Emotional Intelligence FREEDOM AND DETERMINISM
We begin our exploration of humanistic and existential views of personality
and abnormality by examining their common view of determinism and
freedom. We then turn to a core of concepts that mark the humanistic emphasis:
the notion of self, the significance ofpersonal experience, and the organization
of significant needs. We then examine some ofthe core notions
of existentialists: fear of death, personal responsibility, and will.
FREEDOM AND DETERMINISM
Are people free to make what they will oftheir lives, or are their lives wholly
determined? Those who model psychology on natural sciences such as physics
argue that much as natural phenomena are all caused and determined, so
are human behaviors. To a certain extent, Sigmund Freud held that view, as
does B. F. Skinner. Others, such as the twentieth century philosopher Jean
Paul Sartre (1905-1980) argue the opposite view-that what characterizes
people most is their freedom to be, to become, and to make choices. People
are what they choose to make of themselves. Indeed, they are condemned to
freedom, and they suffer awful consequences when they attempt to escape it.
Humanistic and existential psychologists take a middle road in this debate.
They acknowledge that some aspects of human experience are determined-
by genetics and constitution, by age and gender, and by the very
times in which people live. But that is not the whole of it, for those determinants
lie outside of individual control. There are many situations in
which people have control, or at least believe that they have control. Human
beings can imagine, dream, engage in reflective thought, use symbols, and
create and manipulate meanings. These abilities allow people to plan and
choose among alternative courses of action, rather than simply performing
rigidly prescribed actions, or suffering the consequences of thoughtless actions.
Human experience, moreover, is characterized by reciprocal determinism
(Bandura, 1978). That is, we interpret our environment and
therefore control our responses to it. We affect the environment quite as
much as it affects us.
THE ABSENCE OF FREEDOM
When people believe that they have no freedom, personal crises may ensue.
Constraints on perceived freedom may first lead to psychological reactance
(Brehm and Brehm, 1981), the tendency to react against those constraints
rather than make free choice. But the implications of absence of freedom do
not stop there. For example, when people believe that they cannot control
their own futures, that nothing that they do will have any appreciable effect,
they may become severely depressed.
When they feel that all of their thoughts and behaviors are determined, they may
become paranoid. And when they feel that they cannot be themselves and
end up being what others want them to be, they become alienated from
themselves, often unable to tell what they themselves feel and want.
Whether one feels free to choose and control and how one uses that freedom
playa significant and central role in humanistic and existential approaches
to abnormality.
and abnormality by examining their common view of determinism and
freedom. We then turn to a core of concepts that mark the humanistic emphasis:
the notion of self, the significance ofpersonal experience, and the organization
of significant needs. We then examine some ofthe core notions
of existentialists: fear of death, personal responsibility, and will.
FREEDOM AND DETERMINISM
Are people free to make what they will oftheir lives, or are their lives wholly
determined? Those who model psychology on natural sciences such as physics
argue that much as natural phenomena are all caused and determined, so
are human behaviors. To a certain extent, Sigmund Freud held that view, as
does B. F. Skinner. Others, such as the twentieth century philosopher Jean
Paul Sartre (1905-1980) argue the opposite view-that what characterizes
people most is their freedom to be, to become, and to make choices. People
are what they choose to make of themselves. Indeed, they are condemned to
freedom, and they suffer awful consequences when they attempt to escape it.
Humanistic and existential psychologists take a middle road in this debate.
They acknowledge that some aspects of human experience are determined-
by genetics and constitution, by age and gender, and by the very
times in which people live. But that is not the whole of it, for those determinants
lie outside of individual control. There are many situations in
which people have control, or at least believe that they have control. Human
beings can imagine, dream, engage in reflective thought, use symbols, and
create and manipulate meanings. These abilities allow people to plan and
choose among alternative courses of action, rather than simply performing
rigidly prescribed actions, or suffering the consequences of thoughtless actions.
Human experience, moreover, is characterized by reciprocal determinism
(Bandura, 1978). That is, we interpret our environment and
therefore control our responses to it. We affect the environment quite as
much as it affects us.
THE ABSENCE OF FREEDOM
When people believe that they have no freedom, personal crises may ensue.
Constraints on perceived freedom may first lead to psychological reactance
(Brehm and Brehm, 1981), the tendency to react against those constraints
rather than make free choice. But the implications of absence of freedom do
not stop there. For example, when people believe that they cannot control
their own futures, that nothing that they do will have any appreciable effect,
they may become severely depressed.
When they feel that all of their thoughts and behaviors are determined, they may
become paranoid. And when they feel that they cannot be themselves and
end up being what others want them to be, they become alienated from
themselves, often unable to tell what they themselves feel and want.
Whether one feels free to choose and control and how one uses that freedom
playa significant and central role in humanistic and existential approaches
to abnormality.
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http://emotional-intelligence-training.weebly.com/
Of course you know the training method I recommend!
http://theliberatormethod.com/Welcome.html