Quotes: The fear of change (Thomas Merton)

"The fear of change is the fear of disruption, disintegration of one's own inner unity and the unity of one's accustomed world. A personal crisis occurs when one becomes aware of apparently irreconcilable opposites in oneself. If the tension between them becomes strong enough, one can no longer 'keep himself together'. His personal unity is fractured. Then the half of oneself that is still acceptable becomes 'right', and the  rest of the world becomes wrong. If the conflict becomes intense, then the outer world, other people, other societies are regarded as heretical, malicious, subversive, demonic, etc.
"But a personal crisis can be creative and salutary if one can accept the conflict and restore unity on a higher level, incorporating the opposed elements in a higher unity. One thus becomes a more complete, a more developed person, capable of wider understanding, empathy, and love for others, etc." -- Thomas Merton