The Four-Fold Way
Credited to Angeles Arrien
Through her research, cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien discovered that traditions in most Indigenous populations around the world draw on the power of four archetypes to live in harmony and balance with both their inner selves and nature. We can harness the attributes and wisdom of these four archetypes—the Warrior, the Healer, the Visionary, and the Teacher—to support ourselves and our connections to each other and the world around us.
l. Show up or choose to be present.
Being present allows us to access the human resources of power, presence, and communication. This is the way of the Warrior.
2. Pay attention to what has Heart and Meaning.
Paying attention opens us to the human resources of love, gratitude, acknowledgment, and validation. This is the way of the Healer.
3. Tell the truth without blame or judgement.
Nonjudgmental truthfulness maintains our authenticity and develops our inner vision and intuition. This is the way of the Visionary.
Be open to outcomes, not attached to an outcome.
Openness and nonattachment help us recover the human resources of wisdom and objectivity. This is the way of the Teacher.
The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary, 1993, by Angeles Arrien, Ph.D.
Anthropology tells us that as families evolve into more complex organizations, they proceed through the stage of clans to their ultimate evolution as a tribe.
Families who harness the “Four-Fold Way” engage in more fruitful and less contentious dialogue, leading to stronger connections and better understanding among them.
- Show up. If you don’t show up, you don’t have to worry about the other steps. Nothing happens if you are not there!
- Pay attention to everything: what is happening around you and what has heart and meaning for you. Don’t miss a beat. Observe what people say and don’t say, how they say it or how they don’t say it. Watch their posture and note the energy behind their comments. Everything is relevant.
- Tell the truth, without blame or judgment. Tell the truth. Just the facts—no blame, no judgment. Speak from your perspective and use “I statements.”
- Be open to outcomes, not attached to an outcome. Participate with an open mind and take into consideration the “wisdom of the team.” If you are attached to an outcome, it is not possible for you to freely examine other options, one of which may be better than the one to which you are attached.
