Introduction In the intricate dance of human existence, two powerful psychological currents shape our experience: the force of sameness and the force for change. Gestalt therapy, with its deep-rooted humanistic and phenomenological foundation, offers a profound lens through which to explore these forces. This article delves into the historical development of these concepts within Gestalt therapy, how they influence our daily lives in families, workplaces, and communities, and what tools we have to recognize and work with them. With insights from psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and philosophy, we examine how the tension between these forces informs our growth, our suffering, and our potential for transformation.

1. Historical Context: The Emergence of Gestalt Therapy and the Duality of Forces Gestalt therapy originated in the 1940s and 1950s, spearheaded by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, and Paul Goodman. Rooted in existential philosophy, phenomenology, and Gestalt psychology, the approach emphasized awareness, the here-and-now, and the organismic self-regulation of the individual. From the beginning, Gestalt therapy emphasized process over content, and change as an emergent phenomenon—not something imposed.

Central to the Gestalt approach is the paradoxical theory of change (Beisser, 1970), which proposes that genuine transformation occurs not by attempting to change, but by fully becoming who and what one is. Herein lies the implicit recognition of the force of sameness—the habits, identifications, roles, and relational dynamics we unconsciously perpetuate—and the force for change—the emergent awareness that can disturb, disrupt, and reconfigure our patterns.

Fritz Perls, one of the founders of Gestalt therapy, often emphasized the need to confront habitual patterns and bring unconscious behaviors into awareness. In his seminal book Gestalt Therapy Verbatim (1969), Perls explores how resistance to change is often rooted in internalized beliefs and unexamined social roles. He highlighted the importance of present-centered awareness and direct experience as tools for transcending the inertia of sameness. For Perls, “awareness in and of itself is curative,” meaning that the act of seeing clearly into our habitual reactions opens the doorway to transformation.

2. Defining the Forces: Sameness and Change in Psychological Terms The force of sameness refers to the human tendency toward homeostasis, comfort, repetition, and the familiar. It serves the vital function of creating a coherent sense of self, maintaining stability, and reducing anxiety. Sameness is deeply connected to the nervous system’s preference for predictability (Siegel, 2012) and the social brain’s affinity for established roles and routines.

Conversely, the force for change represents our capacity for novelty, growth, differentiation, and adaptation. It aligns with neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself—and the evolutionary drive toward complexity and integration (Kegan, 1982).

In Gestalt therapy, this duality is not pathologized but understood as essential. The therapist does not push for change, but rather invites deeper awareness of what is. From this awareness, transformation may spontaneously arise.

3. Polarities: Sameness and Change as a Dynamic Tension Gestalt therapy often works with polarities—opposing tendencies within the self or between the self and others. Sameness and change can be viewed as such a polarity: two forces that pull in opposite directions, yet exist in dynamic relationship.

Fritz Perls emphasized integrating polarities as a pathway to wholeness. In Gestalt terms, each polarity exists in the “field” of experience and contains a part of the truth. Sameness is not “bad” and change is not inherently “good.” They each serve a role in our development and self-regulation. The task in therapy is to become aware of both poles, explore the tension, and create the conditions where integration or healthy movement becomes possible.

This process is evident in how clients work through internal conflicts: the desire to leave a job versus the comfort of security, the need to speak truth versus the fear of rejection, the pull toward solitude versus the yearning for connection. Bringing both sides into awareness—sometimes even dialoguing between them—creates the alchemical ground for new action.

4. Manifestations in Daily Life: Family, Business, and Society The forces of sameness and change can be observed vividly in our daily lives. These dynamics are often invisible until we pause to reflect on the repeating patterns that shape our identity, relationships, and decisions.

In Family Systems:

• Inherited Roles: Individuals often adopt roles unconsciously (e.g., the peacemaker, the overachiever, the scapegoat). These roles are maintained by the force of sameness, providing stability but sometimes hindering individual differentiation.
• Resistance to Change: When one family member starts therapy, initiates a new lifestyle, or questions traditional values, others may react defensively. This reflects homeostasis—the system’s attempt to return to its “norm.”
• Transgenerational Patterns: Trauma, beliefs, or unspoken rules are passed down and repeated. The force of change can be introduced through conscious processing, narrative reframing, and intentional boundary-setting.

