by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
What prompted me to make a return visit to my seven “Messages” essays is the current state of politics in America. This is not designed as a political essay, and I am trying not to take sides; however, the political climate, best symbolized in the expression, “the party of ‘no,’” brought my “Messages” essays to mind. I haven’t written an essay entitled, “Messages Politicians Need to Hear,” but the political climate certainly encourages me to make the effort. It would easily fall into line with six of the other seven “Messages” essays, the essential message of which is: “take responsibility for yourself and your behavior.”
Forget about potential political ramifications; forget about the rejectionist strategy they're following (oppose Democratics at every turn, regardless of policy difference) as a political tool; and forget prognosticators who predict outcomes of such behavior (benefits or mistakes?), because what it all boils down to—no matter which side you’re on—a complete abdication of responsibility. It’s obstructionist politics and political score settling at its worst, and it is our country and its citizens who suffer the most.
It doesn’t matter what the issue is, whether it is spending, taxes, unemployment benefits, jobs, the environment, support for small businesses, energy, intervention in the economy, etc., one side is opposed to change of any kind if it is supported by the administration. That doesn’t reveal politicians representing their citizens and the country. (Of course, some would claim that’s exactly what it is.) What does it reveal? Selfishness, self-interest, self-serving, self-indulgent, and self-importance.
When it all comes down to the two positions: 1) Democrats are helped if any bill passes, and, 2) Republicans make gains if any bill the administration supports fails, then our country and its citizens are left bereft of any concern by those chosen to represent them. Our country and its citizens are, as a result, not part of the equation and play no role in what takes place in congress..
It is too bad that integrity, common sense, and responsibility are not characteristics one would assign to most of our congressmen. It’s too bad that more of them cannot feel liberated from an urgent need to satisfy their interpretation of the feelings and needs of their constituents as well as their donors and interest groups. It’s too bad more of them cannot become freed from the shackles of party loyalty and be spared attack by the opposition so they can vote intelligently, vote their conscience, and vote in favor of positive, productive change for the good. It is only upon the announcement of retirement when this can or does this take place—if at all.
Here is what Lee Hamilton, vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission, served for 34 years in Congress representing Indiana's Ninth District, currently serving on the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council, and director of the Woodrow Wilson Center on Congress at Indiana University, writes about the job of a congressman, “Politicians keep the country going by accommodating different points of view and developing consensus. It really does take a lot of skills to be an effective congressman, but the skill of bringing people together, finding agreed-upon solutions to our nation's problems, is perhaps the greatest skill of all. Without that skill the country would come apart at the seams.” That would be my expectation as well. Does that sound like it represents politicians who have been labeled by some, “the party of ‘no’”?
I have always believed that my representatives—whether senators or members of the House---operate with the “consent of the governed.” Their job is to strive to make sure that their constituents' voices are heard and their interests are fairly considered within the federal system.
As I was looking for information for this essay, I came across the following ezine@rticle, “A Job Description for Congress,” by S. Vance:
“Wanted. Genial, ethical, trustworthy, highly intelligent, photogenic worker who plays well with others. Must be willing to fight tooth and nail for the interests of his or her region while also maintaining a national perspective [italics mine]. Will be responsible for approximately 750,000 to several million customers, depending on the region. Must be able to work independently, but not TOO independently.”
What I found interesting is that my seven essays on “Messages,” reflect many of the same problems even though they focus on other groups. For example, “The Message Citizens Don’t Want to Hear,” discusses the responsibility that citizens have to vote: “The problem is that democracies require more than just an occasional vote from its citizens to remain healthy. It may well be that the lack of steady attention, time, and commitment from many people has resulted in where we are today and what we have. I’m not saying that it did, but I would contend that with greater information, more informed (and perhaps better) choices would and could be made.”
In “The Message Men Don’t Want to Hear,” I claim, “If we are to have a generation of civil, slender, readers, with manners, then it is mandatory that parents take charge. Children and teenagers will be as responsible as their parents were in raising them. Sure, it’s a message parents don’t want to hear, but it is a message of parental responsibility that is important to society as well as the next generation.” In “The Message Relationship Partners Don’t Want to Hear,” the problem is commitment: “One area of relationships those who are just starting out either don’t realize, don’t understand, or simply don’t know is what a “commitment” to a relationship means.” Do our congressmen know what a commitment to represent our country and its citizens mean?
In the essay, “The Message Students Don’t Want to Hear,” I end the essay saying: “Drop the excuses, change your attitude, and recognize that it’s all up to you!” In, “The Message Women Don’t Want to Hear,” my final line in the essay reads, “Just remember that, in the end, the burden for the strength and endurance of your relationship falls squarely on your shoulders.”
Here’s my point. People must take responsibility for their lives, true, but they must be responsible, too, to the job at hand—whether it is citizens, relationship partners, men, women, or politicians. They must take responsibility for those who voted them into office. Voted them into office!
