The Power of Dissonance

[Jon Newman]

Hi Barrett,

Maybe there isn't just CD at play but an element of Culture Shock. You do administer a heavy dose of the humanities.

[Bas Asselbergs]

To follow Jon's post: in the western culture and societies, our life expectancies, health, safety and need-fullfilment have been improved dramatically over the last 100 years. Despite this improvement, people are more afraid, children are more and more shielded and protected, and risk-taking is becoming just something we do on the stockmarket. There are some strong psycho-sociological theories to explain this - but suffice it to say: there is a lack of daring, risk-taking among most of the people.
This is likely also reflected in the "learning attitude" of course participants - where is the drive? Where is the NEED to change? The only strong motivation left is the desire to grow professionally. Not a danger for life, not a need for food, not a need for shelter.....
Because once all these powerful needs are met - a moderate to severe absence of motivation for change is noted.

And apparently for many, the mental desire to grow professionally is not as strong as the urge to stay safe in the small and snug world of the "known"; in other words - no motivation to accept the cognitive challenges of the radically different....

[Barrett Dorko]

Jon,

As it happens, Culture Shock was mentioned as a possible explanation for a murderous rampage on The Closer last night. I'm hoping that a few students in Florida this week will have seen it.

Bas,

You're absolutely right. Somehow our instinct to survive has been confused and conflated along with our desire to get along, remain safe, look good and last longer.

The only answer is thoughtfulness and communication with those older and/or wiser, I think.

[Bas Asselbergs]

Indeed Barrett.
It can be said that in the past, how well you knew your trade/skill, could be the difference between survival and abject poverty or death. A craftsman/tradesman/farmer would pick any tidbit of knowledge, information or technique to ensure survival. This included listening to stories of elders and sages.

I am afraid that listening to elder and/or wiser ones is no longer assumed necessary by too many - an attitude fraught with great peril.

[nari]

I think we have evolved over a century or less, to value our own opinions more than those of others; especially as we are mostly very well educated, and often regard young/er things as the best source of information and knowledge if we identify a need for such knowledge. Technology in particular brings its own pitfalls, at the cost of less thoughtfulness.

Nari

[konradej]

think before you ultrasound

Barrett, You are right, you must have certain expectations, but be careful not to base "success" or "impact" on what you observe immediately in your classess. I would think that if you get even one student to think a little more before using the Ultrasound that this effort and time is paying off. It becomes more of what Legacy are we leaving behind us, and what might historians in our professions say about us. I know for one I want to be known as one who challenges the mainstream, who questions the why of what we are doing and who is willing and courageous enough to try something new and different based upon the best of what we know about the human body at this given time.

This site and board is a perfect example of what type of excitement, discussion, knowledge, and questioning can be generated to push us all and many more to be better clinicians. "It is a small bus creating a new road" It takes pioneers and pilgrims to clear the way for the massess.

I applaud us all!![clap clap] we need any icon for clapping

[Diane]

Not a danger for life, not a need for food, not a need for shelter.....

Well, bear in mind that the few of us on this board, (what are we now, just over 2000?) are a privileged lot indeed. I remember hearing a little story once, that if the world's population was 100 people, living in a village, half would be under age 15, most would go to bed hungry, at least 30 would have no access to clean drinking water, etc etc etc , education, health care, etc, and only one would be able to use or have access to a computer.

Meanwhile, for the rest of us, global warming is coming. We might have a chance to rise to various occasions yet before we expire.

[nari]

Diane, that is the comeuppance we will all face, bar none, during this generation's existence. But to most, the status quo will suffice and when there is no petrol/gas to go and visit Aunt May, and nowhere for 2 billion displaced people to move to...the message will emerge, but too late.

We won't realise the relative ease, greed and comfort most of the developed world is used to until it is gone.

Sermon over.

Nari

[bernard]

I applaud us all!![clap clap] we need any icon for clapping

Done! :clap1: :clap2:

[Barrett Dorko]

Yesterday In Ft. Lauderdale I showed that slide this thread has created before I rattled off the "dissonant statements" (no correlation between posture and pain, pain and strength, strength and posture) that normally upset a few in the class.

It really seemed to help the students understand what they were feeling and how they might deal with that in a way that promoted growth.

We'll see how that goes today.

[Barrett Dorko]

After showing this slide:

Cognitive Dissonance leads to a discomforting sense of confusion that we diminish with various methods of self-justification.

NO ONE is immune to this



I rattled off the things I say that normally (and understandably) upset a few in the class. Placing these statements within the context of a very short lecture on cognitive dissonance seemed to calm everybody down considerably, including me.

I'll see how this plays out today for a large class in Tampa, but I seem to on to something useful here.

[Randy Dixon]

Well, its been a useful thread for me. It has helped me examine some of my own attitudes and to look at others differently. You also made two statements that took away most of my criticism about what you write about, they are:

"I have concluded that it comes down to being thoughtful rather than right. I seek the former much more than the latter.

Now I just have to work on acting that way."

and the other one was about how mesodermalists can be thoughtful too.

So maybe you are on to something.

[Barrett Dorko]

The Dissonant Dorkos

Randy,

I appreciate this. Your criticism in the past has been driven, I think, by a desire to protect others from my verbal and intellectual wrath. Never having actually been in my presence you can’t know that this aspect of my being is tempered markedly by a personal kindness that my family is known for, especially my parents. Like most of us, I still feel their presence and seek their approval long after their passing.

This week I began thinking about how many of our colleagues are well aware of the discomfort cognitive dissonance creates. In addition to their dealing with it in the ways that have been described here, they also work hard not to introduce it in others. If they’ve an opposing opinion about any aspect of practice they keep this very much to themselves.

Does the term “tea party” sound familiar?

But this simply cannot be my way, and my parents taught me this as well. Neither would be classified as scientists but both held a profound reverence for its way of discovering the truth, or, at least, our latest version of that. The introduction of dissonance is inherent to this process.

If you think I’m tough in this way you should meet my twin sister Leah. She lets no one get away with anything, and she’s one of the nicest people I know.

She’s also amazingly thoughtful.

She’s a Dorko.

[EricM]

Bernard can you pdf this for anyone who might prefer that format?
Thanks.

[Diane]

Here is a pdf version.