
The power of change through feelings and emotions
In a world where everything is too fast to observe the little valuable things around, there is a fabulous way to manage these hasty aspects — you can always step back and see the context you’re part of. Stepping back it’s a stereotype, but it’s a stereotype just for those people who are always in a hurry and take these “advises” as a way to go, without investing a bit in a thinking process and more often, without actually implement these ideas in a way or another. Because in the end, stepping back is also a great way which leads to progress. If it’s done right. Or at least if it’s done, for those who might find it a “non-sense” concept.
Why is this important?
Because when you step back you are able to see tons of different elements around, which weren’t taken in consideration at all by then. It’s obvious to be like this, because you were always in a rally with yourself or with others, a competition which is good in the name of competition, but it’s counterproductive when it comes to feelings and emotions.
Actually, the feelings are the base of empathy. And the empathy after all is the base of understanding people in UX or whatever industry you’re working on. If those feelings are missed, you become an empty runner in a game which is lost from second 1.
When it comes to feelings, a certain emotion is a result of multiple and different (by state) attributes. And those attributes have the power to model the emotion. And this is a great power after all, because if you can understand the attributes, you get the context and you also get the power to take decisions. Those decisions might be good or wrong in the end, but at least, when you take them, you’re not blinded and you also have the context and the background on your side.
After all, if you’re still here, it means you know that an emotion doesn’t have 2 states only. Not everything is black and white. Being black and white might sound ideal for many people because it sounds or looks easier. Actually if you think in black and white it’s really simple for you, you don’t have to worry for nothing, right? It’s just a 50/50 issue to deal with. The problem here is that you have to go back above, make a step forward again and be part of that non-sense competition, where you are the looser from second 1 as I said.
Now comes the beauty of gray shades. The more different gray options, the better.
Might sound as everything turns out into a more complicated situation. And it might be, I agree. But these different gray areas provides a balance in life because when you were in a black / white conflict, the balance couldn’t exist. You were always in an oscillation in between these two states and never in balance. The gray part provides shelter. And it also provides an input for feelings, emotions, empathy and you can add more here.
A feeling which is in the gray area is a contextual feeling. It is influenced by those attributes described above, which have the power to model the journey you’re following. The journey mapping we’re doing in User Experience is based on feelings. The smile / sad faces which are the outputs of the mapping are influenced by the context. And so it is life as well.
In the past few weeks I’ve seen a strong debate whether Cluj-Napoca is the new Silicon Valley of Europe. As stepping back is a stereotype if you are in the competition I described, saying that a certain area is the new Bay for IT services and innovation is also a stereotype. If you don’t get the context. And if you don’t get the context it means you are not an emphatic person and in conclusion, you’re a black and white human being. Too bad for you, really.
Debates regarding Cluj were black and white. Purely black and white. Too bad I would say, because especially the anti-cluj-valley side haven’t provided any obvious solution. Progress always comes up from solutions. If you are not able to identify solutions, then either you step back, either you leave the planet.
I’m not saying that Cluj is the new el dorado of the IT industry, not even tell that the people from here are good or not at writing code, doing design or innovate.
What I can do say for sure is that Cluj is full of feelings and emotions and these come from the many great open minded people which are part of. The feelings are the absolute unique way to progress, because if you will always be in a hurry and part of a non-sense competition, you will be too busy to understand the context you are part of. And more important, you will miss those tons of elements around. And those elements are they key which creates the power of change.
Cluj is not in any competition and I really do have the feeling that we stepped back to enjoy the beauty of life and the beauty of different attributes that compose us. As a consequence, we’re way ahead others which might have crossed the finish line — but empty inside.
In the end, the innovation comes from the gray shades because it’s full of feelings out there. And feelings creates the power of change.
