Loyalty to the scheme
Pattern loyalty is the tendency to repeat a known pattern of thought or action, even when it brings costs.
Definition
This is a practical concept embedded in working with diagrams. A person may stick to an old pattern because it is familiar, predictable or helped us survive in the past. Loyalty to the scheme is not conscious stupidity, but an automatic return to a way of interpreting the world that requires notice and correction.
Key ideas
- A familiar pattern
- Repeatability despite costs
- Security of the old scheme
Practice and life
Choose one repeatable pattern and write down: when it was created, what it protected against, how much it costs today and what new reaction is possible.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to fight the pattern solely with willpower. It is also a mistake to treat the old pattern as a whole identity.
> An old pattern can be familiar even when it is no longer good.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What pattern do I repeat despite the costs?
- What did this pattern ever give me?
- How can I be loyal to myself and not to the old pattern?