Change or not?
I was reminded earlier today in a blog that I read how tragic it is that we do not choose to reach out as a people. There are so many ways that we can grow and learn if we are only willing to exchange ideas and contemplate the possibilities.
In a class that I was in this past weekend, we discussed the concept of change and conflict. Change is what happens to us all – whether we like it or not. Conflict is what happens when we try not to change.
In a world with so many different ideas and philosophies, there will be conflict. Conflict will come because I will not change to sit your philosophy or because you will not adjust your philosophy to include me. There will certainly be differences of opinion. I, for example have certain belief systems that I will not change. You cannot make me change them nor can you try to accommodate all beliefs into a single system. It’s not possible. However, I can accept that you do not accept my belief system. And, conversely, you can accept the fact that you cannot change my belief system. In this, there is no conflict. Conflict arrives when force is applied.
Force can come in many forms. Force can come in the form of a government that imposes its wishes on me. Such is the case of the man in Afghanistan who is faced with death because he converted from Islam to Christianity. Force can come in the form of peer pressures. An internal conflict is created – do I support my peers or stay the course with my beliefs? Conflict can come in the form of societal pressures. The world around me is changing. Do I change too or resist?
The answer to each of these depends on the situation and who or what it is that is doing the asking. In the form of government force, some change is inevitable. The “change” leaves my pocket on April 15. I’ll get over it. Other forms of force are more likely to cause conflict as in the case cited above -- grave conflict. In peer pressure, some change is good. I can either choose to adjust to their thinking or separate myself from my friends. In that case of societal forces, change is more difficult to resist without some very observable effects. I have a cell phone, don’t wear white in the winter, and speak English – the common language. All I need to do is figure out how to survive an I’ll get through this.
But what if the “what” that is asking the question is an organization? Then the idea isn’t to survive but rather thrive and grow. What if the question is about how the school can accept change? What about a business? What about a government? What about a “belief system?” How do I address change in these conditions when I know that what I do will have lasting effects not just on me but also on the rest of the people in the organization?
The key, as I learned to put it this past weekend, is to hold fast to those core values that make you who you area. The rest is up for negotiation. Change it if necessary! Embrace the change and use it to grow. As long as the core values are still maintained, the rest is up for grabs. So grab it! Use it! And grow! The alternative is to linger and eventually die.
In a class that I was in this past weekend, we discussed the concept of change and conflict. Change is what happens to us all – whether we like it or not. Conflict is what happens when we try not to change.
In a world with so many different ideas and philosophies, there will be conflict. Conflict will come because I will not change to sit your philosophy or because you will not adjust your philosophy to include me. There will certainly be differences of opinion. I, for example have certain belief systems that I will not change. You cannot make me change them nor can you try to accommodate all beliefs into a single system. It’s not possible. However, I can accept that you do not accept my belief system. And, conversely, you can accept the fact that you cannot change my belief system. In this, there is no conflict. Conflict arrives when force is applied.
Force can come in many forms. Force can come in the form of a government that imposes its wishes on me. Such is the case of the man in Afghanistan who is faced with death because he converted from Islam to Christianity. Force can come in the form of peer pressures. An internal conflict is created – do I support my peers or stay the course with my beliefs? Conflict can come in the form of societal pressures. The world around me is changing. Do I change too or resist?
The answer to each of these depends on the situation and who or what it is that is doing the asking. In the form of government force, some change is inevitable. The “change” leaves my pocket on April 15. I’ll get over it. Other forms of force are more likely to cause conflict as in the case cited above -- grave conflict. In peer pressure, some change is good. I can either choose to adjust to their thinking or separate myself from my friends. In that case of societal forces, change is more difficult to resist without some very observable effects. I have a cell phone, don’t wear white in the winter, and speak English – the common language. All I need to do is figure out how to survive an I’ll get through this.
But what if the “what” that is asking the question is an organization? Then the idea isn’t to survive but rather thrive and grow. What if the question is about how the school can accept change? What about a business? What about a government? What about a “belief system?” How do I address change in these conditions when I know that what I do will have lasting effects not just on me but also on the rest of the people in the organization?
The key, as I learned to put it this past weekend, is to hold fast to those core values that make you who you area. The rest is up for negotiation. Change it if necessary! Embrace the change and use it to grow. As long as the core values are still maintained, the rest is up for grabs. So grab it! Use it! And grow! The alternative is to linger and eventually die.
posted by genebko at
5:56 PM
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