32 Characteristics of Hierarchies

Because they are numerous and leave behind telltale clues, finding elusive hierarchies can be straightforward. When we approach our journey as a mystery, we transform ourselves into detectives. We uncover the places to look, steps to take, questions to ask, and procedures to follow as we hone our skills and become super-sleuths.

Searching for hierarchies does resemble solving crimes. After all, hierarchies are stealing our happiness, peace, and hope, while also killing our safety, contentment, and security.

When we are sleuthing for hierarchies, we look for typical hierarchical rules and roles, whether we find them in ourselves or other people. Once we know what we are looking for, hierarchies are simple to find because they leave behind telltale fingerprints – characteristic attitudes and behaviors – which we call CLUES.

CLUES I

• We are High in Some Hierarchies and Low in Others
• Judging and Ranking Builds Hierarchies
• More Valuables Flow to the Top; What's Objectionable Sinks to the Bottom
• Status and Rewards Are Based on One's Position, Not Contribution
• Our Positions in Hierarchies Influence Our Interactions
• Placement in One Hierarchy Transfers to Some Other Rankings
• Lower People Need Fixing
• Harmful Behaviors Hold Hierarchies Together

CLUES II

• Maintaining Hierarchies Is the Highest Priority
• People at the Top Don't See Hierarchies
• People at the Top Know Little about the People Below, even though People at the Bottom Know about the People Above Them
• Decisions Are Made with Limited Information
• People at the Top Are Not Accountable for the Effects on Lower Groups
• A Nudge from Below Feels Like a Steamroller
• We Live with Constant Misconceptions, Lies, and Deceptions
• Hierarchical Actions Hide Behind Rhetoric and "Noble Causes"

CLUES III

• Our "Problems" Support Hierarchies, So We'll Have "Problems" as Long as We Have Hierarchies
• Higher People Are Not Held Accountable for "Problems"
• Blaming the Bottom Keeps "Problems" Intact
• Lower People Wait Around for Higher People to Change
• Hierarchies Require Extensive Resources to Maintain
• Hierarchies Isolate and Segregate People
• Close Interlevel Relationships Are Difficult
• We Are Surrounded by Conflict

CLUES IV

• Higher People Assume That Everyone Wants and Needs to Be Like Them
• Guilt and Shame Keep People Engaged
• We Become Dependent on Hierarchical Institutions
• We Can Never Have Enough
• We Have an Abundance of Scarcity
• We Neglect Our Own Desires and Needs
• Community Is Compromised
• Hierarchies Limit Our Life Experiences