Growth cannot occur without change.’ This necessitates a stable psychic framework, which many of us find difficult to achieve.’ How much more difficult it must be, then, to keep finding your center, knowing that soon enough this center will change.’ It is simply too much for many people to handle.
This is the foundation of repetition.’ Let’s examine how this is not only appropriate, but necessary for many of us.’ When we define change as a fundamental aspect of growth, it becomes clear that ‘off’ position of growth is to remain static.’ This is most easily achieved through the act of defining, in many circumstances.’ We can look at the case of people who wear their disorders as a patch.’ ‘I’m an ascetic person.” ‘I’m a hypochondriac.” ‘I have an anxiety disorder.” These labels help to define us, and in turn, allow us to exist with some degree of stability.’ Simply floating along without purpose or definition is a scary proposition.’ Taking on a clinical label is very comforting in many ways, despite its wealth of detriment.
To a less negative degree, somebody might define herself as a type of person.’ A girl who prides herself as being a Prude can now follow an accepted script.’ Prudes act in a certain way, which affords a great deal of comfort and security.’ Rather than having to explain one’s actions to oneself and to others, the Prude can take comfort in the fact that her behaviors are in line with that of a script.
By following a script, one engages necessarily in repetition.’ There is a small repertoire of actions and behaviors in any one given script that, while it provides security and stability, forces people into lives that are limited in scope.’ Part of the Prude script may include the denial of certain pleasures, which perpetuates an unhealthy situation.’ Nevertheless, stability is so important that people are willing to sacrifice both happiness and normality for it.
This begs the question, what does healthy growth look like?’ A person can be very into indie music in her high school years.’ The Indie Rocker script can influence many aspects of her behavior and self identity.’ As time goes on, she undergoes several reevaluations, resulting in more maturity, changes in taste, and different ways in which she defines herself.’ Healthy growth is marked by the extent to which one is not afraid to evaluate personal dogma and change as necessary.
Since quality of growth exists on a gradient, with repetition on the negative end, what kind of growth do we aspire to?’ If we are aware that growth is made possible by constant self evaluations, resulting in adjustments and changes, then the superlative of this process requires a high level of self monitoring.’ This means that we must question every action and every belief we have, while at the same time recognizing that we must not confine ourselves to inaction.’ This is difficult concept to both articulate and to understand.’ The people who experience the best kind of growth know that it is okay to have strong feelings and to act boldly, but at the same time question their motives and belief structures, facilitating change.
As I began this entry, growth requires stability.’ For those of us who struggle with maintaining a stable psyche, stability is achieved through dogma and sometimes through unhealthy labeling, leading to severely stunted growth.’ Those of us who have stable egos can be afforded the luxury of constant self monitoring, which provides the most rapid and meaningful growth.
The Book of James is the musings of columnist and former Editor-in-Chief of Statesman James Bouklas.’ This column appears weekly in Statesman.’ To send in your feedback for the Book of James, feel free to email us at thebookofjames@sbstatesman.org.
