Changing The Paradigm

A term very often used in today’s society is the word Paradigm. In this blog I will go over what a paradigm is and how do we as a society go about changing it.

A paradigm according to the Oxford dictionary is a typical example or pattern of something; a model. Normally when you read about paradigms in the news they are referring to a set of core beliefs that the society holds and are not easily changed. The old phrase, “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is very prevalent here. When someone tries to change the paradigm it’s called a “paradigm shift” which means a fundamental change in the way we think about or do something, leading to a new and different way of understanding or approaching a situation or field.

A great example of a paradigm shift in society is when the United States Civil War took place. The people had to change the way they thought about people, slavery, the economy, and government authority. The belief that probably came to your mind first was slavery. The paradigm shift with slavery was that it was no longer acceptable in the United States to own a slave. Of course, was this an easy change to swallow? Nope. People fought and died to be able to keep their slaves among other reasons. That should give you a good idea of how difficult it is to fully implement a paradigm shift into a society that already has core beliefs.

Another good example of a paradigm that many people are trying to shift in current time is the 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms. With gun violence at an all time high ever in U.S. history due to the power of new technology and accessibility to the public people have taken to protesting the right of citizens owning guns. This paradigm has been met with severe backlash from those that believe the right to bear arms is essential for the security of government from corruption and the protection of property.