Uncomfortable Subjects: The Status Quo
In my limited experience of how the world operates, challenging the status quo seems to be one of the very most taboo subjects or activities and often is the elephant in the room that nobody is willing to discuss. (I just wrote a post about how the elephants in the room can destroy relationships) This causes people to end up subscribing or forcing subscription to status quos that may no longer be serving their purpose. Not understanding the status quo can go so far as to have the opposite effect of the intended status quo.
I propose that status quos need to be examined/challenged, and the need increases as they age. The older a status quo gets, the more fuzzy it's reason for existence.
What if the status quos remain unexamined and unexplained? I see a couple outcomes.
1) Toxicity seeps in and slowly kills.
2) Explosive conflict.
Neither result is great.
Occasionally examining status quos and reviewing their reason for existence would do at least two things:
1) Remove the taboo nature of the status quo and allow a certain comfort around that status quo. Call it the warming up of the status quo.
2) Remind people what the status quo actually is and why the status quo exists. If people understand why, that how and what are easy.
Worst case it would do one of the following:
1) Require an update of the status quo to help it remain relevant.
2) Remove the status quo so a better process can follow in its footsteps.
Ideally a review of status quo should do the following:
1) Bring people together around the idea and status quo, thus strengthening it.
2) Keep the reason for it fresh in peoples minds.
3) Help shape it for the future.
Removing the stigma around status quos would be the first good step towards a healthy attitude and environment surrounding the status quo.
How do we get there?
1) Having courage. Courage to overcome our fear of discussing status quos.
2) Vulnerability. Being open and non-judgemental.
3) Blame free. Blame causes angst and defense systems to go up. No need to place blame. The outlook should be forward, not backward.
4) Love. Love. Love. There may have been a good reason for the status quo. There may be good reason to change it. There may be good reason to keep or shape it differently. Love needs to be the guiding principle in the examination.
The more taboo a subject becomes, the longer it takes to deal with the subject effectively. Taboo subjects such as status quo generally end up in explosions because the window to peacefully examine it have long passed.
It is better to get out in front of such incidents and address them before toxicity creeps in and eventually causes an explosion.
I propose that status quos need to be examined/challenged, and the need increases as they age. The older a status quo gets, the more fuzzy it's reason for existence.
What if the status quos remain unexamined and unexplained? I see a couple outcomes.
1) Toxicity seeps in and slowly kills.
2) Explosive conflict.
Neither result is great.
Occasionally examining status quos and reviewing their reason for existence would do at least two things:
1) Remove the taboo nature of the status quo and allow a certain comfort around that status quo. Call it the warming up of the status quo.
2) Remind people what the status quo actually is and why the status quo exists. If people understand why, that how and what are easy.
Worst case it would do one of the following:
1) Require an update of the status quo to help it remain relevant.
2) Remove the status quo so a better process can follow in its footsteps.
Ideally a review of status quo should do the following:
1) Bring people together around the idea and status quo, thus strengthening it.
2) Keep the reason for it fresh in peoples minds.
3) Help shape it for the future.
Removing the stigma around status quos would be the first good step towards a healthy attitude and environment surrounding the status quo.
How do we get there?
1) Having courage. Courage to overcome our fear of discussing status quos.
2) Vulnerability. Being open and non-judgemental.
3) Blame free. Blame causes angst and defense systems to go up. No need to place blame. The outlook should be forward, not backward.
4) Love. Love. Love. There may have been a good reason for the status quo. There may be good reason to change it. There may be good reason to keep or shape it differently. Love needs to be the guiding principle in the examination.
The more taboo a subject becomes, the longer it takes to deal with the subject effectively. Taboo subjects such as status quo generally end up in explosions because the window to peacefully examine it have long passed.
It is better to get out in front of such incidents and address them before toxicity creeps in and eventually causes an explosion.
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