Complacency Is A Disease
Cognitive Dissonance Is The Cure
TL;DR: Complacency is one of the most widespread diseases in the world and it can lead to one of the worst outcomes of all: regret.
Humans are no strangers to disease.
We’ve been ravaged by sickness since our creation, roughly six million years ago. From mental disorders to physical diseases, we have seen the horrible effects disease can have on humans.
For those of us fortunate enough to be alive today, we have a relatively new threat to overcome:
The disease of complacency.
Unlike some genetic diseases, no one is safe from a false sense of security. As humans, we are built to seek homeostasis, or a constant state of comfort. When we are cold, we seek warmth. When we are hungry, we naturally look for food.
As important as these basic needs are, they tend to be fairly straightforward. You are either hungry or full, thirsty or satiated, horny or satisfied. It’s easy to diagnose these things.
The same cannot be said for complacency.
Many people may not even know they are settling thanks to the pleasure that comes from comfort. It’s easy to be comfortable; it is infinitely harder to be uncomfortable. That’s why so many of us avoid confrontation.
If it is so hard to be uncomfortable, then why the hell would we want to put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation in the first place?
It is the only way to stimulate progress.
This goes for both our personal and our professional lives. Psychologically speaking, we tend to develop the most when we experience cognitive dissonance.
Cognitive dissonance (n.): The mental discomfort or psychological stress experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values.
This phenomenon occurs when we are confronted with new information that contradicts our current beliefs, ideas, and values. Much like lifting weights, mental strain exercises our ability to learn and to create new ideas. To make it a little simpler, I consider cognitive dissonance any situation where I am forced to think differently.
In our ongoing battle against complacency, cognitive dissonance is our flu shot, a temporary fix during our search for a cure. In order to effectively use it, it’s important to first identify how to create cognitive dissonance for yourself.
Here are a few ways to create your own discomfort for the sake of stimulating progress:
(Thanks to everyone who shared their insight online!)
- Have a conversation with someone who holds conflicting beliefs
- Write an article or blog post, share it on social media, and engage people who comment (see #1).
- Whenever you have a decision to make, write down your gut instinct and then immediately decide against it.
- Assemble a panel of people who will give you objective feedback, no matter the idea.
- Prescribe a self-imposed deadline in order to create a sense of urgency.
- Create external accountability by saying yes to a new opportunity as soon as you are asked.
- Work one-on-one with someone else who will force objective perspective.
- Travel somewhere you have never been to where they speak a different language.
- Start a conversation with a stranger while waiting in line.
- Setup your own public speaking opportunity. Workshops, networking events, and panel discussions are great ways to get started.
After reading the above suggestions, there is a good chance your heart is beating a little faster. After all, the point is to make yourself uncomfortable. If self-improvement was easy, there would be no market for self-help books and online courses that help us face our fears.
The important thing to remember is if left untreated, complacency will end up consuming your life like the cancer it is. It won’t be easy.
However, with each moment of discomfort, your immune system will become stronger. Each learning experience will prepare you for the next and soon, complacency will be part of your past.
How will you fight the disease of complacency?
How do you fight complacency? Do you have your own way of stimulating your own progress? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter at @williamfrazr.
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