Monday, December 8, 2008

Risk or Fear? What about both?

I thought last Thursday's class was a great class because the constructive criticism we received really helped to push us in a way we should have realized a couple of weeks ago. I think if we had a couple more weeks left in the semester and weren't seeing final presentations tomorrow, I think the class responses to the readings as well as the class as a whole would have changed significantly. It was important to have that negative feedback because that's what way we learn, or me at least. If I do something right the first time, great, wonderful, but if I do something wrong and am criticized for it, then in the end I think I will come away with more of an understanding than if I had just gotten it wrong the first time. We learn from our mistakes. To quote a quote from National Treasure on Thomas Edison and the creation of the light bulb, "I didn't fail. I found 2000 ways not to create a light bulb; I only need to find one way to make it work."

What about this risk, fear thing? Going off on my comment to the post "Hell yeah I'm scared," in class for example, I don't think it is necessarily the risk that makes people not talk, I think it is the fear of rejection. I think people are afraid, myself included, about voicing their opinion sometimes in fear of being heavily criticized. Once Professor started criticizing the groups about their lack of creativity on their group discussions, I think a lot of people were scared to speak their opinion in fear of being criticized even further. That is also why I think people are hesitant to speak for their group, because they are afraid of being criticized. When that persons speaks for their group, as listeners we associate that's groups outcome with that person and not the group. If a group gets heavily criticized I think it is easy for the members other than the spokesperson to kind of sink down in their chairs as if it wasn't their mistake or their view.

3 comments:

Tesekkür ederim said...

people arent used to rejecting published works in a non rebellous constructive sort of way. the other day there was a view that professor dean wanted us to get to and everyone was just lazy or shy about putting themselves in position where selling rubber tubes mattered.

tom

Jen, the Cookie Empress said...

Once bitten, twice shy. People got criticized for being or thinking different so instead of continuing to find something different they retreated to what they knew was safe. We did "learn" from the mistakes, and the way people learned was to not try anything else new.

Anonymous said...

Yes, people are scared of accountability. Of voicing their opinions. Of being wrong. No one one wants the responsibility. If you speak for the group, it's on you. So no one wants to do it. How lame.
I don't know how these people ever hope to be in a managerial position, considering that position is where all the blame and criticism come in.


Actually Jen, going by your example people should have learned that their comfort zones are what not to retreat to.
They didn't try anything new, so they "got bit"...thus they would naturally have the opposite reaction next time.