Resistance to Change

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Resistance to Change
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Resistance to Change

• Reaction Formation
• Is characterized by an immediate, strong ,
  emotional reaction against something.
• Socialism will cause a strong reaction in most
  Americans
• Primary Certitude
• Is identified by an immediate, strong ,
  emotional reaction about something.
• Violent crime will cause a strong reaction about
  capital punishment

• Change is a great equalizer. No one likes to
  change. Change is uncomfortable. People tend to
  cling to what they are used to, their belief
  systems, morals, attitudes and prejudices.
• We consider those areas to be our safe little
  world, our security blanket. It is important to
  identify resistance to change. Without a
  willingness to change, we will have trouble with
  critical thinking.
• There are two major danger signals that help us
  identify resistance to change. They are
  reaction formation and primary certitude.

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Nephews Stabbing

• In November of 2007, Mikes nephew skipped school
  to meet his girlfriend for lunch at a nearby
  park. He was robbed and stabbed in the heart. He
  nearly lost his life. My mother sister
  immediately ascribed guilt to his girlfriend for
  this tragedy. She was vilified rejected by
  them. They were convinced, due to an incident
  nine months previous, that she was guilty of
  drawing him into this trap that nearly cost my
  nephew his life. It did not matter that he had
  chosen to leave school that day. Nor that the
  girlfriend was unaware he was meeting her.
• We have tried to reason with them that this was
  not her fault, but the fault of my nephew for
  leaving school. In addition, the possibility of
  the attack not happening the previous times he
  had been in the park to meet her was not even
  considered. Rational analysis would have seen
  this was a chance attack.
• This is a prime example of Reaction Formation.
  In this instance the reaction was against the
  girlfriend. Emotion over-whelmed reason.
  Another example is the Creation vs. Evolution
  argument in our schools. Most evolutionists
  strongly react against teaching the two side by
  side. They refuse to even considering it.

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Sharing religious beliefs

• I remember when I was in the 9th grade and I was
  discussing the topic of religion with another kid
  that I had just met. He was a Mormon follower,
  and I am the believer of Christianity.
  Immediately, this kid reacted in a hostile manner
  when I barely even started to debate with him. He
  shunned what I had to say and simply rejected my
  ideas. The very thought of possibly hearing
  other religions beliefs to him was unbearable.
  I did not want it to escalate into a real
  aggressive argument, so I simply just said,
  Okay, you dont have accept or hear what I
  believe thats fine. And I just walked away
  from the situation. This kid seemed to show the
  primary certitude signal. There are people out
  there who are even unwilling to hear another idea
  that is opposed to their own.
• This is a great example of primary certitude.
  The young mans mind was made up, even if he did
  not know why. His beliefs and values did not
  allow him to consider another point of view.
  There is always room for ones beliefs and values.
  But we need to be open to new views and ideas.
  To be open to change.

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Being Open to Change

• Change is a necessary component of Critical
  Thinking
• Identifying the barriers to change
• Reaction Formation
• Primary Certitude
• Overcoming the barriers requires courage and a
  resolve to be open to different beliefs and
  values. A willingness to be uncomfortable and to
  be challenged

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• Michael Smith
• Brandon Terrazas
• Reading 142 Online
• Group Project
• Professor Angela Henderson