How to go about changing attitude?
Thursday, September 20, 2007
HOW many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?
Answer: "Just one. But the bulb has to really WANT to change."
That joke, though far from original, popped into mind upon reading The Brunei Times' interview with Universiti Brunei Darussalam's vice chancellor Dato Paduka Dr Haji Ismail Hj Duraman on the country's problems of economic growth which is not fast enough, unemployment among graduates and uneven distribution of available job opportunities.
The vice chancellor had worded his explanation nicely, speaking about how some graduates are not willing to work in the private sector because they know there are more benefits to be had in the public sector. He pointed out rightly that most locals need "to tackle their attitude first", and that graduates should be more proactive and take up any job opportunities available. "The attitude will only change when a crisis arises, because there is no shocking factor at the moment that they need to make a drastic change, as the oil and gas is still there."
The vice chancellor has been nice indeed.
We'd like to more blunt. We have unemployment problem because, among other things, some of our graduates are simply being too picky ("selective" is still too nice a word) when they actually have no right to be. Unless they change this attitude, pronto, they would one day have to wake up and find that all jobs have gone to foreigners who do not mind getting their hands dirty and who do not have "well-to-do families" with whom they can enjoy life.
Attitude is a mindset. In the words of Elwood N Chapman, author of Attitude: Your Most Priceless Possession, claims, attitude is one's mental focus on the outside world. "Like using a camera, you can focus or set your mind on what appeals to you. You can see situations as either opportunities or failures. A cold winter day as either beautiful or ugly. A departmental meeting as interesting or boring. Quite simply you take the picture of life you want to take."
Attitude change may not be as easy as one would have it. And on the positive side, several research papers written at the UBD in recent years had highlighted the fact that it was not pay levels that was the most important to graduates but security and stability of jobs. However, as the joke shows, the graduates have to really WANT to change.
Experts point out that it has to do with how one thinks. One can change one's attitude by changing one's way of thinking. The history of mankind has told us that people can change their thinking, attitude and behaviours regardless of the intricacies linking the three.
In order to possess attitudes that are positive and in line with the Islamic teaching, Muslims are given a series of tools including muhasabah or self-inventory to reflect and check whether one is still true on the path to Allah. This is why some attitude change is brought about by reflection and inspiration. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an, "follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs." (Translation of Al Qur'an Surah Al-Ahzab 33: 2-3).
Some attitude change is brought about by developing good habits. When habits are hurtful, they damage one's attitudes. But the process for developing habits, good or bad, is the same. It starts with thoughts, followed by decision and actions, and repeated actions until they become habits that will effect positive attitudes.
Yet another agent for attitude change is education, both by fellow mankind and by God. "The crisis" mentioned above can be one of the ways that God may educate us and turn us into people with positive attitude about life and work. But why do we need to wait for a crisis, which includes the eventual decline of the oil and gas reserve, to occur? Why do we need to be shocked into changing our outlook as well as actions, about life and work? Why should we want to be educated by God in that harsh way?
Answer: "Just one. But the bulb has to really WANT to change."
That joke, though far from original, popped into mind upon reading The Brunei Times' interview with Universiti Brunei Darussalam's vice chancellor Dato Paduka Dr Haji Ismail Hj Duraman on the country's problems of economic growth which is not fast enough, unemployment among graduates and uneven distribution of available job opportunities.
The vice chancellor had worded his explanation nicely, speaking about how some graduates are not willing to work in the private sector because they know there are more benefits to be had in the public sector. He pointed out rightly that most locals need "to tackle their attitude first", and that graduates should be more proactive and take up any job opportunities available. "The attitude will only change when a crisis arises, because there is no shocking factor at the moment that they need to make a drastic change, as the oil and gas is still there."
The vice chancellor has been nice indeed.
We'd like to more blunt. We have unemployment problem because, among other things, some of our graduates are simply being too picky ("selective" is still too nice a word) when they actually have no right to be. Unless they change this attitude, pronto, they would one day have to wake up and find that all jobs have gone to foreigners who do not mind getting their hands dirty and who do not have "well-to-do families" with whom they can enjoy life.
Attitude is a mindset. In the words of Elwood N Chapman, author of Attitude: Your Most Priceless Possession, claims, attitude is one's mental focus on the outside world. "Like using a camera, you can focus or set your mind on what appeals to you. You can see situations as either opportunities or failures. A cold winter day as either beautiful or ugly. A departmental meeting as interesting or boring. Quite simply you take the picture of life you want to take."
Attitude change may not be as easy as one would have it. And on the positive side, several research papers written at the UBD in recent years had highlighted the fact that it was not pay levels that was the most important to graduates but security and stability of jobs. However, as the joke shows, the graduates have to really WANT to change.
Experts point out that it has to do with how one thinks. One can change one's attitude by changing one's way of thinking. The history of mankind has told us that people can change their thinking, attitude and behaviours regardless of the intricacies linking the three.
In order to possess attitudes that are positive and in line with the Islamic teaching, Muslims are given a series of tools including muhasabah or self-inventory to reflect and check whether one is still true on the path to Allah. This is why some attitude change is brought about by reflection and inspiration. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an, "follow that which comes to thee by inspiration from thy Lord: for Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. And put thy trust in Allah, and enough is Allah as a disposer of affairs." (Translation of Al Qur'an Surah Al-Ahzab 33: 2-3).
Some attitude change is brought about by developing good habits. When habits are hurtful, they damage one's attitudes. But the process for developing habits, good or bad, is the same. It starts with thoughts, followed by decision and actions, and repeated actions until they become habits that will effect positive attitudes.
Yet another agent for attitude change is education, both by fellow mankind and by God. "The crisis" mentioned above can be one of the ways that God may educate us and turn us into people with positive attitude about life and work. But why do we need to wait for a crisis, which includes the eventual decline of the oil and gas reserve, to occur? Why do we need to be shocked into changing our outlook as well as actions, about life and work? Why should we want to be educated by God in that harsh way?
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