Fear.... The mind killer
DUNE by frank herbert
I've appreciated the response to my original posting about my co-worker
who complains, but resists change... I think I've struck a nerve, so the
discussion is bringing up good ideas and points.
So far, the following comment seems to get to the heart of the matter,
which goes to show that at the bottom of most of our difficulties lurks
some elemental concept or emotion that we haven't risen to control, In
this case, FEAR....
On Thu, 13 Jun 1996, Ivancic, Maria ML wrote:
> Replying to LO7844 --
> I don't think that people do chose to behave like this. This attitude
> has come upon them so slowly, over years of abuse (perceived or
> otherwise) from management, that they may not even realise that they
> think differently to some other employees. I think the reason that
> people are so wary of those who do challenge the status quo is that they
> are afraid of them and the impact they may have on their lives. They
> may not be happy with their lot but they consider it to be fairly safe.
> They fear anyone or anything that will upset their little world. They
> believe that experience has shown them that change usually means things
> will get worse, not better.
For myself, challenging my fears has been a personal battle, not an
organizational concern. While I realize that an org can heighten or
lower the level of things to be afraid of, it's the individual who has
to face (and overcome) the fear in themselves. When I was coming to
adulthood, one of the things that helped me "find myself" was my
involvement with mountaineering. I think everyone needs some form of
activity in life where they are forced to face their personal weakness
and elemental emotions.
When you are halfway up an ice sheathed headwall in a snowstorm with a
cranky partner and in ill fitting boots, you recognize pretty quick, how
mortal you are. Yet I found the Glacier to be a wonderland that I
couldn't resist exploring no matter how low the temperature dropped.
While I was deathly afraid of many social interactions, the starkness and
power of nature you whitness on a mountain top made me feel alive and
the fact that I could enter that world and come back with my skin (even
if I was a mite bit snowblind) gave me confidance to face the human factor
fears that previously were so daunting.
Having faced one kind of fear successfully gave me the nerve to try
something REALLY SCARY.... (public speaking). One "survival" lead to
another, and my fears (based on a certain amount of child abuse in my
youth-therefore-pretty big in my head) fell away one by one.
So how do you face, and overcome your fear? How do you inspire others to
take on the challenge? One thing I always point out to my fear laced
work mates... No matter how bad the corporation "screws up", NO ONE IS
GONNA DIE OVER IT. (unless you work for the post office, and someone
shows up with an uzi).
Since the ultimate "thing to fear" doesn't even enter the picture, there
is a certain amount of perspective gained.
Later....
Michael Erickson
--Michael Erickson <sysengr@atc.boeing.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>