The 4 Windows
– a life-philosophical model for better mutual understanding and for reducing polarization in society and the world
A life-philosophical model in 4 windows
We all have a theory about life, but no one knows for certain how it really is. The 4 Windows offers a model with different perspectives on life. A model that can bring you inner calm, stability, and meaning, while also providing outer direction, strength, and connection on life’s journey.
Every person has different combinations of windows 1–4 active. There is no “best” window – but understanding which ones are consciously active in yourself and in others creates understanding and empathy in your relationships.
The model is used for self-reflection and personal development, but also in dialogue with others and to reduce polarization in society and in our world.
The model consists of four windows:
Window 2 - inner development
Window 3 - spiritual dimension
Window 4 - worldview
Window 1 - everyday life
The practical life with work, routines, family, leisure, friends, and social norms. This window is active in all of us, unlike windows 2, 3, and 4, which are highly individual and can be active in different combinations and intensities.
Window 1 is also a “result window” that reflects how everyday life is perceived when seen through the perspectives of the other windows.
Window 2 - inner development
It is about deep and lasting personal development, often initiated by some kind of life crisis that activates powerful personal growth. But it can also be a calmer, self-chosen journey toward greater reflection and self-awareness.
Ultimately, it is about understanding and accepting the lessons, insights, and inner work that you are meant to engage in during this lifetime.
Window 3 - spiritual dimension
Openness to the idea that there is more between heaven and earth than what is obvious and easy to see or understand.
Beyond greater awareness and a sense of trust, this window can also greatly support personal development (Window 2). It can bring deeper meaning and acceptance to the personal challenges we encounter in life, helping us see them more as opportunities for learning and growth rather than as setbacks.
Window 4 - worldview
It is about power structures, politics, media, and polarization, as well as how the current social contract is balanced against human rights, freedoms, and responsibilities.
Our worldview is largely shaped by the breadth and depth of the media we engage with, within the spectrum between the two extremes: ownership- and agenda-driven mainstream media, and grassroots-funded alternative media and whistleblowers.
Primarily, this window serves as a catalyst for our personal growth, but in the long term, it is about the kind of society we wish to have.
Reflection
The perception of, and development within, each window is unique to every individual. When these windows are then placed in front of one another like a kaleidoscope, with the result projected into a “result window,” also called Window 1 – everyday life, it is no wonder that we, with entirely unique perspectives, experience different truths and therefore different realities.
The 4 Windows is for those who:
want to bridge the negative effects of polarization and create respectful and meaningful relationships
want, on a deeper level, to understand and respect that every person has their own truth and perfectly tailored life journey
want to understand why you sometimes feel misunderstood and perhaps do not fully share society’s norms or the priorities that many people have
wish to understand why your friend, partner, family member, or colleague has suddenly changed and withdrawn, or sought out other environments
wish to reclaim power and responsibility over yourself — for your own joy, but also for the evolution of humanity and the planet.
see a danger in many people being passive and ignorant in a connected world with very few and extremely dominant companies and individuals at the top of the food chain.
Free to use!
The people behind the model have found great joy in using it in dialogue with others. We therefore wish to share the model freely (including images and texts) with anyone who finds value in it for their personal development, or in connection with entrepreneurship and the education of others.
Feel free to share your thoughts about the model The 4 Windows!
The model most likely has both advantages and disadvantages. For some, it feels self-evident, while others may find it irrelevant.
Surely, one could create models with other windows than those chosen, and also discuss what belongs within each window. In this model, we have chosen to include major areas such as science, culture, and history in Window 1 – everyday life. Religion is also included in Window 1, since many people connect with their spirituality (Window 3) without linking it to a specific religion.
The four windows that have been chosen are those the creators of the model consider to have the greatest influence on how we experience our life journey, when we look beyond the “illusions” and begin to see ourselves, the world, and the universe with new eyes. A bit like in the movie The Matrix or the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, which through quantum physics explains how consciousness exists everywhere at once.
We understand that Window 4 – worldview may be provocative for some, even though the intention is entirely positive. With Window 4 active, understanding grows for how and why polarization creates challenges in human interaction. As awareness of intentional polarization increases, so does tolerance for each other’s differing opinions. And the more people who activate Window 4, the less polarization and fewer conflicts will be possible in the world.
We warmly welcome your reflections and comments with us via contact@the4windows.net.
Finally:
A heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read the information on this page! Use it to help make the world a better place – which always begins with each one of us ❤
Window 1 - everyday life
Window 2 - inner development
Window 3 - spiritual dimension