted that people’s worldview “paradigms” could only be changed under extreme circumstances. The Shelton Group divides worldviews into the following categories:


HOLISTIC THINKERS
> See everything as inter-dependent and related.
> Believe things can’t be understood in isolation.
> Believe everything is part of a greater whole.
> Think that the whole is literally greater than the sum of its parts. It can’t be understood in isolation.
> Difficult to pin down precisely, because by its very nature, holism embraces paradox, mystery and contradiction.


SYSTEMIC THINKERS
> Value integrity, competence and sustainability.
> See life as a system.
> Have a goals of restoring balance and vitality (especially prevalent in Gen X and younger).
> Join groups to solve problems and see results.
> Have great abilities to understand others and inspire them to achieve a higher vision.
> Want to feel connected to their purpose.
> Believe that businesses and individuals need to take responsibility for being positive and progressive forces for good—(triple bottom line philosophy).


HUMANISTIC THINKERS
> See personal connections and relationships as the way to meaning and happiness.
> Tend to think relativistically.
> Value equality, community
> Sees the world as a large—and often dysfunctional—family.
> Believe businesses should be more about equality and less about untamed corporate greed.


ABSOLUTISTIC THINKERS
> Value discipline, authority and purpose.
> See life as a test “in which I must prove myself worthy by upholding strict moral codes and laws.”
> Can’t tolerate uncertainty; need clear, unambiguous answers; seek intellectual security
> Often answer to only one “true authority,” making them hard to persuade or inspire.
> Like to prove they’re right. > Hardworking and dutiful, sometimes humble, with little expectation for personal gain; like to work toward a common goal.
> Believe everyone has an obligation to work hard, and that if they do so, business should take care of them.


INDIVIDUALISTIC THINKERS
> Share most traits with absolutist thinkers.
> Respond best to “prescriptive” instructions, not open-ended inquiry
> See themselves as self-made men (or women) responsible for their own success or failure.


 


I happened to catch Suzanne Shelton’s presentation of her latest research at the LOHAS conference in Boulder this summer. She’s been kind enough to share some of her team’s fascinating polling and focus group research with us for this article.


Mind over Matter
First, however, it’s important to state what this article is not. It’s not about how to design a brochure or write a good TV advertisement or educate an uninformed buyer about the perks of going green. In fact, as Shelton discovered in her research, trying to change consumer behavior by “educating” the public can actually backfire. It’s a combination of heart and head that wins green brand loyalty, not one or the other.


“A lot of companies get it wrong,” Shelton says. “It’s not about awareness. It’s not about education. It’s about understanding the buyer’s personal values. Here’s the key thing: You don’t have to believe in global warming to buy green products.”


To reach mainstream Americans with green concepts and products, she asserts, we need to see the world through their lens, and adjust the message to fit that lens. In other words, she says, a person’s worldview is very static, almost unchangeable, short of a major trauma or crisis.

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