Demand to control life useless
Commentary by Samuel Rose

As we begin a new year and a new semester, we often make so-called “resolutions” that more than often serve to resolve nothing. In fact, these resolutions only create more problems as we find ourselves caught up in a frustration-filled battle to gain control over our lives.

Why are we so preoccupied with control? We can reference the events of Sept. 11 as a tragic reminder that real and true control over all aspects of our lives is something that is impossible. In many ways, it is futile to even attempt to achieve such a complete command of the varied facets of our lives.

Many see control as a means to achieving the end product of happiness. But there is much more to happiness than a sense of power over predictability. This approach to happiness can often lead one to forget about the interests of others around you. Even more importantly, those we love get caught up in our selfish cycle of manipulation as well. In this way, this search for power only hurts us in the long run.

If you are struggling with control issues you may want to consider the following. Maybe the only thing that we do control is our reactions to the uncontrollable situations we find ourselves in on a daily basis.

In a world where our lives are continuously becoming interdependent with the lives of others around us, compromise needs to be given greater consideration over control.
You won’t necessarily be the “loser” if you don’t have your way all the time. In fact, understanding the illusion of control will help you gain a more realistic perspective on life and ultimately get you on the right track for having a more successful school year.

Samuel Rose is a social work major from the West Indies Cayman Islands. He can be contacted at (s.j.rose@student.tcu.edu).

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