Why are we so scared?

[Buddha 3]

Something just got me thinking...

Why the hell is everybody so scared of change?

I know that it's human nature to cringe when changes are coming. Everybody is familiar with the nagging and bitching that goes on when changes are made by the management at your workplace, but why are so many people in paintball so scared of change?

There have been a number of big changes in paintball.

Splatmasters and the likes were replaced by pumps. Pumps got replaced by semis, semis got the boot when electroes came around. Regular electroes got replaced by full auto/ramping/whatever. The woods got dumped for Hyperball and eventually Sup'Air. Different formats got replaced by 7man and X-Ball. There have been other changes as well.

And I noticed and continue to notice that everytime there is a change, people bitch and moan and want things to stay the same, because the suggested changes are bad... Yet everytime the change is pushed through, things work out and people are happy, if not happier.

Now that big changes seem to be on the horizon, people are once again shaking in their boots. Personally, I'm quite interested in seeing what will happen. It almost feels like being back in the pioneering days, when paintball didn't really have a clue as to what format it should have. Nobody that was there can deny that was fun...

So....why are you scared?


PS This does not apply to those in recreational paintball, as most of you don't give a f@ck about changing politics (and rightly so).

 

[Russell Smith]

Very good point Jay, if you look at the people who express the concerns they are usually the ones who are not effected directly.
Change is something that takes us out of our comfort zone and automatically causes - or so it seems - a adverse reaction.

What if some of the pro's lose their industry sponsorship, 80% of them don't deserve what they receive anyhow and this may get these teams who want to get support organising themselves correctly to find the same amount (or even more) of the money they are losing from inside the industry.

The support is being reduced because the companies themselves are losing income and that is self inflicted because part of the problem is caused be the influx of cheap guns a trend started by Smart Parts with the Ion and the price of paint.

I have been saying for ages that prices must go up, now don't get your knickers in a twist I am not saying a hike that will cause a an uncomfortable pain in your wallet however instead of the ION (and all the similar priced markers) having a trade price of about £80 it should be £150 and paint should rise another couple of quid a box across the board, Why?
If we do not allow the manufacturing companies to make a healthy profit they can not nurture the growth of the market, growth is not driven by retail shops.
I have no sympathy for the teams who may lose sponsorship likewise I have no sympathy for the manufactures who think cheap prices will work for them and are now suffering.
Profit is not an necessary evil, it is a positive requirement.


Russ

 

[Bolter]

Its all about comfort zones. People DO NOT like to take risk generally, and come out of their comfort zone.

You know the type, someone who is working in a factory for 25 years and still only earning 20k. These are not the leaders of our world.

 

[JTD1993]

People DO NOT like to take risk generally

Paintball could be a risk .
Superman dive incorrectly, Broken bones?
Dive into a bunker, Broken bones? (Maybe whiplash .)

And people are scared of change because it's how they prefer to play. How they have been taught and cant be arsed in general to learn stuff over again.

 

[Lucky]

It's an interesting time at the moment and it does not scare me in the least.
Paintball has options.
Go forward or die?
As it stands paintball will currently implode and die a slow drawn out death.
The only way to save it is for the people that matter in this game to get together and agree on a way forward?
One set of rules?
Reduced BPS, to ease costs?
National championships?
and any other suggestion that's ever been posted?

But they have to agree the way forward! "TOGETHER"!

 

[Bolter]

Paintball could be a risk .
Superman dive incorrectly, Broken bones?
Dive into a bunker, Broken bones? (Maybe whiplash .)

And people are scared of change because it's how they prefer to play. How they have been taught and cant be arsed in general to learn stuff over again.

Not what I meant. Try again.

 

[Dusty]

there is actually an interesting emotional cycle people go through when faced with change.

there are 4 stages,

Uninformed Optimism
informed pessimism
internal and external "bail outs"
informed optimism.

first stage, change is good.
second stage, change affects me, this isn't good, means work is involved, i don't know why we have to do this
third stage, people will try to encourage people around them to resist and revolt
fourth stage, people are now well into the change, and have accepted that the change affects them, isn't so bad. they can cope because they have seen the change in practical application and have realised the reasons for it.

change affects us all over different timelines, but the effects are usually the same when aimed at a group.

sad and boring or what?? They teach you that on management courses.

 

[Revolt]

im just insecure.. i dont like change..

 

[JTD1993]

Not what I meant. Try again.

Cheeky

 

[Bolter]

Cheeky

Not the best retort, try again