Prompt: What motivates people to change?
Change is feared by many people because it requires them to risk the comforting aspects of familiarity and security. Many of them convince themselves that things are great just the way they are, and if this is the case, what is the reason for change? Although many people might want to believe that change is unnecessary, it most definitely is because it is one of the few ways, if not the only way, to make progress and to create a better tomorrow.
As I learned in my U.S. History class, without change there would have been no history; if things are exactly the same as they were centuries or millenniums ago, what is the point of learning about the past? Our ancestors, however, wanted things to be better for us, for us to lead a better life than they did, which encouraged them to take the risk and to change. This is especially evident when it comes to slave rebellions such as Prosser’s rebellion in Virginia. Prosser and his fellow slaves undertook the great danger of rebelling against authority and to demand their freedom. Their desire for freedom and better lives for their descendants outweighed the risk associated with the uprising which motivated them to take action. Because they (Prosser and his friends) viewed the current condition as intolerable, they were encouraged to take risks to change the currently establish institution.
In 1984 by George Orwell, Winston (the main character) also has to make the choice between taking risks to cause change or to simply comply. The vast majority of the population were to fear too fearful of the risks, severe torture that lead to death, that they refused to take action and even went as far as brainwashing themselves into thinking that the current conditions are perfect just he way they are and that Big Brother knows that is the best for all. Winston, however, motivated by sexual desires and the painful memories of the deaths of his whole family, refuses to let the risks daunt him. He is greatly discontent about his sexual life with his wife that feels cold and not intimate and is frustrated by the authority’s control over whom he can have sexual relations with. Because sexual urges and desires were important parts of his life, this (along with many other factors) encouraged him to try to change things by ignoring the authority and by displaying his dissent. Feeling that they current situations are deplorable and once again, intolerable, the motivations for Winston to change were great.
Chang is not always positive and some changes can even be harmful. The traditional approach on many situations, tested by time, rarely fails to be satisfactory. If satisfactory, however, is not good enough and the risks associated with the change is less than the benefits, people will try to change things, motivated by the desire for a better tomorrow.
Thanks!