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Although the web site is biased, but Timothy Delasandro writes an interesting essay, “What We Want in Our Next Congressman." His prerequisites: 1. We want a Congressman that will actually vote our values. 2.We want a Congressman that is available to us. 3. We want a Congressman that isn’t a professional politician.
At the Examiner web site, Dave Benjamin writes an essay entitled, “Congressman discusses responsibilities of office ‘It’s not easy,’ Holt says during visit to classes at Marlboro High School.” Benjamin talks about Rep. Rush Holt and quotes him as saying: "It’s part of my job to give voice to what’s on your mind and to represent you in that way." But how long does this intention last when money, lobbyists, and special interests raise their ugly head.
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Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Self-efficacy, self-discipline, and self-motivation: Like 3 peas in a pod
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
From where does hard work, pressure to excel, push, and drive originate? In the final analysis, it doesn’t come from friends, parents, siblings, or teachers, although all of these can lend some assistance. Look at the three sets of words in the title of this essay, and you find one common denominator: self. Hard work, pressure to excel, push, and drive all originate with your self. If you yourself do not have the efficacy, discipline, and motivation to work hard, excel, push and drive yourself, then there is little (or no) hope that it will appear.
For some, it is too bad that friends, parents, siblings, or teachers cannot instill efficacy, discipline, and motivation in them. In that way each person — you and I — would not have to hold ourselves responsible for our lives. In that way you and I would have someone to blame for our inability to achieve, attain goals, arrive at self-constructed destinations, accomplish what we set out to do, follow-through on promises and resolutions, execute our life plan, earn success, and reach for the stars. If we didn’t succeed in any way, the only problem would be finding those who we could blame!
With the full knowledge that it is us — we ourselves — who are responsible for our lives, should provide the incentive, stimulus, inducement, and inspiration to find out how to develop (or improve) efficacy, discipline, and motivation for it is these three — like three peas in a pod — that not just determine our success in life, but influence and establish our fate (destiny) each day, that is, our ability to function successfully.
At Self-Esteem-Enhances-Life.com, in an essay entitled, “Self Efficacy - Believe and Achieve the Life You Want,” the author begins by saying that belief is the activator, “Believe that you are capable, believe that you are able, believe that you have the wherewithal to achieve the life you want. Life is firmly on your side. Your part in this partnership is to understand that, to know that, to realize that, to ponder that, to utilize that, to believe that. To believe that you can achieve. To believe that you can overcome. To believe that a good, wholesome, healthy life is your right. To believe and then go get it.” And the writer makes it clear, too, that it isn’t belief alone.
We need to believe in ourselves, true, trust in our abilities true, and give ourselves opportunities. In the same essay as that cited above, the author writes, “the only failure is giving up, quitting on ourselves, not learning, not growing, not developing, not taking up the baton.... Otherwise we can move forward.”
As an activator, belief is a beginning because “what people believe, think, and feel affects how they behave,” according to a chapter on “Social Cognitive Therapy: General Concept” posted on the web. Then what? Sometimes it is just a matter of belief, but sometimes, too, it is lack of discipline, motivation, confidence, action, image, control, dedication, determination, commitment, or management. Then what? It is a fact that the cause for a lack of efficacy, discipline, or motivation is unique to each person; thus, the ways for overcoming the deficiency may be idiosyncratic as well. No method is likely to work for everyone, but having a method is better than having none!
“The component skills,” (which I have adapted for this essay) according to Barry J. Zimmerman , in an essay entitled, “Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview,” for moving beyond belief into action include: (a) setting specific proximal [immediate] goals for oneself, (b) adopting powerful, and specific strategies for attaining the goals, (e) monitoring one's performance on a continuing basis and selectively for signs of progress and success, (d) restructuring one's physical and social context to make it compatible with one's
goals and to make success more likely, (e) managing one's time use efficiently so that sufficient time can be (and is) spent on achieving these specific goals, (f) periodically evaluating both one's methods (for their success) and results (for their completion), (g) attributing causation (one’s ability and commitment) to results, (h) rewarding oneself for accomplishment in a direct, proportional, and appropriate manner, and (i) adapting future methods to what has taken place. To follow such a plan requires a great deal of self-discipline and self-motivation.
This step-by-step method can be applied to any goal one wants to achieve, but, as noted, it begins with the essential activator: belief. Self-efficacy — your belief in your own ability to do whatever it is you set out to do — has been substantially supported by research. Quoting here, in part, from the website Connextions, in a module entitled, “School Administrators’ Efficacy: A Model and Measure,” by McCollum, Kajs, and Minter, self-efficacy is related to individuals’ persistence, effort, and success on tasks they perform, and their ability to determine successful outcomes through effort and persistence. Also, observing successful action of others raises a person’s self-efficacy through seeing, visualizing, or being mentored by people whose successful actions can raise one’s capabilities or encourage their development of self-efficacy.
