By Carlo Cuesta
When I studied to become a theater director, one textbook described human drama in the following equation featuring Person A and Person B:
A does to B. B reacts and B adjusts. Then…
B does to A. A reacts and A adjusts.
As the process between A and B continues, creative tension forms. Conflict arises and takes hold, and A and B eventually look for resolution.
That is not the kind of drama we’re experiencing right now. Our equation looks more like this:
A (those in power) does to B (the rest of us). B reacts and B adjusts. Then…
A (those in power) does to B (the rest of us). B reacts and B adjusts. Then…
You get the idea. By the third time we have adjusted, we’ve normalized our powerlessness. Each reaction early on is a shock that we feel deeply, yet as time continues—and the shocks keep coming—we become more numb to them. We want to get past them as quickly as possible. So we make little adjustments in the name of self-preservation.
In recent weeks, I’ve read different articles by Russian journalists about the last 25 years under Putin. And it is these little adjustments by millions of Russians that they identify as a key factor that turned an emerging democracy back into an authoritarian state.
Cultivating healthy creative tension is good for us right now. We need to recognize and positively position our strengths and assets in response to “A.” We need to get past the disorientation and numbness and join with our partners and colleagues to build better solutions. If we are in disagreement with our partners and colleagues, we need to quickly move past it.=
Although we often view adaptability as a healthy and necessary skill, in this case, adjusting is not the path to recovery. It’s what we all do when we’re afraid. Creative tension leads to conflict, something we all fear, yet it’s the only path to resolution. But we must do it together.