Probably already a thread about this, but so what deal with it.
so what do you think about change?
me? I hate it my first thought is maybe i should kill myself so i don't have to deal with the change.
Killing yourself is always a permanent solution to a temporary problem. I'm pretty life affirming and wouldnt consider that ever as an option.
Anyway, so far as change goes, its got a pretty pivotal point in my own political, social and philosophical views so it is important. I think some change should be resisted, some should be accepted and even supported. What is important is that it is change for the better and I do recognise that whether its an individual or an entire social system that there are things which are in play constantly, they are almost human perrenials:-
1 - A familiar but bad situation is often preferable to an unfamiliar, untested or new situation. It is why, for instance, that the victims of domestic violence prefer to remain in that situation as contemplate the alternatives. Or the alcoholic or junky will return to their addictions or relapse, particularly if being an addict has been integrated into their personality and been who and what they are for long enough.
2 - Rapid, pell, nell change, inorganic change in response to or driven by external intervention, is not likely to be successful or sustainable in the long term if it is not accompanied by an organic change within the individual or system which is the target of change.
3 - The benefits of change are almost always overestimated, this is probably the greatest reason for recidivism in individuals making a bid for change which I have encountered, I think perhaps that this is a major factor in change being reversed on the societal level too.
On the individual level I've encountered quite fantastical thinking, most of the time what is being aimed at is not fantastical, for instance in recovery from depressive illness or addiction it is often about restoring or achieving "ordinary misery" in the place of addiction/depression and its consequences, instead I hear people tell me, perhaps its because they need it as a motivational spring, that with change they will achieve things which is is unlikely that someone without either addiction or depression, and with other advantages, could not achieve in any case.
On the societal level I see the same thing happen, this or that reform or adjustment or change being campaigned for with ill defined or fantastical expectations and hopes, this all by itself can, especially if those expecations are confounded give rise to other and greater resistance to change attempts in the future.