Having self-efficacy, self-discipline, and self-motivation are essential to succeeding in life. Those who don’t possess these traits will find themselves left behind. Developing these characteristics means that you believe that you can succeed even when others may say you cannot and continuing on even when you would really like to quit. Those who have these attributes will be more likely to complete tasks, try out new things, and not give up when things are hard. Having self-efficacy, self-discipline, and self-motivated means that you have important internal goals that you want to reach and reasons for doing things. It is like being motivated to fill your time with purpose and direction. It is like being stimulated, invigorated, and inspired on a daily basis. It is like having a reason for living rather than just occupying space.
When you possess these features, you will change your life, and you will know — from personal experience — where your own hard work, pressure to excel, push, and drive originate. And, your confidence in yourself, belief in your abilities, and trust in a positive, productive future will all increase proportionately.
-----
At the website personal-development.com, Chuck Gallozzi, in an essay, “Developing Self-Discipline,”offers eleven specific ideas for developing self-discipline which offer a comfortable and important addendum to my essay.
John Wesley, at PickTheBrain.com , has a terrific essay, “How To Motivate Yourself - Self Motivation,” offers a number of specific suggestions, and like Gallozzi’s essay, serves as a useful buttress of and support to my essay.
-----
© Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
From where does hard work, pressure to excel, push, and drive originate? In the final analysis, it doesn’t come from friends, parents, siblings, or teachers, although all of these can lend some assistance. Look at the three sets of words in the title of this essay, and you find one common denominator: self. Hard work, pressure to excel, push, and drive all originate with your self. If you yourself do not have the efficacy, discipline, and motivation to work hard, excel, push and drive yourself, then there is little (or no) hope that it will appear.
For some, it is too bad that friends, parents, siblings, or teachers cannot instill efficacy, discipline, and motivation in them. In that way each person — you and I — would not have to hold ourselves responsible for our lives. In that way you and I would have someone to blame for our inability to achieve, attain goals, arrive at self-constructed destinations, accomplish what we set out to do, follow-through on promises and resolutions, execute our life plan, earn success, and reach for the stars. If we didn’t succeed in any way, the only problem would be finding those who we could blame!
With the full knowledge that it is us — we ourselves — who are responsible for our lives, should provide the incentive, stimulus, inducement, and inspiration to find out how to develop (or improve) efficacy, discipline, and motivation for it is these three — like three peas in a pod — that not just determine our success in life, but influence and establish our fate (destiny) each day, that is, our ability to function successfully.
At Self-Esteem-Enhances-Life.com, in an essay entitled, “Self Efficacy - Believe and Achieve the Life You Want,” the author begins by saying that belief is the activator, “Believe that you are capable, believe that you are able, believe that you have the wherewithal to achieve the life you want. Life is firmly on your side. Your part in this partnership is to understand that, to know that, to realize that, to ponder that, to utilize that, to believe that. To believe that you can achieve. To believe that you can overcome. To believe that a good, wholesome, healthy life is your right. To believe and then go get it.” And the writer makes it clear, too, that it isn’t belief alone.
We need to believe in ourselves, true, trust in our abilities true, and give ourselves opportunities. In the same essay as that cited above, the author writes, “the only failure is giving up, quitting on ourselves, not learning, not growing, not developing, not taking up the baton.... Otherwise we can move forward.”
As an activator, belief is a beginning because “what people believe, think, and feel affects how they behave,” according to a chapter on “Social Cognitive Therapy: General Concept” posted on the web. Then what? Sometimes it is just a matter of belief, but sometimes, too, it is lack of discipline, motivation, confidence, action, image, control, dedication, determination, commitment, or management. Then what? It is a fact that the cause for a lack of efficacy, discipline, or motivation is unique to each person; thus, the ways for overcoming the deficiency may be idiosyncratic as well. No method is likely to work for everyone, but having a method is better than having none!
“The component skills,” (which I have adapted for this essay) according to Barry J. Zimmerman , in an essay entitled, “Becoming a Self-Regulated Learner: An Overview,” for moving beyond belief into action include: (a) setting specific proximal [immediate] goals for oneself, (b) adopting powerful, and specific strategies for attaining the goals, (e) monitoring one's performance on a continuing basis and selectively for signs of progress and success, (d) restructuring one's physical and social context to make it compatible with one's
goals and to make success more likely, (e) managing one's time use efficiently so that sufficient time can be (and is) spent on achieving these specific goals, (f) periodically evaluating both one's methods (for their success) and results (for their completion), (g) attributing causation (one’s ability and commitment) to results, (h) rewarding oneself for accomplishment in a direct, proportional, and appropriate manner, and (i) adapting future methods to what has taken place. To follow such a plan requires a great deal of self-discipline and self-motivation.
