All of us would probably agree that innovations are good, as they have improved our standard of living…transitioning from buggies to cars, from kerosene to light bulbs, and from typewriters to computers. However, with each one of these innovations, many jobs were eliminated. Yet, new jobs were created.
That being said, change resistance is often part of the innovation transition. For example, in the 1920’s, academics argued that the car would turn American youth into depraved, rootless criminals. Another time, the composer John Philip Sousa warned that the phonograph would lead to a marked deterioration in American music. When the telephone, radio, and television debuted, they were all denounced as dangerously corrupting influences.
How do you overcome change resistance for innovations that benefit society overall?
