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.
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