Chemistry is change! So wrote Bobbie Garmus about her character Elizabeth in her book ‘Lessons in Chemistry’.
Courage is the root of change- and change is what we’re chemically designed to do.
When changes happen, some people are inspired, while others are disadvantaged.
What separates adaptable people from others?
These people are not more adaptive because they experience fewer stressful experiences. Or even because they were smarter, more educated or had happier home lives or better managers. The list goes on..
What adaptive people exhibit is ‘courage’?
Courage: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
When change occurs …
When we experience change, human brains are wired to ask the question:
What does this mean? We search for answers to resolve our confusion.
Finding explanations
Some people will instinctively look for meaning in the past. They try to find some explanation for their suffering.
Psychologists used to believe that in order to heal, people needed to find an explanation for their misfortune.
Yet those who don’t search for a reason to explain why they are experiencing misfortune turn out to be the best adjusted.
Rather than trying to make sense of what they had done to deserve this experience, adaptive people tried to make sense of what they could do now that it had occurred.
What we learn from this
Instead of asking why bad things happen to good people, adaptive people turn that timeless riddle on its head and ask: What can good people do when bad things happen?
Source:1974 experiment Maddi / Horn USA
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