First, if you are looking for a long dissertation on the subject, I suggest you go to Wikipedia by clicking this link. However, if you are looking for the short version according to Scott, read on!
The words paradigm and paradigm shift were given their current definition by Thomas Kuhn in his 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, but the terms have further morphed into a much broader understanding. The word Paradigm has come to be used to describe a commonly held belief and/or understanding of the way something is. While you are operating within this paradigm, or belief system, your world makes sense, or at least you have not experienced any other way of understanding in order to change your beliefs. The simplest example is “The sun revolves around the earth”. Science believed it, the Church taught it and the masses had no reason to doubt it. Why would you doubt it when you could just look up to the sky for proof? Then some crazy astronomer named Copernicus saw it differently, and the rest, they say, is a Paradigm Shift.
Now, fast forward to today where we talk about personal paradigms. Your personal paradigm is now referred to as your “box”, your self imposed limitations which surround your view of “your” world. Life makes sense inside your box, or at least you find comfort in knowing that since there are so many people inside the same box (or believe as you do), you must be normal. It’s the people “outside your box” that are crazy! But “crazy” is such an old paradigm! Consider this:
It was crazy to think that man could fly.
A man on the moon? You’re crazy!
A box on your desk…no, a box in your hand will connect you to the world? Still crazy!
You can heal the world by healing yourself? Screeeeeech, sorry…can’t go there…it’s outside my box, please step back inside.
Ok, let’s go back inside…inside the web site to see if we can’t experience some paradigm shifts of our own!