Overturning our Immunity to Change with Deb Helsing, Ed.D.

External perspectives offer a different insight and potential solutions. This is often seen with teachers and students. However, in adulthood you do not necessarily have that same awareness of external perspective.

I think that’s one of the appeals of adult development…they help you step outside the way you’re making sense of things and say wow, there could be a whole other way I can put things together.

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Sometimes we grow attached to our previously held opinions. This can make us protective against change or differing opinions. Having respect for other perspectives can guard against this.

“Ideas that I have thought through a lot, have come to a conclusion and feel settled on that means I can see how I can hang on to those and double-down in the face of disagreement… I think the solution to that is to have better respect for other people”

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Sometimes we choose to identify ourselves with certain perspectives, perhaps for social acceptance or for religious or nationality purposes. Being able to separate yourselves from these perspectives means you can be better equipped to deal with disagreements or changes of opinion.

“Once I’m able to say I can put these different theories in relationship with each other, you can handle disagreement and conflict without feeling so personally threatened…That same thing is happening with larger groups where we can identify with something is right, because it is right (to us) then someone contradicting that can be seen as threatening”

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