The Illusion of Control: Life as Global Workers

“Control” is not a word that I would use to describe the life of a Global Worker. From the moment we step onto the plane, new Global Workers are startled to discover that our sense of control has been completely taken away from us. The illusion of control that we bring from our passport countries quickly vanishes the moment we set off on our journey as a new Global Worker.

The Illusion of Control

I was reading Geography of Thought by Richard Nisbett and I came across a very interesting sociological paper that got me thinking about our lives as Global Workers. The paper, “The Illusion of Control”, was written by Ellen Langer in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1975 and was used by Nisbett in his book to illustrate a point: people in the West need to feel as though they are in control. However, any control that people in the West feel is only an illusion.

People in the West need to feel as though they are in control.

Langer defines the illusion of control as “an expectancy of a personal success probability inappropriately higher than the objective probability would warrant.” One study she conducted for her research is very relevant to our discussion here.

Individuals from an office in New York City sold lottery cards to their fellow employees for $1 a piece. The grand prize was $50. Some individuals were simply given a card at random, while others were allowed to choose their own lottery ticket. A few days later the same individual approached their coworkers to see if they could buy back their coworkers’ tickets. They were told more people were wanting to purchase them.

Those that were given a card at random sold their cards, on average, for $1.96. Those that had chosen their card earlier wanted $8.67 on average. Some went as high as $53! More than the grand prize!

Langer pointed to the illusion of control to be the motivating factor that was contributing to the coworkers outrageous price demands.

Humans, especially those from the West, think that our choices have more control over our life than they actually do. That control, however, is only an illusion.

But what do we do when we have even lost the illusion of control?

Loosing Control on the Field

When we first landed in our host culture last year we completely lost the illusion of control.

• We didn’t know any language.
• We couldn’t drive.
• We didn’t know where anything was.
• We couldn’t pick up on cultural cues.
• If something broke, we didn’t know how or who to call to fix it.
• When there was a medical emergency, we didn’t know what to do.

We all come to the field, desiring to reach the “One More”, but we find ourselves floating along, being carried by the waves of our new host culture, with no way to steer ourselves to where we want to go. Suddenly, we start doubting ourselves and our calling. We begin to form unhealthy (and unjustified) opinions about the culture that has caught us in its current.

Later on we gain some language, figure out transportation, and start to regain some control. Yet, the reality is that the life of Global Workers are always mixed with the feeling that you have no control.

• Visas.
• Kid’s schooling.
• Parent’s health.
• Unannounced visits.

The list goes on and on.

As hard as we may try, we never gain that since of control that we feel when we are in our passport country.

The Solution: Recognize it was ALWAYS an Illusion

Our brothers and sisters in the East understand that “control” is an illusion. Choosing the lottery ticket really had no affect on the outcome. You’ve never controlled anything.

You’ve never controlled anything.

While I am not proposing that we take a fatalistic point of view of the world as some in the East, I do think recognizing the illusory nature of control helps us adapt to our host cultures while also shifting us closer to a biblical worldview.

A Biblical Perspective

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” ¹⁴ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 

James 4:13-15, Christian Standard Bible

James seems to have a different worldview than many of us in the West. He knows that he is not in control. James can plan. He can strategize. He can gain all of the necessary competencies for his ministry and never actually be in control. And the same is true for us. We are not in control.

It seems to me that James is echoing another biblical author. Ecclesiastes constantly reminds us that everything in our life is VANITY (Ecc 1:2), which in Hebrew could also be translated as smoke, breath, or vapor. In other words, life is that sort of thing that once you think you’ve got it all figured out you reach out to grab it and realize it’s just smoke. You never had it figured out.

What does the Preacher in Ecclesiastes say is the answer?

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity. For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, CSB

Recognize that we are not in control, we never have been, and we never will be. Then, we focus on the one who ultimately is. The ultimate judge, causer, mover, and sovereign King.

We can’t control our visas, our unexpected appointments, or any of the myriad of inconveniences we experience as Global Workers. We aren’t meant to be in control. In fact, it is much better that we are not. Our job is not to control our lives, rather it is to daily submit our lives to HIS control, serve him, be faithful in our preparation, and trust that God is always in control.

We aren’t meant to be in control. In fact, it is much better that we are not. Our job is not to control our lives, rather it is to daily submit our lives to HIS control, serve him, be faithful in our preparation, and trust that God is always in control.

I pray that whatever stage you and I are in, we would embrace our lack of control and cling more firmly to the only one who is…Jesus our King.