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I have written about how fear can be a stranglehold—thwarting our dreams. It seems that fear,not suprisingly is more prevalent these days. As Gregory Berns,M.D., Ph.D., writes in his informative article, When Fears Take Over Our Brains, which appeared yesterday’s New York Times, “Fear prompts retreat. It is the antipode to progress. Just when we need new ideas most, everyone is seized up in fear, trying to prevent losing what we have left.”
As a neuroeconomist, Berns studies how humans make decisions. In an experiment reminiscent of Stanley Milgram’s well-known research, Obedience to Authority, study participants were placed inside an M.R.I. scanner and given shocks to the tops of their feet. Participants were told how intense a shock they would receive and how long they would have to wait to receive it. The waiting time was between one to almost 30 seconds. What the study found was that waiting for the shock was very uncomfortable for most of the participants, and in fact for some, waiting was worse than the shock itself. “Nearly a third feared waiting so much that, when given the chance, they preferred getting a bigger shock right away to waiting for a smaller shock later.”
Berns points out, “It sounds illogical, but fear—whether of pain or of losing a job—does strange things to decision-making.” As I was reading this article I started thinking about clients and prospects who have increasingly started our conversationsby saying, “ Now is just not a good time to make a career change.” This study helped me understand why so many people are choosing to stay put, even it that means continued unhappiness with their work. It is tough (impossible?)to make a change when we are afraid.
According to Berns, “ The most concrete thing that neuroscience tells us is that when the fear system of the brain is active, exploratory activity and risk-taking are turned off.” No wonder career counselors such as myself are noticing a drop off in business, as their friends expect their business to be booming in light of historically high unemployment and alarming employment data.
People are afraid—not only of making a change but of thinking about making a change. Unfortunately this is not a good strategy in times like these. We pay a price for shutting down our imaginations. Pulling the covers over our heads is not the path to opportunities. Rather, as Berns points out, “...while others wait for the storm to pass, I’m busy expanding into new areas. If I wait for money to start flowing again, the opportunities will have passed.”
What are you waiting for?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/jobs/07pre.html
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