Growth And Change: Any Advancements?

Someone recently asked me what the "next big thing" in the advancement of Psychotherapy or Personal Change will be. It was an interesting question because in all of the sciences the forward thinkers are constantly thinking of the "next big advancement" so they can invest in their foreseeable future. The first thing that immediately came to mind for the field of Psychology was the mapping of the brain. Once we can map the brain (in progress as we speak) in a way that whatever we think can be recorded on a screen, allowing us to literally "read" people's mind when we ask them questions, we will have a huge advancement in psychological knowledge because we will finally know what people truthfully think, do, and believe in their lives. But that would only allow us to know what "is" in people and would not advance people's ability to change their thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

If we are to truly advance the field of Psychology, it would seem that it would have to involve something that would help people change the things in their lives that cause them and others problems. Psychological theories about behavior are fine for academia, but they do not ultimately help a person change their dysfunctional behaviors and thinking. As I see it, the two main keys to making changes in one's life are Courage and Humility. Courage is needed to allow a new vision of one's self and life and make the psycho/behavioral changes necessary to attain it (change is one of the most fearful things imaginable---ask any manager who has had to implement a company change.) Humility is needed to first allow that something we are doing is wrong and needs change (many people fight for their lives to keep their way the RIGHT way) and then to allow someone to help facilitate the change (receiving from others is actually more difficult for most people than giving.) It would follow then from this reasoning that anything that would effortlessly boost Courage and Humility would be the next big advancement in the field of Psychotherapy.

Of course the converse corollary would also be true so that anything that could effortlessly decrease Fear and Pride would have a similar effect. Any advance that could boost one pair (Courage and Humility) and/or decrease another (Fear and Pride) and personal and collective change could be much, much easier. Got any ideas? Yea, neither do I.

So we are left with the conundrum of the ages, how do we boost Courage and Humility and lessen Fear and Pride? The obvious answer is heart development/awakening, building a genuine individual "Braveheart" for oneself. With a "Braveheart" all things are possible, but you have to deal with a paradox to accomplish it: You have to have a Braveheart to attempt the building of a Braveheart. The work is initially too vulnerable and frightening without one which is why strong-heartedness is so rarely seen these days. If only there were some advancement that could make the whole process easier.

But maybe that is the point. There is no advancement that is going to make personal change/growth easier because attaining a "Braveheart" is such a rare and powerful feat that only the strongest get the prize. And only through the vulnerable and humiliating efforts made to accomplish it can we attain it. Change is not meant to be easy, and bravery is not attained through weakness. That is what makes a "Braveheart" so rare and valuable.