Dialectic Unfolding of Quests

Easy-Resting v Dynamic-Effortful

The Quests, like all THEE Typologies, are subject to a duality that leads to their dialectical unfolding as follows:

• The lower pole of the duality is a ground or resting state of the Quest, which provides for easy benefits.
• The upper pole of the duality is dynamic and demands effort, but then delivers the full benefit of the Quest.
• The synthesis of the duality generates the resting pole of the next higher Quest.
• The system is cyclic and so synthesis of the highest Spirituality Quest-RH'L7 duality, creates the resting state of the lowest Pleasure Quest-RH'L1)

This analysis is largely a validation exercise. It is not proposed that anyone ever does, or ever should, work their way through these progressive dialectic resolutions. However, it does explain observed tendencies within Quests, and the basis for interest in the next level Quest.

Unfolding Dualities

See summary diagram below.

RH'L1: Pleasure Quest

Passive sensuality v Social conviviality

The resting state is passive and sensual enjoyment, that might be obtained by listening to your favourite music, having a cup of tea, or dozing in the sun.

The dynamic state involves arranging social interactions that suit your pleasures e.g. setting up a bridge game, or organizing a round of golf, designing a dinner party, or going with friends for a day at the races.

Synthesis ► 

Interacting provides the potential for development because it generates relationships and experiences whose development is outside personal control. These combinations of simple desired pleasures and complex social interactions intensify interests, feelings and intentions, which become the substrate for a Meaning Quest.

RH'L2: Meaning Quest

Use values to set goals v Develop psychological insights

The resting state finds you reflecting on current experiences and getting to know yourself. This enables articulation of your values and using them to define goals and assess possibilities. This is intrinsic to living a life of purpose.

The dynamic state involves developing psychological and social insights based on your ideals, your attempts to feel good, and the progress of your projects.

Synthesis ► 

Combining values and goals with insights into personal relationships leads to you notice puzzles e.g. about why certain people act as they do, why you repeatedly find yourself in situations that you dislike, why society makes certain demands, why so many around you believe something that is evidently false. Developing explanations for such puzzles is the substrate for the Enlightenment Quest.

RH'L3: Enlightenment Quest

Explaining puzzles v Breakthrough understanding

The resting state is a readiness to experience puzzlement about how people behave; and then enjoying finding explanations and solutions that are useful in social life. This may start with relationships, but it soon progresses to include the social context and inner personal states.

The dynamic state involves specifically identifying genuine and persistent mysteries and working to make breakthroughs to deeper understanding. This requires penetrating into the meaning of social activities in general, and your own contribution in particular.

Synthesis ► 

Combining solutions to puzzles with significant breakthroughs leads after a time to an awareness of the enormous amount of unnecessary harm, often self-harm, that exists in the world. The result is a feeling of compassion for others and an urge to relieve suffering. This is the substrate for the Salvation Quest.

RH'L4: Salvation Quest

Act compassionately regularly v Rescue specific individuals in need

The resting state involves acting in a compassionate way on a regular basis and as a matter of course. It may occur in paid work e.g. social work, psychotherapy, community relations. There will also be acts of kindness in accord with the moment and not entailing any significant further obligation.

The dynamic state involves engaging personally in rescue efforts targeted over time at the needs of a specific individual, a small group like a family, or even a small community. The suffering is perceived as an opportunity and the effort may occur on a sole-actor basis or as part of a dedicated group.

Synthesis ► 

Compassionate behaviour combined with active rescue work will tend to activate ideas about overcoming obstacles or new ways to help or methods for self-help. These solutions may be pursued, and so become the potential substrate for a Creation Quest.

RH'L5: Creation Quest

Try out innovative solutions v Bring new ideas to fruition

The resting state involves trying out solutions for particular problems in an existing situation where you can act more or less freely. The goal is to be innovative and do something that is obviously needed or could save money or add benefit in some way.

The dynamic state involves bringing a stream of new concepts to fruition. This is a much more substantial challenge. It often means moving into new social arenas, learning new methods or disciplines, and getting support from new unknown people.

Synthesis ► 

Trying out solutions combines with bringing a new idea to fruition to lead to specifications of precisely what should be done to get the desired results. The obligatory adherence to such procedures forms the substrate for an Obedience Quest.

RH'L6: Obedience Quest

Perform obligations as specified v Fulfil duties in the spirit

The resting state involves performing obligations to the letter with meticulous attention to procedure, protocol, rules and ritual.

The dynamic state involves entering the spirit of fulfilling duties when discharging the role. That means appreciating the humanity and symbolic functions built into the role—these are vital to support continuance of the institution.

Synthesis ►  

Following the letter of the law while entering its spirit leads to a belief in the significance of spirit in human affairs. Such belief is the substrate for a Spirituality Quest.

RH'L7: Spirituality Quest

Belief in the existence of spirit v Use of spiritual methods

The resting state is a belief in the existence and significance of spirit. It may also involve belief in the presence and accessibility of God or divine union, either on a doctrinal basis or as a purely personal conclusion.

The dynamic state involves active use of spiritual disciplines to access divine realms. These may have practical or devotional components or be primarily meditative efforts to experience oneness or divine union.

Synthesis ► 

Believing in the divine and using a spiritual discipline, when properly handled, lead to pleasurable or even blissful states that simply arise and are there to be enjoyed. Such passive pleasure is the substrate for the Pleasure Quest. That takes us to where we started at RH'L1—the unfolding duality arrangement is always cyclic in this way.

Dualities: Unfolding & Oscillating

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• Equipped with this amount of understanding of each Primal Quest, it becomes possible to compare Quests simultaneously using a THEE Typology Essences Table.

Originally posted: 29-Jun-2012