Inuence In Change

The Role of Cognition Anything to do with man and how he acts has to do with cognition. Man recognizes difference. He recognizes sameness and he recognizes patterns. We remember differences, sameness and patterns. Man does all these things by making comparisons. He needs to hold one thing in mind, while examining another, in order to make a comparison. This all seems simple and logical but the circularity of the thinking reveals complexity and mystery. In order to differentiate one thing from another, you have to select something. To choose anything, you have to recognize something, to choose, a pattern. A pattern emerges only against the background of something to compare it against, either something the same or something different or a combination of the two. This requires comparison. Comparison requires holding two things in mind sequentially or simultaneously, depending on what and how something is being compared. Comparison requires selecting something. So there is the circularity, we're back to choosing something, the chicken or the egg situation exists. Add to this, that our perspective is restricted to what your eyes, ears and skin can sense. Therein, may lie, the answer to this dilemma.

Our sensory machinery creates the context within which we can experience. Our eyes, ears and skin are calibrated to register within particular ranges. Enter neurology. Neurological science examines when and how we register information and what we do with it. Difference comes, when it is registered, in our neurology. We store patterns in an organization we call categories. A category is a way we organize sameness and difference. A child experiences the family dog. We give it a verbal label we call "dog" or "Snoopy". When that same child sees a cat, for the rst time, and calls it "dog" or "Fido", we understand the confusion and correct the mis-categorization. The "context" that affected how the child interpreted the situation is recognized. Organizing and categorizing experience allows us to predict. Some of that organization is so important that it has been stored in the blueprints for the machinery - DNA. Instant situation recognition, physiological mobilization and response help us survive - explaining "ght or ight". This gives rise to the idea that survival is our strongest instinct. But, survival was a result of our instinct. The situation recognition and ability to predict, allow us to react, in order to survive. Our instinct to compare, see difference and sameness, categorize patterns of those comparisons and anticipate based on the presence of combinations of patterns, is simply situation recognition. David Foster Wallace tells a story.

There are these two young sh swimming along and they happen to meet an older sh swimming the other way, who nods at them and says "Morning boys. How's the water?" And the two young sh swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes "What the hell is water?"

Until we recognize something, it is nothing, at most, it's background, like the water. What's worse is that we might think it is something else. The child could well ask "what the hell is a cat?" But, just because you don't recognize it, doesn't mean that it isn't important. Just take the water away from the sh. It supplies the context, the framework within which the situation exists. We understand things based on how we have organized our world. We base our choices on that organization. Edward de Bono, in his books on thinking, gives examples of pattern formation and assembly. One example he gave, involved receiving pieces, one at a time, with instructions to assemble them, into a symmetrical geometric shape. Two right angle triangles t easily to make a square. A rectangular piece t along

one side of the square, now making it a rectangle. At one point, the added piece no longer t with the existing organization of the pieces. The teaching point was the need to abandon the existing organization and start over, restructuring. Our understanding of our world is like that. We build models of situations. When facts no longer support the model, we are forced to re-assess. Jokes work by that same mechanism.

My sister in law was told that you are what you eat, she thinks she needs to eat a skinny person.

A sentence is a sequential construction and we search for meaning with each additional word. A joke fools us by building a false understanding. We are then forced to restructure after the punch line. The restructuring is an aha! moment. Restructuring isn't restricted to jokes. An example, I remember, from a consultation, with a dental ofce, concerned the importance of staff doing two main tasks. Before the patient left the ofce, they needed to get payment for the services and make an appointment for the next visit. The consultant designed a single sentence for the staff to use.

"We need a check (pause)......, on a good time for your next visit."

Delivery was key. The pause forced the listener to search for meaning. The surface structure points directly to a physical cheque, for the services performed. The search for meaning, after the pause, revealed that a different meaning was found, once the new information was added. The ambiguity around the word check was removed, revealing the intended meaning, within context.

The intent here, is to relate this information to how people are persuaded or inuenced. Context affects interpretation. A larger context is needed here, to see how things t. People process information and it usually belongs in one of two camps, certainties or uncertainties. Certainties are things we have categorized, beliefs, truths/facts and meanings. Uncertainties are basically anything else. Decisions tend to be based on certainty. We fear the unknown. Uncertainty triggers ght/ight or hide and watch behaviour. Swaying decisions (inuence) usually entails increasing certainty and/ or reducing uncertainty. We attach meanings to things we are certain about. We assign values and standards to evaluate things and place them within hierarchies. Basically we take situations, assembled from the facts, as we know them, and interpret them, giving them meaning and evaluating them based on values and standards we deem appropriate for the situation. Inuence can happen at any point in the process. Context determines what tools of inuence are most appropriate.

