The Universal Law of Rhythm
01/05/2022The Psychology of Change
13/05/2022
The Universal Law of Permanent Change
“You cant step in the same river twice” - Heraclit
A very important issue for our well-being is change and our way of handling it and relating to it. Many times we struggle with this phenomenon, we often find it difficult to flow and accept life as it comes and we create a lot of discomfort and stress by resisting inevitable life changes.
In ancient Greece, the philosopher Heraclitus said: “it is impossible to step in the same river twice”. If I step in a river and step on it again, well, in a sense it's the same river, but in a more philosophical sense it's not the same river, right? At least it's not the same water.
The example of the river reiterates something that we have heard many times, that saying with which we all totally agree:
“CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT IN LIFE”
Now, if change is so natural, if it is an intrinsic part of life, why is it so hard for us to handle it or adapt to it? - or living with the fact that many times we do not know what is going to happen in the future, precisely because everything is constantly changing.
If we observe nature, we can see so many examples that confirm that change is permanent: clouds, for example, move all the time, change shape and color. We can observe the four seasons, as well as plants and animals changing through their in their life cycle, just like us human beings. We all go through different stages in life and, in addition, we all want to reach old age feeling happy, content, proud and fulfilled.
EVERYTHING THAT HAS LIFE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING. THEREFORE, LIFE IS INHERENTLY UNPREDICTABLE AND UNCERTAIN.
If this is so, life itself is not capable of giving us certainty because certainty does not really exist. So why do we demand certainty and predictability? Why is it so important to know what is going to happen in the future?
WHY DO WE HAVE SO LITTLE TOLERANCE FOR UNCERTAINTY?
Returning to nature, we can observe what all living beings do with changes: they try to adapt. One of the characteristics they use to adapt is flexibility. A tree moving in the wind is an example of this.
Living beings adapt with flexibly to changes.
Because if not, what will happen? Their health and survival is harmed, right? The processes of adaptation are part of the survival instinct of every living being. On many occasions, we humans also need to adapt with flexibly to changes. That is what is so challenging many times. In the next blog we will understand why.
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©2022 Jan Moller
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