This step-by-step method can be applied to any goal one wants to achieve, but, as noted, it begins with the essential activator: belief. Self-efficacy — your belief in your own ability to do whatever it is you set out to do — has been substantially supported by research. Quoting here, in part, from the website Connextions, in a module entitled, “School Administrators’ Efficacy: A Model and Measure,” by McCollum, Kajs, and Minter, self-efficacy is related to individuals’ persistence, effort, and success on tasks they perform, and their ability to determine successful outcomes through effort and persistence. Also, observing successful action of others raises a person’s self-efficacy through seeing, visualizing, or being mentored by people whose successful actions can raise one’s capabilities or encourage their development of self-efficacy.
Having self-efficacy, self-discipline, and self-motivation are essential to succeeding in life. Those who don’t possess these traits will find themselves left behind. Developing these characteristics means that you believe that you can succeed even when others may say you cannot and continuing on even when you would really like to quit. Those who have these attributes will be more likely to complete tasks, try out new things, and not give up when things are hard. Having self-efficacy, self-discipline, and self-motivated means that you have important internal goals that you want to reach and reasons for doing things. It is like being motivated to fill your time with purpose and direction. It is like being stimulated, invigorated, and inspired on a daily basis. It is like having a reason for living rather than just occupying space.
When you possess these features, you will change your life, and you will know — from personal experience — where your own hard work, pressure to excel, push, and drive originate. And, your confidence in yourself, belief in your abilities, and trust in a positive, productive future will all increase proportionately.
-----
At the website personal-development.com, Chuck Gallozzi, in an essay, “Developing Self-Discipline,”offers eleven specific ideas for developing self-discipline which offer a comfortable and important addendum to my essay.
John Wesley, at PickTheBrain.com , has a terrific essay, “How To Motivate Yourself - Self Motivation,” offers a number of specific suggestions, and like Gallozzi’s essay, serves as a useful buttress of and support to my essay.
-----
© Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
It all boils down to self-efficacy
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
For much of my life I have thought that growth, development, and change all depend on a single element: self-discipline. On January 6, 2009, as I was sitting at the dining-room table reading The New York Times page on “Health," in an article by Tara Parker-Pope entitled, “If You Find the Motivation, Exercise Follows,” I discovered the underlying key to self-discipline. It revealed itself, and I was astounded I hadn’t thought of it much sooner. It all boils down to self-efficacy.
Parker-Pope discusses the purchase of exercise machines — so common at this time of year, and in the essay, she says, “...having home equipment is not the most important factor. What matters more is ‘self-efficacy’ — a deep-seated belief that we really do have the power to achieve our goals” (p. D5).
It is, indeed, self-efficacy that secures “your confidence in your ability to stick to your exercise program when you’re on vacation, when you’re not feeling well, when you’re busy.” Because I exercise early in the morning (before it gets light outside), I must get up between 3 and 4 a.m. Inevitably the question becomes, “Do I really want to leave the warmth, softness, and comfort of this wonderful bed to stretch my sleepy body, push my muscles to their limit, and jog three miles in sub-freezing cold?” It’s true that I, just as inevitably, answer the question positively each time it arises, but the question I seldom ask is, “What is it that causes me to answer this way?” I have always thought it was self-discipline, but clearly it is something rooted much deeper — a belief in my own ability to do whatever it is that I set out to do. It is self-efficacy.
There are four main factors that affect the self-efficacy that I demonstrate, according to an essay, “The Importance of Self-Efficacy,” by Shannon Clark at HubPages. They include 1) actual experience, 2) vicarious experience, 3) verbal persuasion, and 4) the emotional and physiological states I find myself in.
With respect to my actual experience, I have to admit that I am a creature of habit. I have written about how my habit of writing developed in my essay, “On Being a Writer — An Irresistible Compulsion!." When it comes to self-efficacy it is just such experiences that determine your ability at any given time. Do you persevere in the face of challenges, or do you give up? Do you consistently find yourself determined to fulfill your resolutions, or do you forget about them?
Vicarious experience plays a role as well. What do you see others doing? For example, if you surround yourself with successful dieters, the chances for your success increase. If you have friends who exercise regularly, chances are you will, too, especially if you accompany each other. Vicarious experiences can be absorbed from the programs you watch on television or the books you read as well. What you must remember, however, is doing the best you can given your own circumstances and limitations — and not judging yourself based on standards others use.
Verbal persuasion is a combination of all the talk that goes on around you when you are dieting, exercising, and completing projects. As a writer, I remember the positive things people would say after reading an article, chapter, essay, or book, and their comments served as verbal persuasion to continue what I was doing. I have often heard others remark on my ability to maintain my workouts, and there is no doubt they further enhance my motivation.
The emotional and physiological states I find myself in have an effect on my self-efficacy, too. One element that continually pushes me toward the completion of my goals is my feeling of self-control over situations. I not only want to be in control, but of most situations I encounter, I feel I am in control. When I feel as though I am absolutely starving, and I am trying to maintain a diet, I think about how important it is to maintain my weight. I don’t like it when my clothes feel tight, and I don’t like my doctor recording a weight with which I am unhappy. Diet, weight, exercise, and writing are all processes important to me and over which I exert control.
