If our tension
was created by our resistance
to fear.
By loving our fear
we can also
release it
Tag: Resistance
Two Different Uses of Force
First time we snowboard,
draw,
lead,
we tend to use a lot of force.
When our snowboarding,
pencil marks,
teammates,
are not to our liking,
we may apply even more force.
Years later,
when we snowboard,
draw,
lead,
we may feel more relaxed.
When we have to stop abruptly,
make a bold mark,
assert a final decision,
we may still use force.
But these are different uses of force.
In the first case,
it was probably because we were afraid of falling,
making a mistake,
being judged.
Once we can empathize with
the snowboard,
our drawing tools,
our teammates,
fear can vanish for a moment
in the experience of oneness
beyond “I” vs “them.”
Force used in fear
resists
Like two opponents wrestling.
Force used while empathizing
flows
Like two partners dancing.
Leveraging Resistance
Designers have worked with resistance since the dawn of time.
The first caveman who drew on cave walls
were met with resistance from those walls
and leveraged it as the very means through which they created.
Whenever someone behaves in ways we interpret as “resistance,”
all it means is we’re struggling to create.
What human interaction designers do with resistance
is leverage it as the very means through which we create.
Until we learn this art,
we’ll feel nothing but frustration & resentment
in our attempt to bring about innovation in our interactions & organizations.
Guess what lies at the heart of this art?
Our willingness & ability to realize our empathy.