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CHANGE THAT MATTERS
Kathlyn Q. Barrozo
Class of 1991, University of Santo Tomas
B.S. Medical Technology
Many people clamor for change, so much so, that they decide to take their demands for change out onto the
streets. Even individuals themselves feel strongly about change that they feel change has to happen right here,
right now. If truth be told, despite the fact that there always seems to be someone somewhere seeking to
institute some changes, how can we know whether change is necessary? When is it an inevitable part of life?
In order to truly say that change is necessary, we must first be able to point out the nature of the matter that
needs to be changed.
First, is the thing inherently bad? Has it had any unwelcome/undesirable effects in and of itself? Would the
change be a welcome alternative to the initial or original nature of that thing? If the answer to all these
questions is in the affirmative, then we should by all means institute a change. A case in point: if a certain
policy has been found to be defective rather than effective in more ways than one, then a proposal must be
made to make changes in such a policy. No self-respecting leader of an institution would wish to be caught in a
vacuum of stagnancy and utter mishandling.
Second, has the matter been found to be deficient or lacking in many respects? Is the deficiency only to be
addressed by a total or complete overhaul? Then by all means, institute a change. This commonly shows how
plain remedial measures will not totally eradicate a problem, so it would be a much better approach if the
problem is broken down to find what is missing. When the missing component is found, ask yourself: if this
component is replaced, would it in any way affect the efficiency factor of all the other components? If simple
remedial measures would just do more harm than good, then thoughts should lean more toward total change.
Third, has the thing or point to be changed been rendered inutile? Useless to such a point that makes it
absolutely unusable? If so, the best and only alternative left open is to replace the whole thing entirely. You
wouldn’t bring a car that’s been totally wrecked to the auto shop for repairs, would you? You’d only be wasting
valuable time and money, resources which you could rather put to better use. Crying over spilt milk is a sign of
immaturity. The best thing to do is recoup your losses and start all over again on a clean slate.
Lastly, is the principle/thing/matter an old and antiquated one? How would it perform before all others that
are much newer and more modern? This is probably the principle behind the oh-so-frequent changes in all
things multimedia. Remember that whatever you have now might not amount to anything at all two or three
years down the road.
In conclusion, before instituting any sort of change, try to look at that which needs changing. Perhaps change is
either long overdue or as yet unnecessary.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What are your thoughts about change in general?
2. Can you easily tell when something needs to be changed or not?
3. How do you decide when to do changes?
4. What, in you opinion, need to be changed in your life right now?
5. How would you change the world in your own way?