Introduction

The introduction lays out the central challenge of modern life: navigating a world rife with value conflicts—between authenticity and effectiveness, individual and group needs, or stability and innovation. Drawing on Robert S. Hartman’s philosophy, the book introduces the “three lenses” of human value—intrinsic (dignity), extrinsic (results), and systemic (fairness)—as a practical framework for resolving these dilemmas. Readers are invited to develop “trinocular vision,” learning to see through all three lenses at once, transforming false either/or choices into opportunities for creative integration and wiser living.

PART I – SEE CLEARLY

Chapter 1: Robert S. Hartman and the Birth of Formal Axiology

This chapter traces the life and work of Robert S. Hartman, who fled Nazi Germany and dedicated his career to defining “goodness” with the rigor of mathematics. Hartman’s experiences with distorted values during a time of moral crisis led him to develop formal axiology—the science of value. The chapter explores how Hartman’s three lenses (intrinsic, extrinsic, systemic) emerged from his quest to protect authentic values from manipulation, and why his insights remain vital for today’s leaders and organizations.

Chapter 2: The Three Lenses of Value

Here, the three lenses are explained in detail: intrinsic value honors the unique dignity of persons, extrinsic value focuses on results and performance, and systemic value emphasizes rules and fairness. The chapter shows how each lens is necessary, how they interact, and why balance is essential for healthy judgment. Supported by neuroscience and psychology, readers learn how these lenses shape perception and decision-making, and why integrating them leads to wiser, more humane choices.

Chapter 3: Seeing Through the Lenses

This chapter demonstrates how our dominant lens shapes what we notice, how we judge, and even how we experience conflict. Through everyday examples and cognitive science, it reveals how selective attention and confirmation bias can create blind spots. Practical strategies are offered for developing “trinocular vision”—the ability to consciously shift between lenses, recognize biases, and expand self-awareness for better leadership and relationships.

Chapter 4: The Integrity Gap

Exploring the gap between stated values and lived behavior, this chapter examines why integrity gaps persist in individuals and organizations. It introduces tools for assessing alignment between values and actions, and practical strategies for closing these gaps. Through real-world examples and frameworks like the ALIGN and BRIDGE models, readers learn how to move from rhetoric to authentic value-living, building trust and credibility in the process.

PART II – DECIDE WISELY

Chapter 5: When Lenses Collide

This chapter tackles the hardest decisions—those between competing goods, not just good and bad. It explores how value lens collisions create ethical dilemmas and leadership challenges, and provides frameworks for navigating these moments without sacrificing integrity or effectiveness. Through case studies and the WISDOM framework, readers learn to seek creative integration and manage the tensions that arise when dignity, results, and fairness pull in different directions.

Chapter 6: Building Value-Integrated Organizations

Focusing on organizational culture, this chapter examines how to create systems and structures that support integrated value decision-making. It covers design principles for value-aligned organizations, measurement systems that track all three lenses, and leadership practices that model integration. Case studies and frameworks like the VALUES Transformation Model show how authentic alignment between principles and practices drives engagement, innovation, and sustainable success.

Chapter 7: The Three Lenses in Relationships

This chapter applies the three lenses to personal relationships—parenting, marriage, friendship, and professional partnerships. It reveals how lens awareness can prevent conflict, deepen intimacy, and foster authentic connection. Practical tools and case examples illustrate how to build and repair relationships by honoring dignity, supporting growth, and maintaining fairness, transforming everyday interactions into opportunities for integration.

Chapter 8: Navigating Life’s Challenges Through the Lenses

Life’s toughest moments—loss, failure, crisis, and transition—are explored through the three lenses. The chapter shows how each lens offers different forms of support and meaning-making, and provides frameworks for resilience and supporting others. Readers learn to draw on intrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic resources to navigate adversity, find meaning, and help others heal and grow.

PART III – LIVE WITH INTEGRITY

Chapter 9: Living as an Integrated Person

This chapter explores what it means to live as a whole person who can hold all three lenses simultaneously. It examines the ongoing discipline of integration, the ripple effects of integrated living, and how personal wholeness contributes to healing a fragmented world. Through neuroscience, psychology, and practical routines, readers are guided to develop habits that foster integration in daily life, relationships, and work.

Chapter 10: Decisions that Matter

Delving into the anatomy of decision-making, this chapter introduces the Lens Check—a practical tool for testing whether choices honor dignity, deliver results, and respect fairness. Through case studies and frameworks, readers learn to surface hidden values, make conscious trade-offs, and improve their decision-making capacity, ensuring that even everyday choices reflect integrated values.

Chapter 11: The Practice of Wondering Questions

This chapter introduces the discipline of “wondering questions”—open, reflective prompts that invite growth rather than closure. It explores the neuroscience and psychology of inquiry, provides examples and practices, and guides readers in cultivating a questioning posture that enhances leadership, relationships, and personal development.

Chapter 12: Living in Alignment

Presenting the Trinocular Alignment Map, this chapter offers a comprehensive tool for testing whether decisions and actions are balanced across the three lenses. It explores the psychology and neuroscience of alignment, provides exercises for identifying drift, and offers frameworks for maintaining coherence between values and actions, both individually and organizationally.

PART IV – CREATE LASTING IMPACT

Chapter 13: Designing Legacy

Legacy is reframed as the culmination of values-integrated living—what we set in motion while we are here, not just what we leave behind. This chapter provides frameworks for intentionally designing legacy through the three lenses, offering tools for reflection, planning, and implementation to ensure our lives create lasting value across generations, organizations, and communities.

Chapter 14: A World Transformed by Value

The final chapter envisions a world where intrinsic dignity, extrinsic results, and systemic fairness are integrated at scale. It explores how individual transformation creates collective change, drawing on historical and contemporary examples. Readers are challenged to imagine and contribute to a world healed by integrated values, starting with their own choices and spheres of influence.

Epilogue: Three Lenses Way of Life

The epilogue synthesizes the journey, emphasizing that wisdom lies in seeing truly and choosing well. It offers five essential practices for living the three lenses way—daily lens awareness, systematic integration, wondering questions, alignment mapping, and legacy thinking. Readers are invited to make integration a way of life, becoming catalysts for healing and transformation in a fragmented world.

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