Week 6 Post

               After reflecting on this week’s reading, I found Bloch’s (2005) article to be a culmination of the past several assigned readings as it focuses on coincidence, spirituality, and subjective experiences. Unlike last week’s article about synchronicity, I thought the concepts described in “Complexity, Chaos, and Nonlinear Dynamics” were much easier to understand and apply. According to Bloch (2005), complex adaptive entities adapt to their environment and internal state to maintain life. In addition, these complex adaptive identities are described in terms of 11 distinct yet interrelated characteristics. Of the characteristics presented within the article, I found the various limiting attractors to be the most relatable. Entities shaped by pendulum attractors swing back and forth between two states (Bloch, 2005). In my personal experience, I felt as though I was influenced by a pendulum attractor since I’ve been attending graduate school. When I first came to Millersville, I entered as a clinical psychology student; however, during my second year of the program, I dropped all of my clinical classes and enrolled in school psychology classes as though I was being pulled in different direction. I ultimately decided to “swing back” to my original decision to pursue clinical psychology although I often still feel a very distinct pull in the opposite direction.  In my opinion, this has been limiting as far as not being able to completely commit to either state which ultimately has restricted my growth and movement.

                Bloch (2005) also described a characteristic known as sensitive dependence. According to this concept, small changes are said to bring about large effects (Bloch, 2005). Although I was having difficulty coming up with a personal or career related experience, I kept thinking of a rather literal example of this concept. For instance, when an individual makes a conscious effort to eliminate sugar or fast food from his or her diet, this decision may in fact seem minute; however, significant and considerable effects often occur as a result such as weight loss, increased energy and metabolism, and an overall healthier lifestyle. I also really enjoyed the concept of fitness peaks. It seems reasonable that people are in a constant state of searching for the best they can be during a transition in their life. In order to grow and adapt, individuals must take an active role in the exploration of their life and career decisions.   

Bloch, D. P. (2005). Complexity, chaos, and nonlinear dynamics: A new perspective on career development theory. The Career Development Quarterly, 53, 194-207.