A change of perspective can open up new worlds for us. So it was for me when I communed with my Raven friend that I wrote about in my last column. Since then, I’ve come across a post from Maria Popova in her blog The Marginalian, which explores life’s deeper meaning “sometimes through science and philosophy, sometimes through poetry and children’s books, always through the eye of wonder.”
In this post, she ponders how change is crucial for human growth, whether it be a blissful voluntary shift brought about by a raven or a new direction forced upon us by tragedy.
Popova reminds us that humans suffer from “a peculiar congenital blindness.” They resist change at almost any cost, or, stated in the words of that oft-repeated, old proverb, “it’s better to stick with the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” Popova singles out Rachel Carson because she broke with that rule.
Stepping beyond the reflexive human hubris of her day, Carson dared to imagine Earth from the perspective of nonhuman creatures, starting with her first book. Rather than resisting change, she actively sought out new perspectives.
Ralph Waldo Emerson had no patience for those afraid of change, a trait he asserted was necessary not only for creative breakthroughs but also for personal growth. While he conceded that people might prefer to be settled, “only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.”
Colleagues from my former profession in psychology have developed a theory to account for our fear of change. Because it has plagued us since the dawn of human history, they call it the caveman syndrome. They are referring to that primordial instinct hardwired in us that enables us to quickly react to life-threatening threats, such as recoiling from a sabertoothed tiger about to pounce.
Today, even though we don’t encounter tigers on our way to work, our brains still react the same way to modern triggers, which, while raising our anxiety and adrenaline levels, are benign. To soothe these inappropriate arousals of the caveman syndrome, therapists recommend relaxation techniques, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy and goal-setting.
In “Enough Circling. Land the Plane,” Koshin Paley Ellison, a Zen teacher and Jungian psychotherapist, argues that the heightened stress and anxiety caused by the caveman syndrome running amok has made us so indecisive that we can no longer take action. As a result of being unable to make a commitment, we have become like a plane circling the airport, afraid to land.
His advice is to start out small by making commitments that don’t freak out our inner caveman or cavewoman. He recommends choosing one modest, clearly defined commitment that you can stick to for seven days. Not a vague goal like “be kinder,” but something specific like committing to meditate for 15 minutes daily or calling one person this week.
My commitment for this week is to land my plane by refining this essay enough so that it fit to be published.