THE FEAR OF CHANGE

Jun 13, 2018 Editorial

The fear of change has in many ways characterized our political system; the hope for better has been a useful antidote.
Change offers new perspectives, but there are times when it is resisted because of fear.
We fear change because it is an unknown variable that can have an extremely paralyzing effect on us as a nation and on our system of governance.
The reason is many of us believe that the grass on the other side of change may not be as green as we may want it to be.
The fear of change is prevalent across all humanity, but some are more fearful of it than others.
It seems that the fear of change is in our genetic make-up, our socialization, our culture, and in our political indoctrination.
Most people, even if unwillingly, tend to embrace change when it is thrust upon them or when they have learnt how to manage the fear of what may lie on the other side.
Over the years, the wider public had demanded change in our customs and practices, but little was done to improve them.
In 2015, the citizens voted for a change of government, with the hope that a new administration would manage the state of affairs of the nation more effectively.
So far, the way in which this government has been conducting the affairs of the State and the manner in which those affairs are managed show that not much has changed. This reminds one of a quote attributed to the French journalist, novelist and critic, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr who said: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Change ought to be woven into the fabric of our society and provide the restoration of hope, but it may prove detrimental to our future prospects if we focus almost entirely on the failures of governments. We must direct our energies on what needs to be done to change our failed systems of governance.
Despite demands from the public, this government has not lived up to its promises to be moral, transparent and accountable, which are the hallmarks of good governance. Neither does it appear to have the tenacity nor the political will to usher in a wave of change in the 21st century.
As a nation, we must continue to resist the fear of change of what may lie ahead, particularly in relation to the reform of government agencies, transformation of the economy or the implementation of new strategies to improve our well-being and to ensure future prosperity.
We must be able to manage our fear of change if we truly want to prosper.
Today, we live in a very dynamic, ever-changing and technologically revolutionized world, in which there is nothing we can do but to embrace the changes such as ever-present social media and the constant upgrades of smartphones, etc.
Jimmy Dean, the American music entertainer and television host once said: “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
We must commit ourselves and strive to become effective managers of the fear of what lies on the other side of change.
We must adjust our responses to change and hold the ruling elites responsible.
Together, we must decide what kind of country we want for ourselves and future generations.
We must adjust our sails, our expectations, and our mindsets to the changing environment.
We must boldly go to new heights and new frontiers to overcome the fear of change in order to make our society a better place for all to live in prosperity, peace and harmony.

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