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200 words, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Fear, growing up, life, Purpose, Taking risks, understanding
If you want truly to understand something, try to change it. ~ Kurt Lewin
You know how sometimes, you read something and all of a sudden it makes total sense?
That’s what happened when I read this quote yesterday.
It hit me in the face like a two-by-four!
It came at me like an anvil dropping on my head!
Of course! This makes so much sense!
Doesn’t science employ this technique by introducing a foreign variable when trying to understand how something ticks? Haven’t we come to understand many things so much better because of this?
But it can be like poking a bear!
Have you ever tried suggesting a new idea to a group that’s been doing things the same way forever? Did it result in blank faces looking back at you? Did it give rise to fierce opposition? If they bought the idea, did it pay off?
When you poke the bear, you’re taking a risk. You can’t really be sure how it will turn out.
Is poking the bear worth it?
Sure, it can be downright frightening.
But it can also lead to better understanding.
~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~
Do you poke the bear?
talktodiana 
Pingback: Poking The Bear | Leading Essentially
Thanks so much for linking to my post Ian!
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Poking the bear is a good beginning, a barometer. No response from the bear might indicate death. However, we should not forget there’s more than one bear. If it is truly worth pursuing, a response, any response from the right bear is an entry for change.
I always poke the bear, and if there’s any reaction…..the bear’s at minimum, interested.
Sometimes, bear after bear offers a negative response which gives me cause to think, ‘What have I learned from those bears?’
Maybe I’m misguided as I think it through, again. Perhaps, I’m not misguided, and just haven’t approached the right bear, yet.
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An interesting perspective Dave – thanks for weigihing in!
Diana xo
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Speaking of which …bike lanes are causing a passel of bears to run around roaring the wild cries.
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Yes I’ve heard – interesting!
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Been there ..several times. But only poke the bear when it’s a very good reason to help make the change or at least offer that new option. Then back off and walk away. 😀
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Haha Perhaps in some cases, that is definitely the way to go!
Diana xo
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I think there’s nothing wrong with poking the bear, Diana, it can be an important part of everyone’s growth in a situation.
These days I’m working on poking my own bear (sounds so strange 🙂 ) more than others, and it’s proving to be just as awkward.
Change is such a superb part of life, what would we do without the shaker uppers?!
~Andrea<3
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Well don’t be too hard on yourself with the poking Andrea! Take a break and poke others every now and then. haha!
Hugs to you
Diana xo
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Sometimes I poke a bear–other times it seems wiser not to poke. 🙂
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Sounds like wisdom to me Sheryl!
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I’m ROFL about “The Grizzly Man” approach to The Science of Bears: Poke them! (I mean, what could possibly go wrong with that?) 😆
Plus Facebook has forever ruined the word “poke” for me. ?:
Seriously, though, technicians take that so far sometimes as to not only try to change something they want to fix (which requires understanding it), but to actually break it. For example, if a machine was blowing fuses but I couldn’t tell why, I’d put in larger and larger fuses until something else blew up (or caught fire or whatever). Then I’d know (understand) where the problem was.
It’s not the only way to understand things (it’s not even the easiest way, really), but it’s an effective one!
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haha I like the way you think Smitty!
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Smile * I love poking the bear! 🙂
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haha, do tell!
Diana xo
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🙂
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Ok poke a bear well I don’t know I don’t think we have bears in Australia, oh you don’t mean to actually poke a bear, silly me I was having visions of someone taking a stick and poking a bear and then turn tail and running like hell………………..or like a bear was chasing them……………lol Seriously this was a thought provoking post…………..
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haha thanks for laught Jo-anne! Seriously though, no bears in Australia?
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Very interesting post DIana! It got me thinking….. I never thought of myself as a bear poker until I read this post and I think that at some point in our lives we have been or will be bear pokers….. 🙂
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I think so too Abi. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Diana xo
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good thoughts Diana — understand the risks before you poke the bear
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Sounds like the title of a country song you should write Bill! 😉
Diana xo
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how ’bout
I poked the bear but I don’t mind
there’s some things a man must find
I dared the dance
I took the chance
don’t need two arms anyway….
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LOL I think I could two-step to that!
