Making Changes

The most effective way to make any change is to identify the exact opposite, and take a course of action that best reflects the inverse of the original behavior, action, personality trait, etc. A smile stifles anger, confidence removes all doubt, skepticism shatters the strongest of traditions. Silence infects the most stubborn of chatterboxes, and perseverance hurdles the greatest of obstacles. But this principle is not just psychological, it encompasses all areas of life, although (for now) I won't go into depth regarding that. Probably the most famous endeavors making use of this principle are the nonviolent protest- Rather than foolishly adding to the fuel of war, pacifists simply operating in such a manner that even the most patriot of citizens lost the will to support war. I consider this to be one of the most creative of all diplomatic efforts thus recorded in history.

But few people are full aware of the associated implications- By applying this knowledge to daily life whenever possible, we can improve many areas much faster- and some areas cannot be changed by any other means than this. If we are lacking in any area at all, the most effective means is to take on roles that produce opposite behavior. Many times it must be done forcibly, but in the long run, (assuming your reasons for the changed are well-founded) it's always worth it. To apply this to my own life: Physically and sexually, I tend not to take the initiative, maintaining a relatively passive approach. This is not true of the other areas, but just these two. Especially for a guy, this has some disadvantages- so to effectively change it, I should take the initiative at every opportunity, no matter how awkward.

In the same way, the best way to become more social, is to force yourself into a highly social environment, to overcome any fear the best way is to confront it head on, to become more organized and improve planning skills, live a life overflowing with appointments. My favorite quality of humans, is to adapt. sure, animals have it to- but only in humans can the beauty be clearly seen. Because of adaptation, the most trying of circumstances can be dealt with just as easily as a person would normally. To me, this ability merits a great deal of praise.