Handle Exposure: G3

Exposure via Contests

It is in your interest to have a visible presence in society. The challenge is how that presence can best serve your interests. It is usually wise to keep your head down and only speak up when it is necessary to rise to the occasion.

Only narcissists and extreme extroverts want to be in the centre of attention all the time. Despite the gratification they may experience, this is not necessarily in their own best interests.

If exposure is unavoidable, then it needs to be genuine. That way your outer world and the inner world will be in harmony. But self-protection remains a priority at this point, and so you need to ask yourself whether the exposure is practical. Will it achieve anything for you or your group?

In all cases, exposure means that you will be in a contest because there will be others who want to take your place, and self-assertion here is expressed as positioning yourself.

By adding one adjacent monad, 5 triadic groups are formed, each of which represents an important sphere of contest requiring you to step up to the plate.

The function of the triads is to construct your social identity and the contests that do this and expose you are:

• CG3¹: Bidding for remunerative contracts
• CG3²: Fighting for your group
• CG3³: Cementing a working relationship
• CG3⁴: Defending your strategy
• CG3⁵: Arguing a preferred reality.

The qualifier for these contests, related to cause-centredness, is proposed as passionate. That means that you are proceeding with an intense belief in the genuine importance of your actions. When you allow exposure, you know that you are forwarding your own interests and you want to be taken seriously by others.

The 5 Triadic Groups

G3¹: Bid for Remunerative Contracts

Function: To ensure longer term financial security.

The obvious example here is an application for a job. However, it applies to winning a sale, or funding a project, and other similar situations. Such transactions form the foundation of how others see you.

To bid (or apply or tender) effectively, you must expect to be in competition for the finances in offer (CL1-g1). So you must passionately promote your expertise (CL3-g3), and use your strengths resolutely (CL2-g2) to maximize your likelihood of being selected.

Exposure:

This is not just limited to whomever is inviting the bid , because there will be reviewers and others engaged in assessing and progressing the application. Also, over time, there will be numerous bids, always widening the range of viewers. Here, you are primarily exposing your financial expectations (g1) and your expertise (g3). Your available strengths (g2) are less visible.

G3²: Fight for Your Group

Function: To gain supporters for your values and goals.

"Group" covers an immense variety of possibilities, from the most general, like consumers in society or users of an online service, to the most specific like the organization where you work, your professional body, or a local sports club. "Fight" also covers many things from merely speaking up, to active campaigning, to countervailing initiatives.

If your activity in any group is disrupted or under threat, then you and others must fight for the group. If you deliberately avoid the fight, you are likely to suffer consequences. Free-riding on the efforts of others is possible, but has its own risks if others notice.

When your activity, outfit or project is under stress or threat, you need to passionately represent your group (CL4-g3). To fight effectively, you must use your strengths (CL2-g1)—but so will others i.e. it is competitive. You must be resolute in promoting your expertise (CL3-g2).

Exposure: 

A simple example is signing a petition:  in an authoritarian society or ruthless organisation, this will certainly expose you because it reveals your involvement in the group (g3), which might otherwise not be known. Fights always reveal the extent and limit of your strengths (g1): be they financial, social, intellectual or technical. Promotion of expertise (g2) seems less significant in this context.

G3³: Cement a Working Relationship

Function: To sustain ongoing transactions via personalization.

"Working" refers to attempting anything jointly with a common purpose, not necessarily paid work or business dealings.

Working with someone is not just a matter of your or their technical skill and knowledge, it also involves matters like mutual courtesy, sensitivity, reliability, and helpful attitudes. When you find someone with whom you enjoy working, it is in your interest to solidify that relationship.

A working relation depends on your provision of expertise (CL3-g1) and it will only be cemented if it is competitive. Subject to that, being passionate in developing a trusting relationship (CL5-g3) is the enabling feature. At all times you need to represent your group resolutely (CL4-g2) to keep efforts on track.

Exposure: 

The level of expertise (g1) that you can contribute will be exposed, as will your willingness and capability to engage with wishes and needs, and to trust and be trusted (g3). Group representation (g2) is known in any case.

G3⁴: Defend Your Strategy

Function: To produce the best result for your group.

The end goal is often easily agreed in a group, while how to get there can be far more controversial. If you develop a strategy for the group, then demonstrating conviction can improve your standing.

When it comes to the direction your group should be taking, you will find disagreements among members. Each protagonist claims to represent the best interests of the group (CL4-g1), which means you are competing with them for influence. To do so, you must be passionate about the analyses you have performed (CL6-g3). Meanwhile the group must remain unified and that means being resolute in maintaining and developing relationships (CL5-g2).

Exposure:

Your analyses and intellectual approach (g3) will be subject to intense scrutiny, and so will way you represent your group (g1) and see its future. The relationships (g2) are not an issue here.

G3⁵: Argue a Preferred Reality

Function: To steer the thinking of significant others.

Wrong thinking is the source of problems, and it typically flows from a distortion or denial of reality. By helping others be more realistic you can steer them in a more appropriate direction. This requires much more than simple assertion.

Each person adheres intensely to their view of reality, so only those with whom you have a strong relationship are likely to listen to your arguments. Even then you must be passionate about what is realistic CL7-g3). You will be in competition for those relationships (CL5-g1) and your likely success will depend on being resolute in performing analyses (CL6-g2).

Exposure: 

Your conceptions (g3) will be exposed, potentially revealing biases or views that are correct but socially unacceptable. Your relationships and their strength will also be exposed (g1). Revelation of your analyses (g2) is of less significance.

Transition

At this point, you are able to reduce your vulnerability by focusing on self-interest (G1), to establish a foothold by taking essential risks (G2), and obtaining and preserving your place in society by handling exposure (G3).

This makes it possible to take the next step and become satisfied, even perhaps gratified. Doing so depends on systematic interactions with others in order to make exchanges.

This is made possible by adding one more adjacent level to form tetrads.

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• Continue with exchanges-G4 Tetrads.
• Go to the review to see the full picture.

Originally posted: 30-Jun-2025.