The Role Of Change In Who Moved My Cheese

What is the definition of change? It can be defined as making something different in some particular. In the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, what may seem superficially as a childish fable is actually a light-hearted parable that highlights the major theme of change. Through the characterization of four characters, Hem, Haw, Sniff, and Scurry, the theme is highlighted. The story describes cheese and how all of the characters need it to survive, but only the mice, Sniff and Scurry, are willing to change when the cheese ran out at Cheese Station C. The humans, Hem and Haw, thought they were entitled to cheese even when it ran out and were resistant to change. Haw decided to change and ventured off and found more cheese and brought it back to Hem. Hem refused to eat it because he is used to eating cheese at a Cheese Station C where he is comfortable. In the end, Haw decided to keep exploring and find more cheese, leaving Hem behind thinking he will find his own way.

Johnson is clearly trying to show the importance of change in this novel. He is stating never to be comfortable in your daily pattern. One example is going to the same grocery store every time for your essential food items. By doing this, you will never know what’s in other grocery stores, and there is a potential opportunity cost because you might be missing out or paying extra for something the other store has. Doing this you will fall into the trap of laziness of your old habits.

Change is especially inevitable in management. In the catering company I work for, there is at least one mishap that happens during parties. These are stressful times because there is a wedding taking place and it is up to management to try and deal with the issue. One time, a load of wine glasses broke in the kitchen. There was broken glass, wine, and chaos all around the kitchen. But it is up to the managers to anticipate unfortunate mishaps like these and find a solution. Within 10 minutes, the kitchen was cleaned, and no trace of the mess can be seen. If the waiters and managers decided that this mishap wasn’t their problem and that they should continue their work, the whole wedding would’ve been a disaster. Since everyone reacted to the change in a positive way, the end result was a successful wedding.

Future research can be to find more effective ways to explain to people the importance of change and why change is a good thing. At this current time, change is usually associated with negative things. When I moved school districts in 2015, I thought the change was one of the worst things that can happen to me. It only took a couple of years for me to understand that the change I encountered ended up having a positive impact on me. I thought that I couldn’t make any friends because everyone already had their own friend groups, but by taking the initiative to improve my circumstances and overcome the change, I was able to make friends. Similarly, more research needs to be done to bring awareness to change, possibly through TED talks or other outlets like social media. 

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