If today you ask me the best thing about us human beings – I would say their ability to adapt to circumstances and situations faster and easier than anything else. Guess that’s why they top the world over species. Yet, change is something that we folks always fear. We usually have the fear that hell will break loose if there is a change in our normal course of life.
An excerpt from a white paper that I read, pretty interesting:
In the short term, the experience-based nature of our cognitive system creates a general resistance to change. The latter is exacerbated by a very strong survival instinct. Driven by the desire to survive at all costs we hang onto our past experience as insurance. In this respect much of the confidence that we have in being able to meet the challenges of the future rest on our performance in having met the challenges of the past (i.e., our success in solving past problems). We cling onto the false belief that the methods we have used successfully in the past will be successful in the future, even though the conditions may have changed. As a corollary, from an emotional viewpoint we are inclined to perceive (at least subconsciously) any venture into new and unknown territory as a devaluation of our existing (i.e., past) experience. This absolute faith in and adherence to our experience manifests itself in several human behavioral characteristics that could be termed weaknesses. First among these weaknesses is a strong aversion to change. Typically, we change only subject to evidence that failure to change will threaten our current existence in a significant way.
Should that really be the pre-condition to change? Why should one change only if failing that may alter our lives in certain ways? Too many beliefs, too little time to ponder on them and justify oneself on what is correct and should be adapted.
I started with adaptation as a positive streak in human species and I end herewith the fact that the same privileged species is so very averse to changing in life.
An excerpt from a white paper that I read, pretty interesting:
In the short term, the experience-based nature of our cognitive system creates a general resistance to change. The latter is exacerbated by a very strong survival instinct. Driven by the desire to survive at all costs we hang onto our past experience as insurance. In this respect much of the confidence that we have in being able to meet the challenges of the future rest on our performance in having met the challenges of the past (i.e., our success in solving past problems). We cling onto the false belief that the methods we have used successfully in the past will be successful in the future, even though the conditions may have changed. As a corollary, from an emotional viewpoint we are inclined to perceive (at least subconsciously) any venture into new and unknown territory as a devaluation of our existing (i.e., past) experience. This absolute faith in and adherence to our experience manifests itself in several human behavioral characteristics that could be termed weaknesses. First among these weaknesses is a strong aversion to change. Typically, we change only subject to evidence that failure to change will threaten our current existence in a significant way.
Should that really be the pre-condition to change? Why should one change only if failing that may alter our lives in certain ways? Too many beliefs, too little time to ponder on them and justify oneself on what is correct and should be adapted.
I started with adaptation as a positive streak in human species and I end herewith the fact that the same privileged species is so very averse to changing in life.
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