We’ve thought a lot about our immune systems in the past few years, but while we all know about our physical immune system, it turns out that we also have a psychological immune system. Unsurprisingly, it is a complex one. Our psychological immune system helps us “get over stuff,” but it doesn’t help us predict how long or how hard it will be to get over our stuff.
As you likely experienced have experienced (I know that I have), we tend to think that the good stuff that happens will make us happier for much longer than it does, and the bad stuff will make us miserable for much longer than it does. But that complex psychological immune system means that we forget that happens. In fact, the system seems to work best because we aren’t paying attention to it.
Another added complexity is that we forget unevenly. Because we go for good stuff and are rewarded when it works out, and we avoid bad stuff and really remember when it doesn’t, we get a biased data set.
Interesting in and of itself, sure. I enjoyed reading about it, but what are the practicial implications? I am trying to use it to put fear of change into perspective, both for me and my staff. For me, when I get that icky feeling about the “what if’s” when something happens or even more so when I have to choose what will happen, I remember that ick won’t last long and it won’t be as bad as I am imagining. So it let’s me be just a tiny bit braver.
However, I have to remember that my decisions impact others, and they have the same worries, the same bias. They will think the bad things will have a worse impact for longer than they actually will. It’s not a bad thing; it’s just their psychological immune system doing it’s complex thing. But it does mean that I have to be even more mindful when I suggest change that isn’t immediately evident that it is going to be the best thing ever. And when it is going to be the best thing, that honeymoon won’t last forever. In other words, communication, communication, communication from the start all the way through to past the end. Funny how it always comes back to that.