“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin
It’s a common myth that people don’t like change. Actually, we do like it, otherwise, we’d wear the same clothes every day, eat the same meal, keep on smoking or drinking etc. Homo sapiens are extraordinarily capable of change; we are highly adaptive creatives. Granted, some change can be hard. And some change can be a breath of spring. It’s been said that the only thing that doesn’t change is that there will always be change. And some change causes a great deal of outrage.
There has definitely been some outrage over the Boys Scouts of America’s recent announcement that they are changing their name in 2025 to Scouting America. On the heels of their numerous sexual abuse claims (victims of which I was honored to treat) and bankruptcy, the BSA is rebranding, leaving some folks apoplectic.
False memes have popped up, such as: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/vin-diesel-boy-scouts-donation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1715623658-2
What they may not realize is that since 2018, the Boy Scouts of America has accepted girls as Cub Scouts, and since 2019 has accepted girls as “Boy” Scouts, and over 6,000 girls have now earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
In the midst of this outrage, I’d like to remind folks that in 2012, the first female members were allowed to join the Augusta National Gold Club, one of whom was former US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. Blacks and Jews were excluded from country clubs until the Civil Rights Act, and many were/are still excluded surreptitiously. And in 1999, The Citadel shocked many when they opened enrollment to females. These changes initially created turmoil, and yet the world kept spinning. When gay marriage was legalized, many were indignant, and sadly some still are. We could draw the same parallels to the Women’s Suffragette Movement of the 1920’s which legalized voting for women, and the 1870’s legalization of the Black vote and don’t even get me started on the Jim Crow laws abolishment! When Thomas Jefferson wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” he did not mention skin color or sexual orientation.
Some changes are quite easy to accept (Smartphones) and adapt to, others are more challenging (exponentially, rapidly changing technology). Some changes are completely undesirable, yet seem to benefit so many others. Social change is slow, and typically moves from shock to anger to tolerance and finally to acceptance.
For those who really do not agree with the new Scouting in America move, there are still several organizations that do accept only boys or girls. For girls: Girl Scouts, Girlstart, Girls, Inc., Girls for a Change, Girl Talk, Girl Up, and Girls on the Run. For boys: Trail Life USA, The Boys Project, Pathfinders, Boys on the Right Track, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and most sports are still divided by gender, as we continue to sort out respectful solutions for transgenders.
I offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation to answer any questions you may have about how hypnotherapy or psychotherapy can help you accept change and attain your goals. Please get in touch here.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.“
– Mahatma Gandhi