Personal Operating Systems developed from a series of courses called Create Your Own Story. They are based on three inner aspects (Narrator, Architect, and Trickster), one of which is dominant in each of us. I don’t recall who first referred to them as “operating systems,” but everyone recognized the aptness of the term. The color designations were originally intended simply to organize and present data, but they, too, turned out to be apt and more effective than either names or numbers.
Here is a summary of each operating system.
TEAL Operating System
(aka the Narrator or Storyteller):
People with this operating system take a wide-angle lens view of the world, seeing past, present, and future as one continuous story. They focus on the whole, rather than on the parts, and like to see how things relate to each other. They are more comfortable on the fringes than in the middle and withdraw when a situation becomes disturbing or uncomfortable. Upside: They can see multiple sides of an issue, activate their imagination to come up with lots of different ideas, and are good mediators and negotiators. Downside: They can turn their desire for peacefulness, ease, and stability into chronic inaction or disengagement from others and the world.
GREEN Operating System
(aka the Architect or Pathfinder):
People with this operating system focus on individual parts or pieces, rather than on the whole. The want explicit information (details and facts) so they can determine where they stand, what is expected of them, and what course of action to take. They are hardworking, reliable, and considerate of others, often setting their own needs and desires aside. Upside: Their genuine concern for others makes them great team members and team builders who work toward the greater good for all. Downside: They can get caught up in the busywork and busyness of the immediate moment, become critical or judgmental, and lose sight of what’s truly important.
PURPLE Operating System
(aka the Trickster or Innovator):
People with this operating system view both the parts and the whole as changeable phenomena to be played or experimented with. They are oriented toward the future, which they view as uncertain and unpredictable but full of possibility. They tend to be enthusiastic and energetic—physically, mentally, or both—and can be disruptive in their pursuit of a desired outcome. Upside: Their willingness to test their ideas by taking action on them can lead to innovation, creativity, and a change in the status quo. Downside: Their risk-taking can turn into recklessness; without checks and balances—and a worthy goal—they can do more harm than good.
The aspects of operating systems are drawn from a wide range of disciplines and fields of study (psychology, philosophy, biology, creativity, neuroscience, information processing, etc.), including:
- Systems Theory
- Enneagram Stances (Fight/Flight/Submit Response)
- The Creative Process
- Functional Brain Networks
- Thinking Styles
- Narrative Structure
- Temporal Orientation
- Planfulness
- Logic of Action
To learn more about operating systems, check out The Beginning of Operating Systems.
What Color Is Change? is a five-hour introductory workshop about nature and the environment, neuroplasticity, and what gets in the way of creating change for each of the operating systems.