Notice Situations
The holidays, greeting cards, gift lists, family get-togethers, and intolerable mall traffic, to name just a few.
But, they provide the perfect opportunity to stop and appreciate the power of situations.
The situations in which we find ourselves shape our instincts, preferences, and actions across a wide range of domains, from decision making in the workplace to how and when we fall in love.
One of the fascinating aspects of the power of situations is that we so often fail to notice it. Most of us have a blind spot when it comes to the ways in which context shapes our lives.
We spend most of our daily existence in familiar environments, within the confines of well-worn routine. This renders us relatively oblivious to the situational influences around us. Often it's only the jolt of the unfamiliar that reminds us just how numb we are to our regular surroundings.
This power of situations is part of what makes the holidays a psychologically double-edged sword. Yes, it's wonderful to see family and other loved ones with whom we don't otherwise get to spend enough time. But it can also catch us off guard to be back in familiar physical and social contexts, suddenly opening the floodgates to long-suppressed emotions and relationships.
One minute you're enjoying the company of lazy time spent with siblings. The next minute the f-word is punctuating a debate between so-called adults over whether Dunkin' Donuts should count as a ‘store’ during a round of Scattergories.
Situations matter, a conclusion we often fail to heed. Over the days to come, many of us will find the person we believe ourselves to be today in situations that conjure up the attitudes and tendencies of the persons we used to be. Few experiences in life serve as clearer reminders of just how powerful context can be.
Continued smooth sledding, America!
Psychology Today
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