... and the legacy of Jan Terlouw
Our world is in constant flux. In my 61 years, I’ve witnessed a multitude of changes. These include transformations in our external circumstances—the rise of technology, from the internet and smartphones to social media, electric cars, and advancements in medicine. These innovations have brought us greater comfort but also increased complexity.
Simultaneously, our inner lives have also evolved. I’ve observed my country becoming more tolerant of groups that have historically faced discrimination. Despite recent “anti-woke” sentiments, our overall level of tolerance has significantly expanded. Workplaces, too, have changed, with a greater emphasis on individual employee needs, emotional awareness, the impact of trauma, and overall well-being.
The Spiral Dynamics model provides a framework for understanding this shift as an evolution away from traditional blue values. These values are typically centered on order, structure, hierarchy, and in the Netherlands, on traditional Dutch Christian religious principles. Our movement away from these traditional values has paved the way for the emergence of new societal values. Orange values, which prioritize personal success, individual liberty, wealth, science, and technology, have gained considerable traction, as have green values, emphasizing equality, harmony, and personal growth.
However, the dismantling of the blue system hasn’t been entirely positive. Traditional blue values often served to suppress red values— the unprincipled pursuit of personal power, immediate gratification, and individual or group freedom (“my people”) at the expense of others. The decline of blue values has correlated with a rise in populism and a surge in online abuse.
Recently, Jan Terlouw, a Dutch writer, scientist, and politician, passed away. The son of a Protestant minister, Jan was deeply affected as a teenager when he witnessed the deportation of his Jewish classmates during World War II. He was a product of the Dutch religious conservative society, deeply rooted in blue values.
During the polarization of left- and right-wing political parties in the 1970s, Jan emerged as a voice of reason, advocating against division. While holding liberal views, he distanced himself from the more radical left-wing politicians of the time, yet maintained respectful relationships with all his political peers.
Jan was known for his ability to listen to all sides of an argument, genuinely considering diverse perspectives. He was seen as the “perfect son-in-law,” embodying reason and, above all, decency.
While I never had the privilege of meeting Jan, and acknowledging the inherent challenges of analyzing another person’s values, I believe it’s accurate to say that he significantly contributed to the shift towards orange and green values in the Netherlands. He was a product of a changing era, yet he stayed grounded in the qualities of the values of his upbringing.
It’s important to recognize that new cultural values don’t emerge in isolation — they are built upon the strengths of earlier systems. While few would advocate returning to the rigid, dogmatic society of the 1940s and ’50s, blue values, when stripped of their ideological weight, still offer essential contributions: a sense of collective responsibility, moral clarity, and the ability to place common good above individual desires. These are the foundations of human decency. Jan Terlouw embodied those qualities, even as he embraced the possibilities of a more modern, inclusive world.
Without such grounding, political discourse becomes polarized, and populism finds more fertile ground. Even the personal freedoms afforded by today’s values risk becoming disconnected from community, slipping into self-centeredness and social fragmentation. May Jan Terlouw continue to inspire us — not only to evolve, but to carry forward the enduring value of decency.