Inuence does not have to be direct. Role models inuence by what they do. Endorsement contracts to celebrities depend on that type of inuence. Inuence need not bring about change. It may work in reverse. Anything which reinforces interpretation, strengthens beliefs or upholds standards or values will work against change. Inuence is anything that can affect mindset when deciding. Principles such as "don't run with scissors" or "the customer is always right" are good examples. Principles don't have to qualify as truths. They can be a simple way to inuence behaviour in a way deemed appropriate for the situation. Inuence is anything that modies the change dynamic. It's easy to think that inuence involves change. In today's society inuence plays a large part in maintaining status quo. On the international stage massive resources are allocated to support existing infrastructure. The shifting sands of instability don't make a good foundation for business or government. Once stability is achieved inuential forces seek to maintain it. The US Fed has spent trillions to sustain growth so it can be built on. Business seeks to maintain what works and reduce what doesn't. Standard operating procedures seek to build in permanent inuence of how things are done. But, most people who are interested in inuence are interested in it as an agent of change.

Basically everyone inuences. The question is how effectively? Inuence paints with a large brush. It includes efforts to resist change as well as efforts to bring about change. Inuence operates on a higher plane. It does not necessarily advocate changing or not changing but sets out parameters of when change should be considered and principles to choose from, situationally. Context, forces in play, timing and the interplay of each are all inuences. Inuence in change is what will be examined here. Whole industries are built on this type of inuence. Psychotherapy, psychiatry, sales training, marketing, acting, speech writing and media consulting to name a few. Political science, diplomacy and interrogation technique nd a home on multiple stages. Parenting and leadership skills both seek levels of compliance and engagement. Teachers, police and medical staff rely on compliance to do their jobs with any effectiveness. Change is a movement from one position to another. Inuence can range from a catalyst that initiates the move away from or toward a particular position, to constraints that take existing momentum and nudge or maintain its direction.

Cognitive Abilities Memory Differentiation Categorization Pattern Recognition Comparison Perspective Collection Assembly/Compilation Orientation Denition Measurement Prediction Empathy Timing Momentum Pattern Completion Expertise Situation Outcome Determination Options Generation Intent Constraints Situation Recognition Decision Making Commitment Implementation

Past

Present

Future

Contrast the above model with emotion model Where am I? - current status and history Meaning and implication Response options/considerations Choice Initial model vs existing model Establishment vs changing

Persuasion vs dissuasion Labeling vs re-labeling Framing vs re-framing Willing vs resistant You can't change the brain you need to harness how it works. We are inuenced by what resonates with us. One tactic could be to nd a value or standard that is being violated on one hand contrasted by no violation on the other. Another strategy is to use a principle of 3's. Find 3 ways the current situation does not give them what they want. Show 3 ways that an alternative satises those 3 issues. Three legged stool of argumentation, logos, ethos and pathos. Lead with ethos or pathos. Violations of standards or violations usually have an emotional component. General rule is don't lead with logic, lead with something with an emotional component.

We cling to existing models. We experience stuff every day that we know is untrue or suspect it is. Rumors, speculation and conjecture are commonplace. Even though we might experience some initial cognitive dissonance we easily reject or ignore the information as noise. We do not let anything short of a proven fact dispel our certainties. We often question the evidence and its source before letting go. This is the realm of doubt.

Dialectics - Hegel style = thesis + antithesis = synthesis = collaboration

Create cognitive dissonance between what is and what should be. - emotional component Dissonance requires comparison and a focus on difference. Once dissonance is established then offer a resolution. - offer logical (reasoned) solution Contrast the difference emotionally between the resolution state and the dissonance. - return to emotion. (Emotion sandwich) Certainty metaphor Huge rock on the shores of consciousness. Change is the only constant. That rock endures the tides of change. While some adjustments will inevitably happen over time (erosion) the core of certainty remains unchanged. The 3 C's of sustainable change. Choice, Conviction, Commitment Choice = making a decision Conviction = belief in its viability Commitment = persistence in the face of doubt creators

Certainty vs Doubt -
http://www.bodyspeak.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27&Itemid=64

Caf-Salon Philosophique #83 June 9, 2001 No. of Participants: 10 Topic for Discussion: "Certainty vs. Doubt"

"We are afraid to be certain," said Samuel. "Society teaches us to doubt our own instincts and actions.""We are not taught to trust the inner guide, to look within."

"Samuel asked participants to think about what they learn from within. "Is there anything you are really certain about?" He asked. No one responded to this question. Just a lot of thinking going on.

"Okay, then, let's just start with denitions - "What is Certainty? What is Doubt"

"Fascisim has conditioned people to doubt which creates uncertainty and insecurity," said Dennis. "People yearn for acceptance and certainty, but yet doubt creates feelings of rejection or even feelings of being unloved," he add. "As for certainty, certainty is feeling secure and happy which helps one to live longer," Dennis added. "Certainty to me implies tangible, apparent, reachable goals," said Lynn.

"Certainty is a leap of faith," she added. "What in your daily life are you certain of?" asked Samuel.