It is my belief in self-efficacy that gives me control of the events that affect my life! It is what determines how I feel, think, and behave. It makes me feel better about myself, more powerful, and in control.
It is self-efficacy that helps us manage illnesses. Illness is a challenge to be mastered not a threat to be avoided. It is self-efficacy that allows us not just to set goals, but to stay committed to them and not give up if we make mistakes. It is self-efficacy that assists us in bouncing back from failures. It is self-efficacy that permits us to overcome our own weaknesses and provides the confidence that we can eventually succeed. When we don’t give up, and when we begin to feel a sense of our own power and control, that is when self-efficacy is most noticeable.
In Thomas Creer’s essay, “The Importance of Self-Efficacy,” at the website, Manage Your Illness, he underscores the same four ways to develop self-efficacy that Clark writes about. First, engage in mastery experiences. “Successes,” writes Creer, “build a belief in your personal efficacy. Failures undermine it, especially if they occur before we have established a sense of efficacy.” Once you are convinced you have what it takes to succeed, you will persevere in the face of adversity and rebound from setbacks. Second, says Creer, observe others. Find models similar to yourself. “The greater the similarity between models and ourselves,” he writes, “the more persuasive their successes and failures are to us.” Third, Creer writes, is social persuasion. “To the extent that persuasion leads us to try to succeed, it promotes the development of skills and a sense of personal efficacy.” A valuable aspect of social persuasion is structuring situations in ways that will bring success and avoiding situations where failure is likely.
The fourth and final method for developing self-efficacy is reliance on your gut feelings and emotional states in judging your capabilities. For example, can you interpret your own stress reactions and tension as signs you may perform poorly? Can you read the signals of fatigue, aches, and pains as signs of physical weakness? Do you have positive feelings regarding a potentially challenging situation? “People with a high sense of efficacy,” Creer writes, “are likely to view arousal as a facilitator of performance.”
The point of this essay is to demonstrate how to develop self-efficacy. Since it is so important, I wrote about the same four methods from the point of view of two writers. Of course, it is easier said than done, however, awareness of how to achieve it is the first stage of developing it. People who are successful have self-efficacy.
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This essay entitled “Self-efficacy,” is written by P. A. Heslin and U. C. Klehe, in 2006, and it can be found in the Encyclopedia of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 705-708), and is published by Sage. I mention it here because the authors first explain its nature, how it affects performance and well-being, how it is measured, sources of self-efficacy, how it can be undermined, and what happens when there is too much of a good thing.
At TheFreeLibrary.com website, the essay by Felicia Saffold is entitled, “Increasing self-efficacy through mentoring.,” in which she reports the results of a study: “This study focuses on the benefits for eight teacher mentors in an urban school district. Results indicate that the mentors' self-efficacy grew stronger as they interacted with new teachers.” This study is simply one more piece of evidence that supports the value of self-efficacy: “Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs strongly influence their teaching. The stronger the sense of efficacy that a teacher has, the greater the effort, persistence, and resilience he will demonstrate in his teaching.”
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Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
For much of my life I have thought that growth, development, and change all depend on a single element: self-discipline. On January 6, 2009, as I was sitting at the dining-room table reading The New York Times page on “Health," in an article by Tara Parker-Pope entitled, “If You Find the Motivation, Exercise Follows,” I discovered the underlying key to self-discipline. It revealed itself, and I was astounded I hadn’t thought of it much sooner. It all boils down to self-efficacy.
Parker-Pope discusses the purchase of exercise machines — so common at this time of year, and in the essay, she says, “...having home equipment is not the most important factor. What matters more is ‘self-efficacy’ — a deep-seated belief that we really do have the power to achieve our goals” (p. D5).
It is, indeed, self-efficacy that secures “your confidence in your ability to stick to your exercise program when you’re on vacation, when you’re not feeling well, when you’re busy.” Because I exercise early in the morning (before it gets light outside), I must get up between 3 and 4 a.m. Inevitably the question becomes, “Do I really want to leave the warmth, softness, and comfort of this wonderful bed to stretch my sleepy body, push my muscles to their limit, and jog three miles in sub-freezing cold?” It’s true that I, just as inevitably, answer the question positively each time it arises, but the question I seldom ask is, “What is it that causes me to answer this way?” I have always thought it was self-discipline, but clearly it is something rooted much deeper — a belief in my own ability to do whatever it is that I set out to do. It is self-efficacy.
There are four main factors that affect the self-efficacy that I demonstrate, according to an essay, “The Importance of Self-Efficacy,” by Shannon Clark at HubPages. They include 1) actual experience, 2) vicarious experience, 3) verbal persuasion, and 4) the emotional and physiological states I find myself in.
