There are many schools of thought that attempt to explain personality - trait, humanistic, Freudian, Jungian, etc. - which do you think does the best job and why?
[Note: No one school of thought is perfect, that's why the others exist. The question is which do you think is the best and why].
Personally, I saw a lot of truth in the Jungian theory and the Humanistic theory more than I did in the other theories presented. I'll share with you the points that especially made the most sense to me:
The Jungian Theory suggested that we have a human tendency - be it a conscious or subconscious one - that we have an archetype we look up to, which stands as a model against which an individual’s own behavior, thinking, and beliefs can be compared. The content of the archetypes may vary, but the human capacity to create and relate to them is universal. Archetypes are prototypes, models, or examples of experiences, ideas, and common personalities, such as hero, mother, father, wise old man, trickster, etc. Jung also believed that many archetypes reflect common experiences of fear, dreams, and wonder about elements of the natural environment, such as the moon, stars, and sun. Jung's ideas eventually became widely accepted, especially in the United States; his influence over the understanding of personality is felt in popular personality assessment in self-help books, fantasy literature, and films with characters that serve symbolic purposes.
Jung developed a personality typology that distinguishes people as introverts - who were focused on their inner selves, or extroverts - who were more interested in interaction with others. Dr. C. George Boeree brought out a point on this that I really liked and wanted to share:
"The words have become confused with ideas like shyness and sociability, partially because introverts tend to be shy and extroverts tend to be sociable. But Jung intended for them to refer more to whether you ("ego") more often faced toward the persona and outer reality, or toward the collective unconscious and its archetypes. In that sense, the introvert is somewhat more mature than the extrovert. Our culture, of course, values the extrovert much more. And Jung warned that we all tend to value our own type most!"
Jung further added that every person has some degree of each of these characteristics, but certain ones prevail and dominate the individual’s personality.
The Humanistic Theory as the name suggests, focuses on the “inherent value and dignity of human beings”, and gives individuals the power to define their own destinies and emphasizes free will and people’s capacity to control their own lives. Maslow suggested that "peak experiences", [i.e., frequently enjoyed moments that take us outside or beyond our usual selves and beyond day-to-day existence] give us a glimpse of the eternal, the infinite, and the sublime, and this transcendence allows a self-actualizer to return with renewed energy and insight to his or her life. This theory also focuses on "subjective experience", or emphasis on the client’s perspective — the psychological and environmental place from which the client had emerged.
In doing research on the Humanistic Theory, I liked this point made by the Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.:
"Humanists believe that, unlike other species, humans are unique in being motivated by such needs as approval, recognition, achievement, and being the best that they can be. While birds and crickets make music, as far as we know, they don't care what the other birds and crickets think about their music, nor do they practice a great deal to make sure that theirs is better than the cricket on the next block!"
Because the theory places so much emphasis on YOU being able to control your personality - more than the environmental stimuli and reinforcers around you - issues dealing with self-esteem, self-fulfillment, and needs are paramount.
Essay Assignment:
What did you learn about yourself from reading the other theories of personality? (List and explain at least three things.) How will you use this material to improve your relationships (personal and/or professional)?
To be honest, the Trait Theory, Freud's Theory, Karen Horney's Theory -- basically, all of the theories with exception of the Jung Theory and the Humanistic Theory, I don't feel that I learned all that much about myself. The theories were very interesting to read about, but they didn't really provide me with any kind of insight into myself. However, hopefully, I can share with you three points that I did find interesting, nonetheless.• When reading about the Trait Theory & Neo-Freudians, I learnt about Adler’s Inferiority Complex, in which he states that a sense of inferiority, originating in the relative helplessness of childhood, was what pushed some individuals to seek power and dominance over others. Adler believed that this could be overcome by learning to relate more positively with others, using charm, compassion, and humor as a way to have better exchanges. I suppose I can understand that; most people become dominating out of an insecurity, or a fear of being weak. I've often heard children say that they "can't wait until they bare grown up, and then they can tell people what to do." It's a childish trait, so it makes sense that this desire would stem from childhood.
• Again, when reading about the Trait Theory & Neo-Freudians, there was a proponent of the view that birth order affects personality, a belief that recently regained popular attention. It was theorized that the eldest and the youngest child had the biggest personality problems due to birth order - the eldest may be power-hungry or may have difficulty sharing, and the youngest may be full of empty dreams or be spoiled [according to Adler, middle children had it easiest because they were not pampered and they developed healthy competitiveness with their siblings]. This is difficult for me to identify with at all because, while I did have an older sibling -- being a twin, I wasn't exactly spoiled [everything we had, we shared], and I never felt empty, even when it came to dreaming. My twin sister in a sense, dreamed with me; we encourage each other to pursue our passions, so we never feel misunderstood, or hopeless. I hope I'm making sense; it's a little difficult for me to put into words. The point I'm trying to make is, I know that I didn't quite have the same childhood that most 'youngest siblings' - or even middle siblings, I suppose - have.
• Karen Horney attributed neurotic disorders to childhood influences, but believed that people can change and improve by discovering and getting closer to their true selves. For the most part, setting aside the fact that many people suffer from severe mental illnesses in which they need the professional help of a doctor, I believe as well that people really do have more power than they might believe to transcend their problems through self-analysis.
These theories, even though I don't agree with them all, are very interesting to me nonetheless, and I welcome any knowledge available to me that will enable me to better understand myself and the people around me. The more that I know about why I am the way that I am and what motivates others to do the things that they do, the more able I am to work on myself and the more I can appreciate the unique differences in other people.
No comments:
Post a Comment