THE LEGITIMACY OF RESISTANCE

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07J3TJL4M

The annals of history is dotted with men and women who have brought progress to humanity through change. They have defined and redefined the way we do things and provided us with better ways. But change have not always been progressive. In many cases what seemed progressive have turned out to be something else. But with more change, we are able to rescue the situation and bring humanity back on track. The invention of plastic packaging sent us on a downward spiral .We got comfortable with it because it made life easier. The knowledge that it takes over a century to decompose and also poisons plant and animal life when it does represented a threat to our very existence as a specie and necessitated biodegradable alternatives. No one was interested in the possible consequences of the use of petrochemical based plastic back then. We were high on what can be done with it. Now though, more change is needed. 

 

Change agents are a special breed. The resistance they face in their missions is not one that is easily surmountable and perhaps this is for good reason. For those who have not given it much thought, change means new ways and new ways must lead to new outcomes. One can only imagine what this world would look like if it were to respond to every single wind of change that blows its way. Every single one of us could just change things for all of us simply because we have a new idea. This is not only recipe for chaos, it is also a guarantee that progress will travel in a new direction every time and consequently, never get anywhere. Perhaps a cursory look at where the likes of Hitler would have brought us would suffice.

The world is predictable. People are not as complex as they might seem and however different they are, their fundamental needs remains the same. But that’s a matter for my people dynamics class. What cannot be explained tends to cause a kind of discomfort referred to by psychologist as cognitive strain. The mind will not rest until it has produced a coherent narrative (an explanation it will consider the truth even if false) that will engender the cognitive ease that is need to generate a feeling of security. Don't be fooled by the many theories of human nature, security is always high up the ladder because one's existence is really all they have. One thing that is predictable about people is the fear of that which cannot be explained. Beyond the fancy cognitive strain, it threatens existence with its bag of uncertainties and those who do not fight tooth and nail to stop it, cannot be said to be in their right minds. For years I have struggle with this—I never understood why people will fight you even when you are trying to help them. It is clear now that it is because they don’t understand two things. The first is; why the change and the other is; what the outcome will mean for the preservation of their existence. Often no one has the answers to these questions except for the agent who in most cases is drunk on an idea and cannot foresee the guaranteed rejection.

We are social scientist in our own capacities and it seems this is necessary. To guarantee this much needed security, we want to see something work repeatedly so we can be sure it will continue to work the same way even when we stop paying attention. Once we have accepted it, any agent who attempts to change it is a threat because we do not know what the new outcome will be. The over-rated empiricism depends on this fundamental idea which finds itself one too often against reason. Yet it is empiricist who will claim the title of reason and call those who actually reason differently; irrational. Between this murky milieu of ideas and the instinct-driven empiricism rest our worst vulnerabilities. Those who understand this enough have a field day taking advantage of us all. This is one thing I agree with Robert Green on. He has after all made a bestseller out of telling us all that we are predictable and that we actually prefer it so. He must have been right or how else has he managed to sell so many books. His 48 laws of power is a hit because we believe that between those pages, we will find the key that will place us in a secure position. A position from which we can predict everything and every situation so that we can remain in control. You will never meet a better social scientist of his kind unless you meet Dale Carnegie who wrote the book how to win friends and influence people. His was also a proposition on how to ensure predictability and certainty. Not surprisingly it is also a bestseller.

This need for predicability is not the only one that is antipathetic of change. Progress in one certain direction is useful because that is what ensures that we are in constant match towards the specific destiny even if we don't know what it is. This is why resistance to change is such a powerful tool. Its job is to test not only new ideas that threaten us with change but also to test the will of the agent for change. Maybe this is why the concept of the chosen one is so important. For it is only he or she that can actually carry out this change. Resistance manifests itself as opposition, hindrance, obstacle and setback. Not many know that it is a mere test of the agent and the change they bear. The chosen one is the only one with the depth of will which produces persistence, perseverance and consistency needed to pass the test. Most of us also don't realise that it provides the mechanism for producing the best method for making the change as we have seen in the story of Thomas Edison and his light bulb. So that in the end, the agent would have proven themselves the worthy chosen one. This will not only ensure that opposition gives way to change in the end for progress in the right direction, it also effectively eliminates negative change. As a general rule, the bigger the change, the bigger the resistance. This is why the whole world gets together to fight men like Hitler. His change is global and needs a test of that magnitude.

There is yet another reason why the agent and his change must be tested. It is important that the change itself is sustained once it has occurred. It is not unheard of for a change to take place and die either with the demise of its agent or his will. A test of his will and the high price he pays ensure a continuous enterprise until such a time when another change takes place. You cannot just introduce new ways, you must see it through. When you have paid a high price for it, you will take it more seriously.

Regardless of what you are doing, you will be safe and comfortable if you are not trying to change anything. Routine people have the easy life living in their comfort zone. In fact they are the most effective bunch in the change resistance matrix. We know now that this makes them extremely useful because they secures us from the many winds of change the will keep blowing. If you have a burning need to make change however, you are the chosen one and must be equipped with the tools needed to pass the test. Time is your resource vault.