Is It Possible To Change And Stay The Same?
Is it possible to change and remain the same? How many times has someone asked us to “never change”? In this way, the change can be seen as negative or as a weakness. “It has changed, it is no longer the same.” Change is necessary, natural and important for survival. Still, many see it as something negative. But what if we admit that it is possible to change and remain the same?
When we face the need to make changes, we oppose that need either internally or externally. This type of resistance works against change. Resistance can continue as change is established and as it continues to take effect. Is it possible that these changes, these transformations, allow us to maintain our essence?
In this article, we address the topic of personal change. We will try to understand why there is resistance to change and why it can be disliked. Finally, we will try to give reasons that support the idea that we can change over time and also remain the same.
Why do some people oppose change and see it as a weakness?
Opposing change is normal. All systems have inner forces that seek permanence and stability. This means that maintaining our daily dynamics (although this is problematic) is easier than creating another or new alternative dynamics. You already have certain habits, and others have adapted to our habits. A routine allows you to be predictable. Routines allow others to know what to expect from us. Therefore, short-term duration is usually more comfortable than change. That’s why people oppose it so much.
On the other hand, people oppose change because, as time goes on, they become accustomed to habits and coping mechanisms. They spend a lot of time creating psychological tools to deal with difficult moments. Even when these tools are not appropriate, they are happy to use them because they are their own, personal creation.
Resistance to change arises in this way. Some see change as a weakness because if you have acted in a certain way for so long, why do you need to change it? As we have said, people around us also feel calmer and more comfortable if they can predict our attitudes, responses and behaviors. If we change, that prediction is almost impossible to carry out. Therefore, without realizing it, those around us also seek permanence and stability. They may oppose the changes we make.
People may see change as a weakness for other reasons. A person who changes can make others perceive them as insecure, unstable and unpredictable. But changing our misconceptions is actually an intelligent and courageous decision in the long run. If we do not change our minds, we become captives of our own contradiction: we think one thing and defend the opposite.
The process of changing our opinions
In the same way, the change in our opinions is the result of a reflective process. This process starts when we receive new information and begin to experience reality in new ways because of the new information. We end up realizing that what we previously thought does not help us, and therefore is no longer correct. In our minds, this new information is great! What defines us as human beings is the ability to make decisions based on intelligence.
The process of change involves a personal metamorphosis that involves many of our ideas and characteristics. When we change, we can feel like we’re throwing away a part of who we used to be. Others may see this change as a weakness.
To change and remain the same: A possible challenge
In most cases, the process of personal change seeks to bring out the best in each individual person. In reality, what we know as change is the result of freeing people from their shackles, boundaries, and fears. We do not change, we just remove the obstacles that kept us from our true selves. We are faithful to ourselves by allowing ourselves the freedom to fly.
How can one change and remain the same? We can do that by looking around our own selves. We should look at reality from different points of view while knowing how to value the unique differences in each experience. From there we have to choose how we should behave, what we should think and what we should say according to the situation and how we feel. We should be able to act without predetermined and rigid rules that force us to act in the same way all the time.
In order to be able to change and remain the same, one must abandon any kind of rules or requirements. We must consciously choose the best way to show ourselves to the world at all times. This allows the person to be faithful to their own essence. From this point, they can change and remain the same in a way. Choosing how to position yourself according to what you feel instead of what you “must do” is the most free and legitimate way to be faithful to yourself.
The philosophy of the East and the art of changing while remaining the same
The philosophy of the East explains that people should not reach a standstill. We must identify our own limitations and overcome them. In this way we open a space for our true being to appear, manifest and evolve.
Various Eastern philosophers explain that changing and remaining the same is not a skill learned easily or quickly. It requires constant effort because our psychological system seeks to remain stable with fixed pillars.
According to Robert Spencer in his book The Craft of the Warrior , we must get used to dealing with different points of view in order to stay elastic. This will allow us to avoid the danger by anchoring ourselves to a simple perspective. Only proper training in this type of mental gymnastics leads to spontaneity. If training is interrupted, our mind will quickly try to protect itself while being trapped in the shackles of its own thoughts.
Finally, we will share a metaphor that explains how it is possible to change and remain the same.
What would happen if you were like water?
