As a practicing architect, I have frequently experienced resistance to my life’s work by a wide range of people. Included have been government officials, clients, neighbors, concerned citizens and even professional peers. What I have learned is that their concerns are rarely based on whether I had completed my task competently or whether I had created an object of beauty, or even whether the proposed project was of benefit to the community. In actuality those that objected to the work presented were expressing their fear of change. If change is feared, what is change?
The Random House Dictionary defines change as:
1. to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.
As architects, we are trained to solve problems, to synthesize art, science and business into a new form. The result of our work changes an environment. The result definitely creates something different than what would be if left alone. People understand what exists, but struggle with understanding what will exist in the future.
Change is completely misunderstood. This lack of understanding can be scary to those that find comfort in the regimen of the day to day. Change is also powerful. Change requires the mind to grasp the possibilities of what could be. Change requires awareness. Change is natural. In fact, I believe that Change is the only constant.
As a physics equation, it would look like this: k=Δ (where k=constant and Δ=change)
If change is in fact constant, why should we be afraid of it? We are afraid of change because we believe that we have control over things that we don't. In other words, we value control. Control prevents surprise. Control keeps us safe. If we can't control something, it must be bad. Well change isn't always good, but it isn't always bad either. Sometimes, it just is.
The Progression will require change.
The Random House Dictionary defines change as:
1. to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.
As architects, we are trained to solve problems, to synthesize art, science and business into a new form. The result of our work changes an environment. The result definitely creates something different than what would be if left alone. People understand what exists, but struggle with understanding what will exist in the future.
Change is completely misunderstood. This lack of understanding can be scary to those that find comfort in the regimen of the day to day. Change is also powerful. Change requires the mind to grasp the possibilities of what could be. Change requires awareness. Change is natural. In fact, I believe that Change is the only constant.
As a physics equation, it would look like this: k=Δ (where k=constant and Δ=change)
If change is in fact constant, why should we be afraid of it? We are afraid of change because we believe that we have control over things that we don't. In other words, we value control. Control prevents surprise. Control keeps us safe. If we can't control something, it must be bad. Well change isn't always good, but it isn't always bad either. Sometimes, it just is.
The Progression will require change.
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