Embracing Uncertainty Culture

In improv as in life, not everyone even knows where they’re going, and everything that comes next can be a huge surprise. It’s a practice that perhaps we could all consider taking up, pushing ourselves not through discomfort gritting our teeth but willingly headlong into it to see where it takes us. In doing so, we can yield improvements not only for ourselves but for others, a promise that’s best kept if we start teaching young people early on how to get comfortable with discomfort.

Researchers at the University of Chicago and Cornell University had improv course instructors at Second City either conduct classes in the usual way or add in instructions that students should work as hard as possible to feel awkward and uncomfortable. The specific addition was, “Your goal for the next exercise is to feel awkward and uncomfortable. … In the next game, your goal is to push past your comfort zone and put yourself in situations that make you feel awkward and uncomfortable.”

The students aiming for these objectives did better in the class, drawing out improv exercises longer, producing better writing output, and embracing challenges. When the researchers conducted similar comparisons in other contexts, they found again that purposely seeking discomfort led to a greater sense of feeling personal growth.

They concluded that, the answer to “Can discomfort motivate self-growth?” is “yes.”

Read the full article on Medium

✨Takeaway: The more we practice addressing our discomfort and uncertainty instead of turning away, the better we will get. We can learn to accept change and uncertainty. Maybe an improv class is the place to start. There is still time for anyone of us to face discomfort head-on, embrace it, and do the best we can with what our humanity allows.

✨Reflection: What are some ways you can try to push a little out of your comfort zone?

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