With respect to my actual experience, I have to admit that I am a creature of habit. I have written about how my habit of writing developed in my essay, “On Being a Writer — An Irresistible Compulsion!." When it comes to self-efficacy it is just such experiences that determine your ability at any given time. Do you persevere in the face of challenges, or do you give up? Do you consistently find yourself determined to fulfill your resolutions, or do you forget about them?
Vicarious experience plays a role as well. What do you see others doing? For example, if you surround yourself with successful dieters, the chances for your success increase. If you have friends who exercise regularly, chances are you will, too, especially if you accompany each other. Vicarious experiences can be absorbed from the programs you watch on television or the books you read as well. What you must remember, however, is doing the best you can given your own circumstances and limitations — and not judging yourself based on standards others use.
Verbal persuasion is a combination of all the talk that goes on around you when you are dieting, exercising, and completing projects. As a writer, I remember the positive things people would say after reading an article, chapter, essay, or book, and their comments served as verbal persuasion to continue what I was doing. I have often heard others remark on my ability to maintain my workouts, and there is no doubt they further enhance my motivation.
The emotional and physiological states I find myself in have an effect on my self-efficacy, too. One element that continually pushes me toward the completion of my goals is my feeling of self-control over situations. I not only want to be in control, but of most situations I encounter, I feel I am in control. When I feel as though I am absolutely starving, and I am trying to maintain a diet, I think about how important it is to maintain my weight. I don’t like it when my clothes feel tight, and I don’t like my doctor recording a weight with which I am unhappy. Diet, weight, exercise, and writing are all processes important to me and over which I exert control.
It is my belief in self-efficacy that gives me control of the events that affect my life! It is what determines how I feel, think, and behave. It makes me feel better about myself, more powerful, and in control.
It is self-efficacy that helps us manage illnesses. Illness is a challenge to be mastered not a threat to be avoided. It is self-efficacy that allows us not just to set goals, but to stay committed to them and not give up if we make mistakes. It is self-efficacy that assists us in bouncing back from failures. It is self-efficacy that permits us to overcome our own weaknesses and provides the confidence that we can eventually succeed. When we don’t give up, and when we begin to feel a sense of our own power and control, that is when self-efficacy is most noticeable.
In Thomas Creer’s essay, “The Importance of Self-Efficacy,” at the website, Manage Your Illness, he underscores the same four ways to develop self-efficacy that Clark writes about. First, engage in mastery experiences. “Successes,” writes Creer, “build a belief in your personal efficacy. Failures undermine it, especially if they occur before we have established a sense of efficacy.” Once you are convinced you have what it takes to succeed, you will persevere in the face of adversity and rebound from setbacks. Second, says Creer, observe others. Find models similar to yourself. “The greater the similarity between models and ourselves,” he writes, “the more persuasive their successes and failures are to us.” Third, Creer writes, is social persuasion. “To the extent that persuasion leads us to try to succeed, it promotes the development of skills and a sense of personal efficacy.” A valuable aspect of social persuasion is structuring situations in ways that will bring success and avoiding situations where failure is likely.
The fourth and final method for developing self-efficacy is reliance on your gut feelings and emotional states in judging your capabilities. For example, can you interpret your own stress reactions and tension as signs you may perform poorly? Can you read the signals of fatigue, aches, and pains as signs of physical weakness? Do you have positive feelings regarding a potentially challenging situation? “People with a high sense of efficacy,” Creer writes, “are likely to view arousal as a facilitator of performance.”
The point of this essay is to demonstrate how to develop self-efficacy. Since it is so important, I wrote about the same four methods from the point of view of two writers. Of course, it is easier said than done, however, awareness of how to achieve it is the first stage of developing it. People who are successful have self-efficacy.
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This essay entitled “Self-efficacy,” is written by P. A. Heslin and U. C. Klehe, in 2006, and it can be found in the Encyclopedia of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 705-708), and is published by Sage. I mention it here because the authors first explain its nature, how it affects performance and well-being, how it is measured, sources of self-efficacy, how it can be undermined, and what happens when there is too much of a good thing.
At TheFreeLibrary.com website, the essay by Felicia Saffold is entitled, “Increasing self-efficacy through mentoring.,” in which she reports the results of a study: “This study focuses on the benefits for eight teacher mentors in an urban school district. Results indicate that the mentors' self-efficacy grew stronger as they interacted with new teachers.” This study is simply one more piece of evidence that supports the value of self-efficacy: “Teachers' self-efficacy beliefs strongly influence their teaching. The stronger the sense of efficacy that a teacher has, the greater the effort, persistence, and resilience he will demonstrate in his teaching.”
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Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
If you want to change you must be open-minded
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I was talking with a religious conservative, and when I suggested a number of problems with religious conservatism, this person stopped in mid-discussion to say, “Don’t go there. I am very proud of my religion, and I don’t accept anyone attacking it.” Mine was not an attack; rather, it was expressing some personal concerns I had, and the purpose was not to change the person but simply to make him aware of my concerns.
