Be The Catalyst for Change:

Leading Yourself & Others from Resistance and Reluctance to Radical Renewal.

As healthy, growing, thriving people, we desire to see change in ourselves and others. We also have to change or else we die. The only constant in life is change. In the previous posts we saw that resistance to change is a natural human reaction to alterations in established ways of being; routines, processes, or environments. It can manifest in various ways, from subtle reluctance to overt opposition, and is a significant factor in the success or failure of personal growth. Understanding the underlying causes of this resistance is crucial for effective change management. We have explored resistance to organizational and interpersonal change. Today let’s look at resistance to personal or individual change.

The same factors that foster resistance to organizational and interpersonal change can apply to your resistance to personal change. Please review the lists from the last two days. I will reinforce some of them and expound them for our subject matter today. We know that individuals frequently exhibit a perplexing resistance to personal change, even when intellectually aware of its necessity and potential benefits. This phenomenon is deeply rooted in a complex interplay of psychological, spiritual, cognitive, and emotional factors, as extensively documented in scripture and scientific research.

1. Cognitive Biases and Heuristics that shape human decision-making and perception. A heuristic is a “good enough” mental shortcut or rule of thumb you use to solve problems. We learned these on this day of the challenge – IGNITE Personal Transformation Challenge Day 25/26/27 – Eliminate These Cognitive Biases That Trip-Up Your Sound Thinking – Further The Faith. You will enjoy reviewing them. Daniel Kahneman, in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, states that the status quo cognitive bias powerfully causes you to prefer your current state over potential alternatives, even if the alternatives offer clear advantages. Thaler and Cass, authors of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness add that this bias is often reinforced by the endowment effect, where individuals value something they possess more highly than an identical item they do not, including

current behaviors
beliefs, and
routines

These authors claim that the effort required to initiate and sustain change is perceived as a loss, and humans are generally loss-averse. Being loss-averse means that the pain of losing something (even a suboptimal current state) is psychologically greater than the pleasure of gaining something of equal value, thus the maxim, “better the devil I know.” Furthermore, according to The Oxford Handbook of Cognitive Psychology, confirmation bias, whereby individuals tend to seek out, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs and behaviors, making it difficult to objectively assess the need for change or the benefits of new approaches. Two cognitive traps arise from the resulting selective interpretation of evidence:

downplaying the negative consequences of current behaviors and
exaggerating the difficulties of adopting new ones.

The optimism bias can also contribute, as individuals unrealistically believe that negative outcomes are less likely to happen to them, or that they can somehow avoid the consequences of their current actions without needing to change.

2. Emotional and Psychological Barriers: Various fears permeate the process of change. Heath and Heath in their book Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions outline various fears:

fear of the unknown
fear of failure
fear of discomfort, and
even fear of success can paralyze individuals.

The familiar, even when not optimal, is predictable and preferred to the loss of control of the unknown which can trigger anxiety and stress.

Self-efficacy, is belief in your capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments, is crucial (Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control). Low self-efficacy regarding a particular change can lead to avoidance, even if you acknowledge the need for it. If you believe you lack the skills, resources, or willpower to successfully implement a change, you are less likely to attempt it. This can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the lack of belief prevents the effort needed for success.

Habit is another formidable barrier. Habits are deeply ingrained, automatic behaviors that require little conscious effort (The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business). Breaking established habits and forming new ones demands significant cognitive and emotional energy. The brain seeks efficiency, and relying on existing neural pathways for habitual actions is far less demanding than forging new ones. As we saw earlier, even when a habit is recognized as detrimental, the sheer inertia of its automatic execution can be difficult to overcome.

Identity also plays a critical role. Many behaviors and beliefs are intertwined with an individual’s sense of self (Identity and the Life Cycle). Changing a deeply ingrained behavior might feel like changing who one is, which can be a profoundly unsettling prospect. For example, someone who identifies as a “night owl” might resist efforts to become an “early bird,” even if they acknowledge the health benefits of earlier sleep. The perceived threat to one’s identity can trigger strong emotional resistance.

3. Motivational Conflicts and Ambivalence

Individuals often experience motivational conflicts when contemplating change. You may simultaneously hold desires to change and desires to maintain the status quo (Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change). This ambivalence is a natural part of the change process. For instance, a person might want to improve their health by exercising more but also desires the comfort and immediate gratification of relaxing after work. The perceived costs and benefits of changing are weighed against the costs and benefits of not changing, and often, the immediate, tangible benefits of the status quo (e.g., comfort, familiarity) outweigh the delayed, abstract benefits of change.

The effort-reward imbalance can also contribute to resistance. If the perceived effort required for change is high, and the perceived reward is distant or uncertain, individuals are less likely to commit (Work, Stress, and Health: A Handbook of Stress and Health). This is particularly true for changes that require sustained effort over time without immediate positive reinforcement.

4. Psychological Reactance

There is fascinating phenomenon called psychological reactance which can emerge when you perceive a threat to your freedom of choice. While this is often discussed in the context of external pressure, it can also manifest internally. If you feel “forced” by your own internal monologue or by societal expectations to change, you may resist as a way of reasserting your autonomy. This can lead to a paradoxical situation where the more you “should” change, the more you resist, simply to maintain a sense of control over your own decisions.

5. Spiritual Resistance

Finally, Scripture asserts that the unseen realm opposes positive change in your life. The concept of spiritual opposition is deeply rooted in the understanding that human existence is not merely a material phenomenon but also a spiritual battleground. This battle involves forces that seek to prevent individuals from achieving their full spiritual potential or from conforming to a divinely ordained path. Internal and external forces hinder your growth in virtue, holiness, or alignment with divine will. This opposition is frequently depicted as originating from:

Satan and his malevolent spiritual entities:

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:11, 12

the flesh:

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factionsand envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:16-21

the corrupting influences of the world:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.” Ephesians 2:1-3

In conclusion, based on this short but hefty list, we can see how changing yourself may be the most difficult of all three categories as well as why changing more than yourself is next to impossible without a thorough understanding of the issues at play. Having looked at resistance to organizational, interpersonal, and individual change, in the next post I will introduce you to my spectrum outlining the progression from resistance to change to radical transformation. You will enjoy the simple, practical view of the stages.

CTA: