The Drive to Change

The other night Lady Glynis and I were talking about whether a draft into some form of public service - the military, Peace Corps, VISTA, or a comparable organization - would be a good idea. There would be no exceptions. Not for education. Not for family. Not for money. Not for moral or religious objections.

There would be several benefits. We would have the bodies we need to fulfill the demands on such organizations. Individuals would be forced to associate with others they would not meet in their normal milieu. Everyone would see how the other half lives and get the chance to do something about it.

Both of us are of the opinion that service to others demonstrates a social awareness that bodes well for the one who serves and for those with whom they associate. Lady Glynis was arguing in favor of a draft on the grounds that it would force people into situations that would help to foster a concern for something outside of themselves. I was arguing against it on the grounds that most people have laid the groundwork of their personalities by the age of 18 - 25. After that, for most people personality change is cleaning out the corners and polishing the edges. And I’m not so sure that a group - be it a family, town, country, or species -  should survive that depends on forced participation to do so rather than the free participation of willing men and women.

Maybe she’s right, though. Maybe a more informed awareness would be fostered that has a long term positive influence on our world.

After we reach physical adulthood, most of us don’t really change. We polish the edges, but settle into the patterns we formed earlier in our lives. We never really grow up. Some do (and no, I’m not one), but not most. I have seen exceptions, but these are not the norm. Even Richard Bucke’s exploration of enlightenment experiences led him to believe that if they were going to happen, they would generally do so by the mid-30s. I don’t know about you, but to me an enlightenment experience is one of the most life changing events you can undergo.

A lot of change can take place polishing the edges. We’ve all heard the story about the man who was characterized as frugal by one neighbor, while another called him cheap. These are two sides of the same trait of conversation of resources, sides shaped by the filters of beliefs in the onlookers and the emphasis of action by the possessor of the trait. He can change his expression at any time. It will take awareness. It will take time. It will take effort. It is possible, and it can happen with any trait or set of beliefs that you care to think about. The drive to do so must come from inside the man himself. Forcible change by others will only be fought. We even fight against the circumstances such as poverty or lack of education that we pretend to have forced on us. But to go from conservation to extravagance, while possible, would be many times more difficult.

How much more so a total personality change?

We can change. You can change. In its essence, change is simple. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. But you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have the drive to do so.

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