Change Part One

I'm thinking about change these days. Partly because I just watched change "hit the fan." It is always ugly when things go sideways. People get hurt. And it seems like change is one of the surest ways to hurt people. I have to say somewhat selfishly (my fallen nature) that I am glad that it was not my fan that just got hit. But, it still hurts to watch friends struggle.

I am reading Seth Godin's book, Tribes and while the book is about leadership and human tribalism, its undercurrent is that our world is constantly changing and it needs people to lead that change. He says, "People want connection and growth and something new. They want change." (p.2) I don't disagree with Godin its just if people want change so badly, why do we have dozens of books and experts and seminars on managing change and dealing with the aftermath of change. The paradox is that while we seem to resist change, we have created a society that is caught in a vortex of constant and rapid change.

We all want change and we all do change and we all benefit from change, while at the same time we all resist change. I tried to brainstorm why and the following is a list of words that came to my mind about change:

Pro Change - better, lust, necessity, excitement, pride, different, image, boredom, improvement

Pro Status Quo - connection, control, memory, continuity, comfort, stability, constant, known

There is nothing inherently wrong, immoral or unethical with wanting or not wanting change. Change and Status Quo are morally neutral. Sometimes change is forced upon us. Sometimes change just feels good. Sometimes it nice to go back to the old neighbourhood . Sometimes its nice to sing an old song.

And maybe its not about change at all. After all Solomon wrote, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9 - NIV)