In Intimate Relationships:

• Routine vs. Novelty: Couples often struggle between the comfort of routine and the desire for new experiences. Sameness might bring predictability but also stagnation, while change introduces risk and potential renewal.
• Conflict as Catalyst: Repeating arguments often mask underlying polarity dynamics (e.g., one partner values autonomy, the other craves closeness). Gestalt therapy helps bring these polarities into dialogue.

In the Workplace:

• Organizational Culture: Companies with long histories often resist change, even in the face of new market demands. The “we’ve always done it this way” mentality is a manifestation of sameness.
• Leadership Transitions: New leaders bringing innovation can face resistance. Change agents need awareness of systemic dynamics and how to engage stakeholders who feel threatened.
• Personal Career Growth: Many professionals experience a tension between pursuing security (staying in a known role) and taking risks (pivoting to a new path). Recognizing internalized fears and exploring unmet aspirations is key to navigating this tension.

In Societal Structures:

• Cultural Norms and Identity: Societal norms shape individual behavior, reinforcing sameness in dress, speech, and values. Those who deviate (artists, activists, reformers) often face pushback.
• Social Movements: Change at a collective level—civil rights, gender equality, climate justice—arises when individuals challenge entrenched norms. These movements embody the force for change but also confront resistance rooted in systemic comfort with the status quo.

5. Recognizing Our Patterns: How Awareness Emerges In Gestalt therapy, awareness is the cornerstone of change. Clients are invited to notice bodily sensations, thoughts, emotions, and relational dynamics without judgment. Through dialogue, experiment, and phenomenological inquiry, unconscious patterns emerge into the foreground.

Tools like the empty chair technique, guided imagery, and role-playing can help externalize internal conflicts between sameness and change. Clients might say, “A part of me wants to quit my job, but another part is afraid.” These inner dialogues are brought to life and explored.

Mindfulness practices, journaling, and reflective dialogue with others also support awareness. Neuroscientific research shows that naming emotions and patterns can reduce limbic reactivity and increase prefrontal engagement (Lieberman et al., 2007).

6. Supporting Ourselves: Navigating Between Forces To support ourselves in navigating these forces, several strategies are key:

• Self-compassion (Neff, 2011): Recognizing that clinging to sameness is often a protective response.
• Embodied presence: Somatic practices such as breathwork, yoga, or Feldenkrais can help us feel grounded while exploring change.
• Creative experimentation: Small, intentional disruptions of routine (new routes to work, new conversations) build flexibility.
• Community and dialogue: Safe relational fields, such as therapy, coaching, or peer groups, offer mirrors and support.

7. Seeking Support: The Role of the Therapist and Community Gestalt therapists serve as co-explorers, not fixers. They help clients become aware of how they co-create their realities and how they interrupt or support their own growth. Therapy offers a relational microcosm where the forces of sameness and change play out dynamically.

Group therapy, retreats, and experiential workshops provide fertile ground for witnessing and being witnessed in one’s process. Support groups for life transitions, creativity blocks, or leadership challenges often echo these themes.

8. Broader Perspectives: Cross-Disciplinary Views

• Neuroscience: As mentioned, neuroplasticity (Doidge, 2007) and the interplay of the default mode network vs. executive function systems provide biological insight into sameness and change.
• Philosophy: Heraclitus wrote, “No man ever steps in the same river twice,” highlighting the ever-present tension between permanence and impermanence.
• Sociology: Berger and Luckmann’s “The Social Construction of Reality” (1966) shows how institutions reinforce sameness.
• Spiritual traditions: Buddhist teachings emphasize mindfulness as a path to liberation from conditioned patterns, while Sufi mysticism explores the tension between the ego-self and the higher self.

9. Research and Literature

• Beisser, A. (1970). The Paradoxical Theory of Change. Gestalt Journal.
• Siegel, D. (2012). The Developing Mind. Guilford Press.
• Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. Viking.
• Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion. William Morrow.
• Kegan, R. (1982). The Evolving Self. Harvard University Press.
• Perls, F. (1969). Gestalt Therapy Verbatim. Real People Press.
• Perls, F., Hefferline, R., & Goodman, P. (1951). Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality.

Conclusion: The Art of Conscious Becoming The interplay between the force of sameness and the force for change is not a problem to solve but a rhythm to inhabit. Gestalt therapy invites us to become conscious participants in this rhythm, dancing between the comfort of the known and the invitation of the unknown. Through awareness, support, and experimentation, we can live more fully—not by escaping our patterns, but by meeting them with curiosity, courage, and care.