Here was a person, as I quickly discovered, entirely satisfied, not eager to make any changes in either thought or behavior, and unwilling to hear ideas contrary to his set of beliefs that came from his parents and the parents of his parents.I have no problem with people who are secure in their beliefs, but I do have a problem with those who are unwilling to listen. Also, I have a problem with people who are unwilling to explore and discover new ideas.
The problem comes first from apathy and contentment, “I like the way I am, and I have no interest in or reason to change.” The problem comes, second, from laziness. “If I don’t want to change in any way, why should I listen to ideas contrary to my own?”
Let’s consider a bigger problem than religious conservatism. Let’s take an example, instead, of a weak self-concept. The reason this can become a problem has to do with the relationship of self-concept and perception. A weak self-concept weakens your flexibility. For example, with stronger self-confidence, you will have a sturdy base of operations — more strength and confidence in your ability to anticipate, assess, and evaluate situations.
Second, with more accurate perceptions you will increase your repertoire of available skills and behaviors; thus you will have more from which to select and, likely, more accuracy and precision in their application. What it comes down to is your ability to face new situations. What you need are more tools in your toolbox. It comes down to the age-old aphorism that when all you have in the world is a hammer, every problem you encounter looks like a nail. This is black-and-white thinking that eliminates all shades of gray from your base of operations. A strong self-concept permits shades of gray
What is important to know with respect to strengthening your self-concept is that it doesn’t take much change to influence your communication and life. The starting point for change can be just as soon as you want it to be, and you will notice the results immediately. But, it is also important to know that nothing at all will change if you are closed-minded, reluctant, and hesitant or full of fear, doubt, and concern.
For many people, it isn’t necessarily fear, doubt, and concern, it is that you either think you know everything you need to know, or you think there is no need or room for improvement. Another possible problem is that you know that a change in your self-concept may require other changes, new behaviors, actions you cannot anticipate, and an unknown set of problems that you are just not ready or willing to take on.
All of these are legitimate concerns; however, the fact is some change is going to occur whether you like it or not. To be open to change is more likely to prepare you for anything that might happen — the anticipated and unanticipated alike. What this requires is open-mindedness.
“The trait of open-mindedness is best understood as a disposition, rather than an occurrent state of mind. It's not about what beliefs you actually have, but how open you are to revising them in appropriate circumstances. It requires the true humility of self-acknowledged fallibility. It requires that our minds be open to new evidence. But this is something very different from suggesting that we should be equally accepting of nonsense as we are of sense. That's not open-mindedness; it's gullibility, or perhaps stupidity,” writes the author of the blog at Philosophy, et cetera.
Open-mindedness requires that you be open to new findings and understandings, and you must be open to options, alternatives, and possible new choices. It can be a great journey, but without a commitment from you, there’s likely to be no journey at all — just words on a page or ideas that travel in one ear and out the other — if, indeed, they get that far.
“Can we will ourselves to change?” Joann Ellison Rodgers asks, then answers her own question in her article “Altered Ego: The New View of Personality Change.” “Yes,” says Rodgers, “especially if we think we can. . . . The power of belief is the key.”
But it goes much further than the power of belief alone. That, of course, is a starting point, and it is a good starting point. With the power of belief operating at full tilt, it is more likely that you will be able to embrace the ideas of others. This boils down to one absolute essential: respect.
In practical terms what you can do when others speak is to avoid looking for points to disagree with. Rather, take a completely different tact: look for ideas to increase your wisdom. Realize that everyone has something to offer you. It comes back to the example of the religious conservative with which I opened this essay. I love Chuck Gallozzi’s quotation, “The open-minded see the truth in different things, but the narrow-minded see only the differences,” found at his website personal-development.com in an essay, “Being Open-Minded. It is as Gallozzi expresses it, “We need our differences. For they provide us with more options and possibilities, making us stronger and wiser.”
The second thing you can do is abandon your need to be right. By doing so, according to Gallozzi, you turn power over to others and “grant them the right to be themselves.” It is a matter of acting generously and to quote Gallozzi once again, “One can hardly offer anyone a greater gift.”
These two changes, respect for others and abandoning your need to be right, are easier said than done because your current behavior is based on entrenched habits. If you can believe that you can change, the results of open mindedness — stronger self-concept, more well-rounded personality, acceptance and respect by others — are worth any effort you devote to change.
-----
At the website, Affirmations For Positive Thinking/Creating Power (How you can create the life you want), there are a number of motivational essays that are interesting and fun to read. Please note, this is a sales website; however, that does not deny the potential value of the essays.
Here is an excellent essay, “Is it good to be open-minded?” by William Hare of
Mount St. Vincent University that includes 42 footnotes. Yes, it is a bit long, but it is comprehensive, interesting, and worth a read.
-----
Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
I was talking with a religious conservative, and when I suggested a number of problems with religious conservatism, this person stopped in mid-discussion to say, “Don’t go there. I am very proud of my religion, and I don’t accept anyone attacking it.” Mine was not an attack; rather, it was expressing some personal concerns I had, and the purpose was not to change the person but simply to make him aware of my concerns.
