The word paradigm

The word paradigm comes from the Greek. It was originally a scientific term, and is more commonly used today to mean a model, theory, perception, assumption or frame of reference. In the more general sense, it's the way we "see" the world - not in terms of our visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving, understanding,interpreting.

For our purposes, a simple way to understand paradigms is to see them as maps. We all know that " the map is not the territory. " A map is simply an explanation of certain aspects of the territory. That's exactly what a paradigm is. It is a theory, an explanation, or model of something else.

Not all paradigm shifts are in positive directions. But whether they shift us in positive or negative directions, whether they are instantaneous or developmental, paradigm shifts move us from one way of seeing the world to another. Our paradigms, correct or incorrect, are the sources of our attitudes and behaviors, and ultimately our relationships with others.