The television series Severance presents a mysterious and unsettling corporate culture through Lumon Industries, a company that has implemented a radical workplace philosophy. At the core of Lumon’s belief system are the Nine Core Principles, a set of guiding values intended to shape employees’ conduct and mindset. These principles serve both as a motivational tool and as a means of reinforcing company loyalty, aligning closely with the philosophy of Lumon’s enigmatic founder, Kier Eagan.
This article explores the meaning and significance of each of Lumon’s Nine Core Principles, their role in the company’s culture, and their parallels to historical and philosophical ideals.
I. What Are Lumon’s Nine Core Principles?
The Nine Core Principles of Lumon Industries are:
- Vision – The ability to plan and think about the future with imagination and wisdom. Employees are expected to align their work with a larger purpose and contribute to the long-term success of Lumon.
- Verve – Displaying enthusiasm, energy, and liveliness in one’s actions. This principle encourages employees to maintain high morale and motivation, ensuring efficiency and productivity.
- Wit – The capacity for inventive thought and quick understanding. Employees are encouraged to think critically and solve problems with sharp intelligence.
- Cheer – Maintaining a positive and happy attitude to contribute to a pleasant work environment. This reinforces the idea that a content workforce is a productive one.
- Humility – A modest view of one’s own importance, reinforcing the idea of selflessness and submission to the company’s greater mission. This principle discourages ego and emphasizes loyalty to Lumon over personal ambition.
- Benevolence – The quality of being well-meaning and kind. It suggests that Lumon employees should be supportive and cooperative in their interactions with one another.
- Nimbleness – The ability to move quickly and adapt to changing circumstances. In a corporate setting, this refers to mental agility and flexibility, ensuring employees can pivot when necessary.
- Probity – Adherence to the highest principles and moral integrity. While on the surface this suggests ethical behavior, within Lumon’s context, it may instead imply unwavering loyalty to company values.
- Wiles – Cleverness or skill in achieving one’s ends. Unlike the other virtues, “wiles” suggests a craftiness or strategic thinking that may be necessary to navigate the challenges of corporate life at Lumon.
These principles are frequently referenced throughout Severance, particularly by characters who deeply internalize Lumon’s ideology.
II. How Do the Core Principles Shape Lumon’s Corporate Culture?
1. Indoctrination and Control
The Nine Core Principles are not just values but tools of corporate indoctrination. Employees are expected to memorize and embody these principles, ensuring their total commitment to Lumon’s mission. The show portrays a work environment where the principles serve as moral guidelines, reinforcing submission to corporate authority.
2. Cult-Like Loyalty
Lumon’s workplace philosophy borders on religious devotion. Employees are not just expected to perform their jobs but to internalize the company’s ideology. The reverence for Kier Eagan, the company’s founder, resembles a religious movement, with the Nine Core Principles serving as a kind of corporate scripture.
3. Emotional and Psychological Conditioning
By encouraging employees to adopt “cheer” and “verve,” Lumon subtly discourages dissent or emotional resistance. Employees must display enthusiasm and positivity, reinforcing a sense of artificial contentment. Similarly, “humility” and “probity” reinforce obedience and ethical conformity—but on Lumon’s terms.
III. Are the Core Principles Inspired by Real-World Philosophies?
The Nine Core Principles resemble elements of traditional philosophical and theological virtues.
1. Parallels to the Seven Virtues of Catholic Theology
There is a strong resemblance between Lumon’s principles and Christian moral teachings, particularly the Seven Virtues of Catholic theology:
- Faith, hope, and charity (love) relate to vision, cheer, and benevolence.
- Prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance align with wit, probity, humility, and verve.
Lumon’s ideology may reflect a secularized and corporate version of these religious virtues, repurposed to serve corporate interests.
2. Echoes of Corporate Motivational Frameworks
The Core Principles also resemble corporate motivational philosophies found in real-world workplaces, such as:
- Mission-driven corporate cultures (e.g., Apple, Google, Amazon) that emphasize vision and innovation.
- Employee engagement strategies that stress enthusiasm, teamwork, and adaptability.
- Psychological conditioning techniques used to shape employee behavior and corporate identity.
IV. What Is the True Purpose of the Core Principles?
While the principles appear idealistic and aspirational, Severance hints at a more sinister purpose behind their use.
- Corporate Obedience Disguised as Virtue
- Words like “benevolence” and “cheer” make employees feel valued, but they subtly reinforce submission.
- “Humility” and “probity” emphasize sacrifice for the company over personal identity.
- Psychological Conditioning and Compliance
- Employees are conditioned to internalize corporate doctrine rather than think independently.
- The principles create an environment where challenging authority feels like a moral failure.
- Reinforcing a Cult-Like Atmosphere
- Kier Eagan is treated not just as a CEO but as a spiritual leader.
- Employees recite principles much like religious teachings.
While the principles appear to promote self-improvement and community, their real function may be to eliminate individuality and critical thought among Lumon’s employees.
V. Conclusion
The Nine Core Principles of Lumon Industries in Severance serve as both guidelines for personal growth and tools for corporate control. While they encourage enthusiasm, intelligence, and teamwork, they also enforce submission, blind loyalty, and emotional suppression.
The show uses these principles to highlight the dangers of corporate indoctrination, drawing parallels to real-world workplace cultures, religious structures, and psychological conditioning techniques. Ultimately, Lumon’s Core Principles represent a distorted form of ethical guidance, designed not to liberate employees, but to shape them into perfect corporate subjects.
The question remains: Are the Nine Core Principles a true moral code, or simply another mechanism of control in Lumon’s unsettling world?
