Why Break the Set?
Our understanding of the world often involves intense learning during a specific phase of life, usually our student years. But have you noticed that many people almost stop learning consciously after graduation? The rapid aging of knowledge and skills can quickly erode one’s competitive edge in the workforce.
Even scarier than stopping learning is the hardening of our thought processes. Psychology introduces a concept called cognitive commitment. We often act based on our internalized beliefs and ideas without realizing it, and we instinctively fight against and oppose concepts that challenge our existing knowledge, desperately clinging to our past ideas.
From my observations, some people give up taking action due to being a cognitive miser. They are scared off by the effort and cost of change, while others are just purely lazy, as change always pushes a person out of their comfort zone.
Of course, there are many other factors like social and energy constraints, but whatever the reason, they invisibly form our mental set, preventing us from making beneficial adjustments in response to changes. The only constant in this world is change, and facing it requires us to break various sets. I hope to help you recognize, evaluate, and make changes to achieve success and happiness.