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Well, there are bear pokers and there are boat rockers, but what about the squeaky wheels? I have played that part before, and I always admire others who get something changed because they refuse to be quiet about it. 😉
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haha Maybe they’re all the same and just known by different names??
I have this feeling that when you really believe in something, the last thing you are is quiet about it!
Diana xo
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When you say you, do you mean me? Because I am on the quiet non confrontational side, but boy oh boy, you can’t shut me up if I’m fighting for justice. 😉
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Yes I meant you by you. I love that you stand up for justice Jennifer!
Diana xo
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Hi Diana, I’ve just found you …. and love the photo of the bear. Yep – I am a bear poker! I also coach people through change …. so getting curious about the bear and getting to know it first makes a huge difference. Sometimes I’m lucky when he sees it as a nudge and not a threat after all. I may have to bring salmon and a few other enticing things along…. but if it makes him open to change the effort of worth it.
Thinks … does this make me a peace making bear poker … or just a harmonizing Brit living in the US.
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Hello Val and welcome to my blog! I just checked out yours and clicked follow!
You’re a wise lady Val, getting to know the bear first, bringing salmon and all. As one who believes in community and in the value of the gifts that each member brings to the table, I really like what you have to say. I hope I see more of you in the future in this space!
Hey Val, just out of curiosity, how did you find me here?
Diana xo
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Love the idea of the enormous book of quotes. The world can always use a little bit more of that “lived it” wisdom. Cheers, Diana
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Thanks so much. I find this “lived it” wisdom also serves as encouragement when it lines up with our own instincts.
Diana xo
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Great post Diana! And as soon as I saw it I chuckled because the pic is perfect and this is a saying I use. As a bit of a boat-rocker I also prod the occasional bear too. People like us are needed to shake up the status quo sometimes, right? I celebrate you and all bear-pokers! Hugs, Gina xo
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Thanks Gina! Let it also be known that as often as I have poked a bear, I’ve also been the sleeping bear that got poked!
Diana xo
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😀
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Very interesting Diana. I love the association of change with ‘poking the bear’. Change theory suggests that systems (processes or groups like families) are subject to homeostasis. That’s a fancy word, but it really means they don’t like to change. This is where the bear comes in! Coincidence or not this was my planned topic for next week!
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Thanks Ian. I came across that quote on Twitter yesterday and it just really spoke to me. We all like to call ourselves change agents, but what I think we often mean is that we like to create change (that we are familiar with within a group that is not familiar with our process or idea)
When I feel the agitation or displeasure of a change that I am not familiar with being introduced to my world, I have learned to recognize it for what it is and remind myself of all the times change has made a positive impact.
I look forward to next week’s post from you Ian! Thanks for stopping by!
Diana
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Yes, I have experienced the “poking the bear” trick many times.
Not a good idea. 🙂
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Haven’t we all Elizabeth?! Do you think that it is always ‘not a good idea’?
Diana
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I have now re-read your post. ( In previous comment, I saw the bear as harassment and I will leave explanation for another day, as to why I commented as I did).
I now see the bear as things that we fear.
We can either run from our fears or face them.
Facing the bear (our fears) takes courage.
That courage can be of passive or active.
Both are admirable.
Passive courage is facing our situation, accepting our situation (even if unpleasant) and acting through our situation with grace and dignity.
Active courage is poking the bear with a stick ie: not putting up with the current situation, and determine to change it.
I am confronted with that in my life at the moment with loved ones coaxing me to ‘accept’ and passively make the best of what I have and me with a growing fire inside wanting to pick up the stick.
I get it. I get it. Excellent post.
As I said you have a way with saying a lot in a few words
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(smiling) Oh Elizabeth, if you feel called to pick up that stick, then pick the damn stick up! I love the woman you are. HUGS!
Diana xo
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Struggling at the moment, Diana – thank you for this post! Juliexxx
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Hugs to you Julie! Wish I could gather up all your friends in the blogosphere and show up at your place with a picnic and a few bottles of wine – we would laugh and laugh and laugh!
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Tomorrow is nearly here. Thanks, Diana!
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Yes! I poke the bear! Thank you for your help with that, Diana,
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Somehow I knew you were a bear-poker Ann! 🙂
Diana xo
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I guess it takes one to know one, Diana. xo
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