Neophilia, Neophobia, and Times of Uncertainty: Learn to Play with Change
Why do some of us respond to new conditions with expansion, faith, and curiosity, while others experience fear and contraction? What’s the right balance? Can we live in an affirmative response to what the world offers us, not arguing with reality, but rather accepting it and responding to it creatively? We all share the challenge of co-creating the world we want to live in, while taking sensible safety precautions. Why do some of us live our lives almost recklessly—while others live theirs closed down?
It could be genetic. Last year, the journal Nature Genetics reported the identification of “124 genetic variants that are associated with a person’s willingness for ‘risky behaviors’ like smoking, drinking, driving fast, and having multiple sexual partners.”
It could be situational. Even highly resilient people who are generally neophiliacs can get overwhelmed. We all have thresholds that can limit our capacity to respond. When we are already dealing with a lot of change, uncertainty, or new situations, we can reach the point where we just can’t take even one more new thing. This is often called “being flooded”: We are literally out of our right minds, and reacting from pure emotion.
But these are only a few elements of the story. A large part of how we react is conditioned by family and society, and can be modified by shifting our thinking. Many of our responses toward either fear or safety are often intelligent adaptations learned as a young child. To your inner kid, adaptions are often brilliant survival strategies. So, while doing the thought exercises that follow, be kind to yourself. There is no “right” way to be. If you want to invite change, do so gently. Try not to view your mindset as something that needs to be fixed.
Here are some questions we might ask ourselves to “out” our core orientations:
- On a scale of 1 to 10, is the world more or less a safe place for me?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, am I capable of handling anything that comes my way?
- How resilient do I think I am?
- What percentages of my thought energy are spent dwelling in the past, scenario-spinning about the future, or being in the now? Does that ratio serve me?
- How often during the day do I have a fear-based or stress-based judgement or response to the world?
Know also that we learn behaviors from our parents, grandparents, and communities. We are very likely to mimic their responses—not only to economic and physical danger, but to how they typically responded to new things, new people, new ideas.
Some other ideas to explore:
The fact is, we are living in a time of unprecedented, accelerated change, on a global scale. How does one even makes plans in times like this, or hold one’s center? While there are no super easy answers, there are some useful strategies for moving gracefully through this ever-changing worldscape. They include finding a new belief in our own resilience, developing a capacity to roll with whatever comes, and playing with change as though it were a challenging, and fascinating, puzzle.
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Frequently asked
What is the difference between neophilia and neophobia?
Is my response to change genetic or learned?
What does it mean to feel 'flooded' by change?
How can I become more comfortable with uncertainty?
References
- Genome-wide association analyses of risk tolerance and risky behaviors in over 1 million individuals identify hundreds of loci— Nature Genetics
- Large Study Identifies Genetic Variants Linked to Risk Tolerance and Risky Behaviors— UC San Diego Health
- 10 tips for dealing with the stress of uncertainty— American Psychological Association
- Building your resilience— American Psychological Association
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