Studies show, for example, that lower-income people become empowered and productive once they are given enough money to cover their basic survival needs.4

When we’re in Self, we see the pain that drives our enemies rather than only seeing their protective parts.

hiding, or feeling ashamed of those impulses that keep us from doing what we want to do in our lives. And then we shame ourselves for not being able to control them. In other words, we hate what gets in our way. This approach makes sense if you view these inner obstacles as merely irrational thoughts or extreme emotions that come from your unitary

Systems thinking focuses on the ways members of a system relate to one another.

This is because parts, like people, fight back against being shamed or exiled.

Doing this work allows every single part of us a moment in the sun. In giving our attention to the parts that need it most, true healing happens.

They found that the behavior of the whole system couldn’t be understood from the study of each part in isolation; i.e., outside of the context of the whole system. Hence the famous saying that the “whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”1

Usually, they’ve been operating by themselves in there without any adult supervision, and most of them are pretty young. When you finally turn around and give them some attention, it’s like you’re a parent who’s been somewhat neglectful, but who’s finally becoming more nurturing and interested in your children.

From that point on, however, this protector part continued to carry that burden of the perpetrator’s hatred and desire to dominate and punish vulnerability.