Why Do People Hate Change? 3 Reasons Change is Difficult

In today’s world, change is often met with unease (maybe a bit of hostility). It’s not easy when you’re used to being comfortable, so why do people hate change?

They hate change because what they’re used to doing is secure and comfortable. Humans prefer comfort and security instead of going through pain and uncertainty.

That drives them out of their comfort zone. When that happens, that can challenge people’s thoughts and beliefs.

People may not understand that great things can happen when we come out of our comfort zone.

Let’s go over a few reasons why changes are not welcomed by most people.

  1. Why Do People Oppose Change?
  2. Little Understanding Of Why It Happens
  3. Fear Of The Unknown
  4. Change Is Constant- It Will Never Stop
  5. How Do I Respond To Change?
  6. Questions To Ask Yourself
Why do people hate change? This post will go over some big reasons people resist change.

Why do people oppose change?

As mentioned, change is hard, but it’s not always a bad thing. Change can be good if people will get used to it.

It can be uncomfortable when going through a transition. Here are a couple of examples that people will go throughout their life:

  • Changing jobs 
  • Moving to a new home (outside of their state or country)
  • Starting a new diet or workout program

A major one is adapting to social and technological changes. Many people don’t understand that the world is constantly changing- today, it’s changing faster than ever.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a trending topic these days. It is going to shape the future of work, and it’s advancing like never before in ways we do not know yet.

Another thing that the world went through most recently was the COVID-19 lockdowns that disrupted many people’s livelihoods.

That resulted in people staying at home through local mandates, along with adjusting from working in the office to remote work.

It was not an easy transition. But after a while, people just got used to it.

The lockdowns may be over, but that’s another example of how people had to adjust to a rough transition.

Why Do People Hate Change? 3 Reasons Change Is So Difficult

Why do people hate change?

Humans prefer security and comfort over uncertainty and pain. When people feel pain and uncertainty, it drives them out of their comfort zone. Also, it challenges their own beliefs and thoughts about who they need to become in life.

Let’s go over some of them below.

Little understanding of why it happens

People are too quick to make assumptions-  or worse, they’ll guess why things are taking place.

Also, they may be too scared to hear the truth. When they hear the truth, that’s when the pain can fall and take place.

For example, if your job is outsourced, you may have to move to another role. Or the worst case scenario is getting laid off.

In this situation, employees do not know why these decisions are made by their employer.

If they work for a big company, they don’t have control over the decisions made by the top executives.

If they did, they may be able to make better decisions for themselves.

The more knowledge they understand, the likelihood that they will make much better decisions that are in their best interests.

Fear of the unknown

Uncertainty is very uncomfortable to go through. Good things or bad things can take place, so we often think about what will happen moving forward.  

Believe it or not, things may turn out for the best. There was a study done where people thought that bad things would happen, but actually, they did not take place.

In other words, 85% of the things people thought would take place never happened at all. Isn’t that mind-blowing to think about?

In a way, positive outcomes are the best result that you want.  Also, being able to accept reality as it is while taking risks helps as well. 

There are some common sayings that go this way: 

  • No risk = No reward 
  • No pain = No gain

Why do people have resistance to change?

People resist change because they fear the unknown. When they fear uncertainty, they think often about the bad outcomes that can take place for them. These outcomes have a negative impact on their life, and experiencing it can make change very uncomfortable to go through.

Change is constant- it will never stop

No matter what’s happening around the world, change is taking place all the time. The difference between right before the 21st century and today is that the world is changing much faster.

Change is happening much quicker than ever

We’re at a point where it’s changing so fast that governments and organizations are not able to keep up with them. How we respond to these rapid changes is what will shape the future of the world.

Over the last 20 years, the world has changed a lot- we live in the information age now. 

The best example is the internet, where anyone has access to free information- literally right at their fingertips from their phones.

Why am I so uncomfortable with change?

You may be uncomfortable with change because you’re used to doing things a certain way: We are creatures of habit. The things we do in our daily routine describe what we value the most, and how we spend most of our precious time on Earth. 

Routines are good, but from time to time, you may need to change them to lead yourself into being the person you want to become in life.

How do I respond to change?

As  I wrote earlier the best way is to start embracing it now.

Change is inevitable- for the good and the better.

In a way, change helps us grow as individuals. They can also spread positive meaningful change in society as well

When change takes place, it’s not always the end of the world. We just need to think differently about it and learn how to live through it.

So if you can embrace change now, it will help you make better decisions to improve your own situation.

Questions to ask yourself

  • Are you someone who resists change? 
  • Do you fear the unknown? 
  • Are you going to accept reality as it is? 
  • What decisions will you make while adjusting to constant change?

A relevant article from notimekillers.com

Read next on “What Does It Mean To Be In The Present? Weekly Reflection” to learn how to enjoy living in the present, no matter what’s going on in your life right now.

Final Words

Most people do not like change, but it’s necessary. The reason why is it helps us develop and grow our individuals.

My best tip is to embrace it if the outcome is going to bring a better one.

If you can improve your situation on a personal level, that’s always going to be the best outcome whenever possible. 

So start embracing it now, so that way change won’t be so difficult to adjust to later on.

Your turn: Do you resist changing for the better?

I would like to get your thoughts on this topic. Have you found the change to be difficult to go through?

How difficult was it to transition during that period in your life? 

Was there ever a time when change came easy? How can you adjust to the change when the world is always changing? 

Will you sit back and just wait for things to happen, or will you move forward and take action?

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below. I look forward to reading your responses and I’ll gladly respond promptly.

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Eric is the owner and chief editor of notimekillers.com. 

He takes great pride in helping people manage their time and grow their businesses. 

Eric is a firm believer in financial and time freedom, as he believes in financial independence and taking ownership of your time. 

“Time is your most important asset. It can be your best friend or worst enemy. How you use your time can shape the future you desire to have.” 

In his leisure time, Eric loves to write and read whenever possible. He enjoys going for long walks outdoors while doing in-home workout videos every week. 

You can also connect with Eric via LinkedIn.

Self Photo 2019: Here's a picture at a building in downtown Chicago.

2 thoughts on “Why Do People Hate Change? 3 Reasons Change is Difficult”

  1. Very well written and to the point Eric. You hit the nail on the head when you say people are fearful of change. 

    Like you mentioned, often times that change will result in much better results in their lives. It can be daunting facing a new job or new environment such as a major move, but looking at those changes as a chance for growth will help people overcome their fears. 

    I believe also that society in a whole is conditioned or programmed to accept their place. This has obvious advantages to big corporations and/or governments, and also in social environments like friends or family.

    It is true that the human race is moving forward at an unprecedented pace, and that many advances are making our lives easier. 

    But in my opinion some of those advances are actually contributing to lack of willingness to change. 

    Keep up with the great content, it is people with positive attitudes like yours that will, in my opinion, have greatest positive effect during this era of development for humankind.

    James.

    Reply
    • Hello James,

      Thank you for your wonderful remarks. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate them.

      All the best to you, and the world with everlasting positive change!

      Reply

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