In my college course, there was this question posed: “Why do people resist change?”

I think it is an interesting concept, especially within my worldview. This was my response:

Humans tend to be creatures of habit. We like to become complacent in our routines and not wander too far out of our comfort zones. This has to be partially instinctual, as most mammals tend to follow routines that aid in survival (safety, shelter, food, etc.) In today’s society where many of the physical stresses that our animal counterparts endure have been transferred to the mental realm, we fall into routines of going to work and unwinding afterwards — the words “week” and “weekend” are indicative of this thought process. Thus, our being habitual tends to lead to change being disconcerting. We don’t want to have to work through new challenges, we want the tried and true because we can do it blindly, and keep our minds occupied with our favorite pastimes instead. At least, this is how I see it.

What do you think? Why do people resist change? Is it in our very DNA? Or is it more a sign of the times, with convenience making us more complacent in our daily lives?