Here was a person, as I quickly discovered, entirely satisfied, not eager to make any changes in either thought or behavior, and unwilling to hear ideas contrary to his set of beliefs that came from his parents and the parents of his parents.I have no problem with people who are secure in their beliefs, but I do have a problem with those who are unwilling to listen. Also, I have a problem with people who are unwilling to explore and discover new ideas.
The problem comes first from apathy and contentment, “I like the way I am, and I have no interest in or reason to change.” The problem comes, second, from laziness. “If I don’t want to change in any way, why should I listen to ideas contrary to my own?”
Let’s consider a bigger problem than religious conservatism. Let’s take an example, instead, of a weak self-concept. The reason this can become a problem has to do with the relationship of self-concept and perception. A weak self-concept weakens your flexibility. For example, with stronger self-confidence, you will have a sturdy base of operations — more strength and confidence in your ability to anticipate, assess, and evaluate situations.
Second, with more accurate perceptions you will increase your repertoire of available skills and behaviors; thus you will have more from which to select and, likely, more accuracy and precision in their application. What it comes down to is your ability to face new situations. What you need are more tools in your toolbox. It comes down to the age-old aphorism that when all you have in the world is a hammer, every problem you encounter looks like a nail. This is black-and-white thinking that eliminates all shades of gray from your base of operations. A strong self-concept permits shades of gray
What is important to know with respect to strengthening your self-concept is that it doesn’t take much change to influence your communication and life. The starting point for change can be just as soon as you want it to be, and you will notice the results immediately. But, it is also important to know that nothing at all will change if you are closed-minded, reluctant, and hesitant or full of fear, doubt, and concern.
For many people, it isn’t necessarily fear, doubt, and concern, it is that you either think you know everything you need to know, or you think there is no need or room for improvement. Another possible problem is that you know that a change in your self-concept may require other changes, new behaviors, actions you cannot anticipate, and an unknown set of problems that you are just not ready or willing to take on.
All of these are legitimate concerns; however, the fact is some change is going to occur whether you like it or not. To be open to change is more likely to prepare you for anything that might happen — the anticipated and unanticipated alike. What this requires is open-mindedness.
“The trait of open-mindedness is best understood as a disposition, rather than an occurrent state of mind. It's not about what beliefs you actually have, but how open you are to revising them in appropriate circumstances. It requires the true humility of self-acknowledged fallibility. It requires that our minds be open to new evidence. But this is something very different from suggesting that we should be equally accepting of nonsense as we are of sense. That's not open-mindedness; it's gullibility, or perhaps stupidity,” writes the author of the blog at Philosophy, et cetera.
Open-mindedness requires that you be open to new findings and understandings, and you must be open to options, alternatives, and possible new choices. It can be a great journey, but without a commitment from you, there’s likely to be no journey at all — just words on a page or ideas that travel in one ear and out the other — if, indeed, they get that far.
“Can we will ourselves to change?” Joann Ellison Rodgers asks, then answers her own question in her article “Altered Ego: The New View of Personality Change.” “Yes,” says Rodgers, “especially if we think we can. . . . The power of belief is the key.”
But it goes much further than the power of belief alone. That, of course, is a starting point, and it is a good starting point. With the power of belief operating at full tilt, it is more likely that you will be able to embrace the ideas of others. This boils down to one absolute essential: respect.
In practical terms what you can do when others speak is to avoid looking for points to disagree with. Rather, take a completely different tact: look for ideas to increase your wisdom. Realize that everyone has something to offer you. It comes back to the example of the religious conservative with which I opened this essay. I love Chuck Gallozzi’s quotation, “The open-minded see the truth in different things, but the narrow-minded see only the differences,” found at his website personal-development.com in an essay, “Being Open-Minded. It is as Gallozzi expresses it, “We need our differences. For they provide us with more options and possibilities, making us stronger and wiser.”
The second thing you can do is abandon your need to be right. By doing so, according to Gallozzi, you turn power over to others and “grant them the right to be themselves.” It is a matter of acting generously and to quote Gallozzi once again, “One can hardly offer anyone a greater gift.”
These two changes, respect for others and abandoning your need to be right, are easier said than done because your current behavior is based on entrenched habits. If you can believe that you can change, the results of open mindedness — stronger self-concept, more well-rounded personality, acceptance and respect by others — are worth any effort you devote to change.
-----
At the website, Affirmations For Positive Thinking/Creating Power (How you can create the life you want), there are a number of motivational essays that are interesting and fun to read. Please note, this is a sales website; however, that does not deny the potential value of the essays.
Here is an excellent essay, “Is it good to be open-minded?” by William Hare of
Mount St. Vincent University that includes 42 footnotes. Yes, it is a bit long, but it is comprehensive, interesting, and worth a read.
-----
Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
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