The Nature of Peoples Behavior - Case Study Example

It starts to develop when individuals do not get what they expect and/or are used to (p.3). Childhood experiences have a deep impact on individuals’ behavior and expectations.  When individuals do not get what they believe is their right, it affects them negatively. To understand people for the way they behave, this article explains that most of the time behavior is defined by the individual’s experiences of their childhood. The learning obtained from this aspect is that it is not required for one to feel offended or betrayed because of somebody’s behavior that was not as expected; instead, it would be better to understand why that person behaved the way he/she did. It is more often due to some problems or challenges the other person might be facing, which he/she is unable to express. These problems are referred to as “holes” in personality by Clawson (p.3).

Clawson further adds that it is important to move on instead of clinging to the issues that left us dissatisfied. When we decide to move on, we free our minds of negative thoughts and feelings, which is important for our well-being. Clawson talks about memes, which can have a significant impact on our beliefs. Memes are mental building blocks that determine our behavior as they shape our beliefs; however, these memes are temporary. So, it is important to identify memes and not allow these memes to affect relationships because of their impact on persons’ behavior.

Very important learning, in general, is that our actions or reactions to the happenings around us are pure because of our choice and are not because of any external influence (p.9). So, if we choose to be happy we can, and if we choose to be negatively affected by the circumstances, we can. So, all negative feelings are because of our own choice, which can be controlled through a thoughtful approach to the difficult times of life. Our set of Values, Assumptions, Beliefs and Expectations (VABE) determine our view of the world and circumstances rather than the reality of the circumstances. These VABEs vary with every individual, culture, country, and religion. These VABEs determine the behavior of individuals (Clawson, p.14).

In a family, it is important to learn that what we learn and experience as children, up to the age of 10, determines our values in later life even if the situations completely change.  So, it becomes important to what the parents, guardians, teachers, etc instill in children through behavior and observation that would eventually determine their life values.  Moreover, it is important to keep in mind that our behavior is influenced by our actions, thoughts, feelings, and physiology (p.10). Memes are also important because these memes will have a significant impact on children’s beliefs and behavior. Family is the first source of memes in an individual’s life and determines the lifestyle (Renshaw, p.11).

Clawson’s article provides numerous points of learning for leaders. Firstly, leaders have the responsibility of influencing and motivating followers towards accomplishing a desired task (Pierce, p.257). In these contexts, for leaders, Clawson (p.5) justifies that it would be ideally impossible to effectively lead with expectations of being able to completely influence their followers. This is because all individuals’ physiologies, psychologies, and mentalities have genetic influence, which cannot be completely changed or influenced. The carrot-and-stick way of motivating does not always work. Leaders have to be mindful of followers’ value systems, which can help in effective motivation. Clawson explains that followers will strive to accomplish a task depending upon the value they place on the outcomes of the task. For instance, if compensation or money is important for an individual, he/she would be motivated to complete a task that will fetch him/her the desired money; instead, if recognition and appreciation are important, then he/she will struggle to attain the same from the leader or the group. This concept of motivation has been explained as the Expectancy Theory by Vroom (Lunenburg, p.1). Moreover, memes play an important role in shaping values and beliefs. It would be greatly helpful if leaders can identify and remember the memes of their followers, which could be practically impossible in case of large numbers of followers; however, the culture, religion, and nationality can provide some clue about the followers’ values and beliefs.

To conclude, Clawson highlights some very important points that can be of much significance in understanding, establishing, and maintaining healthy relationships in work and personal lives. Individuals’ behavior is largely shaped by their past experiences, and individuals possess the choice of how they feel or react to external circumstances.  Understanding memes can be helpful to understand individuals’ behaviors. Leaders have to know that individuals are motivated by the outcomes that they value rather than the rewards of the outcomes.

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