"Certainty statements have to have true value," said Trevor. For example, "I exist.""Certainty statements can only be made if they are beyond all reasonable or unreasonable doubt." "When you are certain, you realize you don't have to convince anybody," said Samuel. "With certainty you exist, not subsist. We tend to deny our existence." "Certainty is knowledge that you have justied internally," said Aaron. "Certainty helps one to make right actions," said Lynn. "Internal certainty is not wrong, it is just when some one else tries to tell us "it is wrong." "Then, doubt is created," said Trevor. "Change is a constant certainty," said Samuel. "We don't need justication if we are certain," says Dennis. "Human misunderstanding or error, is when we don't agree. We think we are right and not open to new ways of thinking and being, staying trapped in the old conditioned ways," said Samuel. "To many, this is a comfortable and satisfactory existence."

"We use such a small part of our potential consciousness."

Catherine thinks that certainty is an instinctual or intuitive thing. For example, she went around the table describing those people she felt were "certain," and those who she felt "doubted."

Trevor seems to think that "philosophy was created to instill doubt."

"Certainty and doubt is just one way to name how we use our thoughts and beliefs.""The way we think can make the situation either positive or negative," said Margie. "And, it depends upon how we express those beliefs," she added.

"A belief can be doubtful," said Trevor. "You can't separate outside reality from linguistics," said Aaron.

Catherine had a questioned. "Is certainty real or just bad faith?""Just because you are certain of something, doesn't necessarily mean that it is something good, does it?"

"It depends on if you have a positive way of thinking, as to whether or not the certainty will have a good outcome." "Absolute truth is too much for most people," said Samuel. "Beliefs can become a person's reality," he added. "Certainty has to do with one's state of mind." How the person thinks and puts things together. "Certainty is a state of being." "All we are doing here is talking about it from an external standpoint," said Trevor. "Absolute truth has no conditions," said Margie. Like with math and science, it is hard to prove absolute truths. Most studies are theories. "Truth protects it self," said Samuel. "We are not civilized enough, and doubt to such a high degree, that we cannot even conceive of what real truth is."

"We deal only with the ve senses rather than exploring the other 95," says Samuel. Catherine thinks we should "act on convictions even when we have doubts." "Doubt can be dangerous," says Samuel. "Certainty is when you know who you are." "It is beyond therapy."

"Doubt on the other hand, is a lack of conviction," surmised Dennis. "Humans behave by way of reason," said Trevor. "The way I do it, is I examine the conviction, then reach a conclusion which takes me to the action," says Dennis. "Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is a bad decision, but oh well, I learn from it."

"Certainty must be obtained on our own," says Samuel. "It is a uency of thought, developing and nding our own way in this world." "Life is a meaningless state when we stay in doubt and don't understand," said Trevor. "Also, if we continue to let others inuence our way of thinking and being, instead or doing our own activities from within." "In the bigger picture, (out in the Universe and Cosmos), life is beyond the limitations of thinking about certainty and doubt." There are realms that are unimaginable, unthinkable, innite.......

"Most of us never learn to go beyond the ve senses," said Lynn. "We learn to react instead of act."

"Animals know how to act," said Catherine. "They know how to live in their own little eco niches." "Us humans still haven't developed our niches." "Society has not advanced very far when it comes to human relations."

Humans are too competitive, greedy, materialistic and power hungry. We are caught up in our own worlds, pursuing our own means rather than exploring, thinking and viewing globally. (For most, they don't even know what that means)

"The thing is, is that humans think too much. Animals, think, but then they act immediately, instinctually. They have to in order to survive." Humans on the other hand do lots of thinking, and not enough constructive doing. "There is a difference between action, reaction and response," said Samuel. You have to know what this means. When we talk too much, think too much, feel too much, we can become confused. We have a tendency to react by feelings rather than by responding through careful, thought-out thinking. Then, depending upon whether the thoughts are positive or negative, or whether we doubt or are certain of our actions, can make a difference. It also makes a difference if we are talking male or female. Men and women think differently. Men are more logical and cerebral, whereas, women have the tendency to use more of their intuition, feelings and emotions. "It also depends on how we were conditioned when we were young, or what culture we were brought up in," said Marjorie. If one has experienced more positive, condent inuence in their life, then, certainty probably has been more of a factor than doubt. We surmised that certainty is the following:

-Trusting the inner guide -Taking right action -Knowing that change is a constant -Absolute truth is not normally accepted, and it seems we must hide the truth. Truth protects it self. -Certainty is conscious, organized, continuous movement
If on the other hand, one has been inuenced more by negativity and the "you don't know what you are doing" attitude, then, possibly doubt prevails. We concluded that doubt was:

-Lack of conviction -Fear of change -Ignorance, suppression, depression -Doubt might be dangerous, in the sense of possible violent outcomes -Not trusting the inner source
-Not knowing the truth

 -Possibly lost, with no sense of direction

We grasped at bits and pieces, but no one could fully explain from their own being tonight how certainty or doubt is expressed in their own lives. What about you? What kind of driving force is certainty or doubt in your life? Are you even aware of such notions? If so, how does it work in your own life?