It Was Easy
I remember back in college when some of my friends returned from the US armed forces basic training. They told very interesting stories. My favorite story is how at graduation they walked around telling each other, ‘It was easy!’ despite the fact that they cried almost every night for six months trying to cope with the rigorous mental and physical training. At graduation it was all over. The pain, the tears, and the effort were transformed in success. Everything they went through made them stronger or how they say it in the ARMY, it made them “ARMY strong” while others became “the few, the proud, the Marines”. All because they didn’t quit as many did. They decided to “aim high”… Well, enough of that. You get the message.
Social cognitive theory explains that people who persevere through challenges acquire a dependable source of efficacy expectations based on performance accomplishments. In other words, facing challenges provide a stronger sense of character allowing people to be prepared to face future obstacles. Without performance accomplishments efficacy expectation grow weaker and people become afraid to face challenges therefore they stop trying and become trapped by the status quo and mediocrity. Efficacy expectations can even transform failure (or what is conceived by some as failure) into corrective experiences which allow them to learn from the experience to try again until they succeed. The process is far from enjoyable but it pays off when it reaches its purpose.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11
Some people quit before they begin. You are not one of them. Don’t quit! Whatever it is you have to face, be assured, you can overcome. You made it through other difficult situations in the past. You can do it again. Use what you learned and the strong character you developed to persevere. Don’t follow the societal pattern that teaches and promotes mediocrity to avoid pain and frustration and as result developing weaker and weaker individuals. A challenge might not seem easy now but you will look back and say, ‘It was easy!’.
Writing a blog is like singing in the shower. You sing like no one is listening because most probably that’s the truth. Even if people are listening you don’t care. That’s your time to flex your pipes and let it out even if you don’t know how to sing. There is no program either. You don’t plan the songs you are going to sing in the shower ahead of time. Whatever song comes to mind you go with it. If you don’t remember the lyrics it doesn’t matter either. You make them up as you go. You mix up songs just for fun. It is your own private concert where you are performer and audience.
The Pain of Cognitive Dissonance
Bow
What a pain in the neck is asking a question and getting a dozen conflicting answers! Why is it so difficult to get a straight answer? All you want is a straight answer that you can put into an effective plan of action. It seems like all the advice you get is contradicting and confusing. That mental stress and discomfort is caused by cognitive dissonance and it happens when you have to balance two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. You like peace of mind, balance, and as psychologists call it you want ‘internal consistency’. However, the pain of cognitive dissonance is necessary as growing pains.
Cognitive dissonance is an important catalytic for learning. Learning is not about transmitting knowledge like giving away a box of chocolates. Learning is the process of making meaning through consciously balancing previous knowledge with the new information. It requires reflection and intentionality. Humans are not machines in which an algorithm is inserted and automatically executed without cognitive processing. When conflicting ideas emerge these are sorted out and considered based on reliability, credibility, and delivery. In some cases, when information doesn’t serve to balance dissonance it is just discarded.
You love unwelcome advice, don’t you? How about uninformed advice or critique? People love to give uninformed advice. They tell you how to do something and how to do it right without examining what you are doing and how you are doing it. Your brain generally rejects the information. When you seek advice or critique you are ready to receive and consider the information. This is why instructional design considers (or at least should) of great importance to perform a needs analysis before suggesting a learning solution. When you go to see a doctor you expect a check up before a prescription. It is unreasonable for a mechanic to tell you how much repairs are going to cost before they assess the damages.
Information is consciously or unconsciously delivered to you in a constant basis. When you are consciously seeking information, no matter how willing you are to receive it, cognitive dissonance must occur. The mental stress should be short when information is considered in a timely manner. Psychology suggests self-perception theory as an alternative to cognitive dissonance. Self-perception theory is explained simply a way to see yourself as if you were an outside observer. Is the new information conflicting with your values, ideas, and beliefs? Consider advice and where it comes from. Remember the famous saying, “Is not what you say but how you say it”? Cognitively it matters too. It helps to sort out information. Consider your goals. What needs to change to get there? Is the new information helping you develop a plan of action? Straight answers won’t help if you really want to learn.
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