With regard to the two remaining aspects of serenity, we find what seems to be a condition of Calm when we remain silent and immobile is often actually stress-induced freeze. We can easily mistake calm for the response we make when attacked as the weak and slow creature on the African Savannah (Sapolsky, 2004). Unlike the slow and weak rodents of the savannah who also freeze (rather than fight or flee), we humans don’t shake off our freeze; rather, we remain frozen in a physically unhealthy state of arousal. We freeze when confronted with mid-21st Century challenges—at a time when we should be taking action. Unfortunately, we are much harder to ignore than the rodent and are easily eaten by the lion (real or imagined source of stress) when we are frozen.
Similarly, we are inclined to get eaten when we insist on being Consistent and congruent in our beliefs and actions. We take wrong action and distort reality in order to avoid dissonance. We desperately seek out congruence and consistency between our self-image and our actions, between our espoused theory and theory-in-action (Argyris and Schon,1974), and between our values and our choices in life. Serenity comes at the cost of integrity—and even our survival on a 21st Century savannah inhabited by VUCA-Plus lions.
Given this summary description of costs associated with Serenity, I turn now to a more detailed analysis of the six aspects of serenity as each relates to its VUCA-Plus counterpart. I identify several distinctly different ways in which each challenge is manifest in our 21st Century world. These differences are framed as left column and right column polarities. In most cases, the left column represents the more conservative perspective on this challenge, whereas the right column is more likely to be at a cutting edge. I then identify ways in which the accompanying option of Serentiy can be achieved as a way to escape from this specific VUCA-Plus challenge. I also expand on the costs associated with the engagement of each aspect of serenity.
Volatility and Stability
We are living in a world where there is rapid change in an unpredictable manner. Furthermore, from a systemic perspective, volatility involves multiple changes that are often interwoven with one another. The rapid changes, cyclical changes and chaotic changes of a white-water world are clearly evident. The personal impact of volatility on our sense of continuity and stability is profound.
We are often surprised and unprepared. Consequently, we look to some form of continuity and stability in our world—a safe island on which we can land after being tossed about on a stormy sea. This island of safety offers a cure to the ailment of volatility—but at quite a cost. The cost is the loss of reality and the construction of a world that relies on a dualistic alignment with authority and a splitting of good from bad and “us” from “them”.
The Polarities of Volatility
Volatility refers to the dynamics of change: its accelerating rate, intensity and speed as well as its unexpected catalysts. The Left Column perspective on volatility would be centered on Commitment in the midst of volatility. This perspective concerns being faithful. We take action in a consistent and sustained manner. In this way, other people can readily understand and predict our behavior.
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