Motivation and Change-Courage and Insight

Prof. Dr. Michael von Brück

Motivation and Change - Courage and Insight:
Social-Psychological Aspects and Communication Processes

Facing the ecological crisis we need to develop both alert for the urgency and fear concerning possible disasters, but even more so a positive calculation for the opportunities provided in the perspective of changing our life-styles. It is the old question of the methods how to encounter the stranger: with fear and curiosity. The history of cultures provides strong examples how fundamental changes are possible and how and why such needed changes may have failed. We need to apply experiences from history and cognitive sciences, including psychology and the results of the numerous studies on the cognitive and emotional changes brought about by meditation practice, in order to develop appropriate programs to enhance our abilities to engage in new ways of thinking and action with regard to the desired behavioural change and the ecological crisis. Furthermore, a proper recognition of an education in meditative practice and the arts is required in order to develop creativity and new motivation for change. We will discuss some examples. The call for courage has to be interpreted on the background of the worldwide research and findings of risk management, that is to say the rationality of the distinction between risk and courage has to be discussed. Proper risk management is essential for the social and economic aspects of the ecological change. In order to intensify the motivation for courage new and more intense ways of communication in order to create new social binding experiences will be necessary, and we have to find opportunities to organize them. Here, a reform of the education system seems to be important. We need to ask which factors would provide opportunities in this respect and which factors would hinder motivation for change.