Change is the only constant in life. And yet, we have a tendency to cling to stability, which we perceive as a source of psychological security. However, when things go wrong, it is our ability to cope with those changes that can make the difference between falling apart or coming out on top.
The 5 traits of people resistant to change
Not everyone responds to change in the same way. Some people show remarkable resistance to any kind of transformation, clinging to the familiar and avoiding the unfamiliar. A study conducted at Cornell University revealed the main factors that predict individual resistance to change:
1. Attachment to routine
Many people like to follow a stable routine because it gives them a sense of security and control over their daily life, eliminating the anxiety they experience when faced with the unknown. They are people who prefer to be “bored” rather than surprised, making the saying “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t” their own.
Obviously, rituals provide a kind of emotional refuge, since they reduce the need to make constant decisions, which often generate fatigue and tension. However, for people who are resistant to change, routine becomes an excuse to avoid facing the new, which ends up limiting their growth.
2. Inability to cope with stress
We all get stressed, it’s part of life. However, there are people who are more prone to stress, generally because they perceive the environment as threatening. In these cases, the slightest change around them sets off all the alarms, causing them to fall into a state of physical and emotional tension that does not exactly help them mobilize their resources to assertively face the transformation, but rather paralyzes them.
For these people, any change, no matter how small, represents a threat. The problem with this tendency to stress is that it ends up creating a negative feedback loop. By being constantly stressed, these people deplete their emotional and physical resources, which in turn reduces their ability to effectively manage new situations. In fact, this accumulated tension can make adaptation even more difficult, since it takes up mental space, preventing them from finding new strategies or solutions.
3. Short-term thinking
People who focus on immediate inconveniences and discomfort tend to be more resistant to change. This focus on the present prevents them from seeing potential long-term benefits, limiting their ability to commit to change processes that could be beneficial in the future. These people are often motivated by a desire to avoid immediate discomfort, which can lead them to make decisions that are not optimal in the long term.
This way of thinking can be influenced by a fear of the unknown or a lack of confidence in their ability to overcome challenges. By focusing exclusively on the short term, they are unable to develop a broader vision that helps them perceive and confront change as an opportunity for growth.
4. Cognitive rigidity
Mental rigidity or dogmatism refers to a deep aversion to changing one’s mind or modifying one’s viewpoints. This cognitive inflexibility is a significant barrier to change, as rigid people tend to reject any information that contradicts their beliefs. Often this reluctance is based on the need to maintain a sense of internal coherence, but it leads to a narrow and limited worldview.
People with cognitive rigidity tend to see the world in absolute terms, dividing things into dichotomous categories of “black and white” or “right and wrong.” This polarization of thinking can lead them to reject any change that challenges their beliefs because they interpret it as incorrect or threatening. At its core, this intolerance is rooted in the desire to avoid discomfort, preferring the security that comes from certainties and the known to being flexible and adaptable, especially when dealing with complex and changing challenges.
5. Intolerance to ambiguity
Change brings with it a great deal of uncertainty, so people who reject the unknown also have a hard time dealing with change. Such people feel very threatened by lack of clarity and uncertainty. They like things to be clear, predictable and orderly because they cling to control. They often look for rules and rituals to help them exorcise ambiguity and uncertainty, so it is very difficult for them to accept and embrace change.
Obviously, such intolerance not only limits their ability to adapt to change, but can also negatively affect their emotional well-being as it fuels a constant state of tension and resistance. However, often a person who is resistant to change doesn’t even realize that their desire for control is counterproductive.
To help a person change, it is important to teach them to balance their approach and get them comfortable with uncertainty, so that they let go of their need for control and open themselves up to the new opportunities that change represents. This way, they will not feel the need to cling to the unknown and will be able to gradually leave their comfort zone, until they accept that change is an inevitable part of life.
Source:
Oreg, S. (2003) Resistance to Change: Developing an Individual Differences Measure. Journal of Applied Psychology; 88(4): 680–693.
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