# Becoming One with Groundhog Day By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-02-03 February 2nd is Groundhog Day in the United States. It's a fairly insignificant day when officials from a small town in Pennsylvania report whether the resident groundhog sees his shadow after leaving his burrow. If he did, supposedly, there would be six more weeks of winter. If he didn't, spring will come early. If one ever watches the coverage of this event, it is essentially an excuse to have some fun. As far as I can tell, the groundhog is unaware of his role in this, and indeed, the accuracy of the forecast is questionable at best. There is much to learn about humanity from this recurring event. First, people have an innate desire to be social in some capacity. Second, the reason to get together matters very little. One can make up a decidedly odd tradition as a reasonable enough excuse. Third, a portion of the group will appreciate it for simply what it is, a reason to be social, but another portion will attach their identity to the event. These people will develop extensive and transcending narratives that will begin to define their existence. In the chaos of life, these events or norms give these individuals some sense of order and certainty. It starts with "We do this every year" and often ends with "I've been praying that the groundhog doesn't see his shadow because I can't handle six more weeks of winter." If these individuals miss the celebration, most will be depressed and unhappy beyond measure. These behaviors will be clearly seen wherever a norm exists within a social construct. Some acknowledge a social event for what it is; others hold onto it tight and become "true believers." When one thinks about change within an organization, one should expect some to respond with indifference and others to respond as if it were an existential crisis. That's because it is an existential crisis for them. They've tied their identity to the status quo; they are the status quo. The change will cause them lose what makes them who they are - even if the change is to a random event that no one can remember why it even exists. Imagine the outcry if one canceled Groundhog Day. Now, recall other relatively trivial event changes that caused the same reaction in one's organization. If change is deemed necessary, there are many ways to deal with this, but few offer a sensible path to redefining who one is. #### Related Items [[Society]] [[Norms]] [[Organization]] [[Existential]] [[Purpose]] [[Meaning]] [[Celebration]] [[Identity]]