Expert Psychologist Nazım Serin wrote: New Year's wishes and false hope syndrome... Serin said, "In addition to our wishes for the world to be a better place in the new year, we also want to renew ourselves. For example, we want to quit smoking, lose weight, "We decide to change some of our negative habits, etc.," he says.
Every New Year is a period when people's endless desires and hopes for change reach their highest level. Especially the year 2020 has been an unforgettable year full of earthquakes, fires, human losses and financial losses in our country, especially the Covid - 19 pandemic and the difficulties it brought. That's why we are waiting for the arrival of the new year more impatiently than in previous years. After all, a new year means new hopes.
In addition to our wishes for the world to be a better place in the new year, we also want to renew ourselves. For example, we can quit smoking, lose weight, change some of our negative habits, etc. we'll decide. The results we dream of achieving with the change we desire motivate us.
Being attracted to change actually puts us at the risk of disappointment that we are not aware of. Namely; The decision we make to improve ourselves increases our perception of "self-control", that is, the "perception that we are in control". If we make change decisions simply because we are attracted to change, even though we are not capable of implementing it in terms of our psychological structure or abilities, we will have a false sense of self-confidence. This false self-confidence confronts us with a situation called "false-hope syndrome". Unfortunately, the result of false hope syndrome that arises due to unrealistic expectations is a sad disappointment regarding the issues we hope to change.
Many so-called “self-help” books exploit people in ways that lead them to false hope syndrome. These books promise people change quickly and effortlessly. Research also shows that; People tend to overestimate the possibility of their own changes resulting in the desired direction, but to disbelieve the possibility of other people changing on the same issues. Search Another finding of research is that people who try to change are more likely to remember the successes they achieved in their past change attempts than the unsuccessful attempts they made. Under the influence of these factors, trying again for change begins to seem very attractive. But the optimism that accompanies the beginning of a change initiative begins to dissipate as the challenges of change begin to be experienced.
So, what should be done? Is it wrong to be optimistic and hopeful? Is trying to change a futile effort? Of course not! Still, there are things we need to pay attention to in order not to fall into false hope syndrome:
We should not forget our previous failures, learn from them and not expect results in a very short time.
We should not forget our previous failures. We should not deceive and try to develop different perspectives for change instead of using the same methods over and over again.
We should avoid setting high hopes for goals that are difficult to achieve and unrealistic.
Everyone can change and improve, but the first thing we need to change is our perspective on change.
Don't be afraid to hope, but be afraid of making the same mistakes.
Maybe we cannot change others to make our wishes for a better world come true in the new year, but we can make changes based on realistic expectations about ourselves and contribute to the creation of the world we miss. I wish you all a year in which your efforts and hopes for change come true, one by one, in the light of what you have learned from your experiences. Happy New Year!
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