#humanistic psychology

[omegaphilosophia]

Theories of Personality

Theories of personality aim to explain how and why individuals differ in their patterns of behavior, thinking, and emotions. There are several major theories that attempt to describe and categorize personality traits and development.

1. Psychoanalytic Theory (Sigmund Freud)

Core Idea: Freud’s theory of personality revolves around the interaction of the id (basic instincts), ego (rational thought), and superego (moral standards). He believed that personality develops through early childhood experiences and unconscious conflicts.

Structure of Personality: Freud proposed that the unconscious mind plays a key role in shaping behavior and personality, with unresolved internal conflicts influencing behavior.

Defense Mechanisms: Freud also suggested that individuals use defense mechanisms, such as repression or denial, to cope with anxiety and protect their self-image.

Stages of Development: The theory includes psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages), with conflicts at each stage influencing adult personality.

2. Humanistic Theory (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow)

Core Idea: Humanistic theories emphasize personal growth, free will, and self-actualization. These theories view humans as inherently good, striving to reach their full potential.

Self-Actualization: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs posits that individuals move through a series of needs, from basic physiological needs to self-actualization, where they fulfill their potential and experience personal growth.

Carl Rogers’ Person-Centered Theory: Rogers introduced the concept of the self-concept, which is how people perceive themselves. He believed that for individuals to achieve their full potential, they need an environment that provides genuineness, acceptance, and empathy.

Unconditional Positive Regard: Rogers argued that receiving unconditional love and acceptance is key to developing a healthy personality and self-esteem.

3. Trait Theory (Gordon Allport, Raymond Cattell, Hans Eysenck)

Core Idea: Trait theories suggest that personality is made up of broad, enduring traits or characteristics that determine behavior.

Gordon Allport: He identified three types of traits: cardinal traits (dominant traits that define an individual), central traits (general traits that form the basic foundation of personality), and secondary traits (more specific traits that appear in certain situations).

Raymond Cattell: Cattell used factor analysis to identify 16 personality factors, suggesting that a combination of these factors defines a person’s unique personality.

Hans Eysenck: Eysenck's model focused on three dimensions of personality: extraversion-introversion, neuroticism-stability, and psychoticism (related to aggressiveness and antisocial tendencies).

4. The Big Five (Five-Factor Model)

Core Idea: The Big Five personality traits are the most widely accepted framework for understanding personality. These traits are thought to exist along a continuum, and people fall at different points within these five dimensions:

Openness to Experience: Creative, curious, open to new ideas vs. traditional, routine-oriented.

Conscientiousness: Organized, responsible, goal-oriented vs. careless, impulsive.

Extraversion: Sociable, outgoing vs. introverted, reserved.

Agreeableness: Cooperative, compassionate vs. antagonistic, competitive.

Neuroticism: Emotionally unstable, anxious vs. emotionally stable, calm.

This model is considered to capture the basic structure of personality across different cultures and contexts.

5. Social-Cognitive Theory (Albert Bandura)

Core Idea: Personality is shaped by the interaction between personal factors (cognitive abilities, beliefs, emotions), behavior, and environment. This is known as reciprocal determinism.

Self-Efficacy: Bandura introduced the concept of self-efficacy, which is the belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations. High self-efficacy leads to more persistence and confidence in challenging tasks, while low self-efficacy can lead to avoidance of difficult situations.

Observational Learning: Bandura also emphasized the role of modeling and observational learning in personality development, arguing that people learn behaviors and emotional responses by observing others.

6. Behaviorist Theory (B.F. Skinner)

Core Idea: Behaviorists argue that personality is the result of learned behaviors, shaped by rewards and punishments in an individual's environment.

Operant Conditioning: Skinner focused on operant conditioning, where behavior is influenced by reinforcement (positive or negative) or punishment. Over time, individuals develop consistent behavioral patterns based on their experiences with rewards and consequences.

Environmental Determinism: Behaviorists view personality as a product of the external environment rather than internal traits or unconscious forces.

7. Biological and Evolutionary Theories (Hans Eysenck, David Buss)

Core Idea: Biological theories emphasize that personality traits have genetic underpinnings and that human behavior is influenced by evolutionary processes.

Eysenck’s Biological Basis of Personality: Eysenck proposed that personality traits like extraversion and neuroticism are linked to biological differences in brain arousal and functioning.

Evolutionary Psychology: David Buss and other evolutionary psychologists argue that personality traits evolved to solve problems related to survival and reproduction. For instance, traits like aggression or cooperation may have developed as adaptive strategies in human evolutionary history.

8. Cognitive-Behavioral Theory

Core Idea: This theory integrates elements from both cognitive and behavioral psychology. It suggests that cognitive processes (thought patterns, beliefs) play a crucial role in determining behavior and, therefore, personality.

Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Theory: Beck emphasized how automatic thoughts and cognitive distortions (like overgeneralization or catastrophic thinking) shape personality and emotional responses.

Cognitive Restructuring: In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), individuals learn to identify and change negative thought patterns, which in turn influences their behavior and personality over time.

9. Narrative Identity Theory

Core Idea: Narrative identity theory suggests that individuals construct a life story or narrative to make sense of their experiences and define their identity. This narrative evolves over time, reflecting personal growth, values, and social influences.

Dan McAdams: McAdams proposed that personal identity is shaped by the stories we tell about ourselves. People seek coherence and meaning in their life stories, which reflect their personality traits, goals, and values.

This approach emphasizes that personality is not just a set of static traits but an evolving narrative shaped by personal choices and experiences.

10. Existential and Phenomenological Theories

Core Idea: These theories focus on individual experience, freedom, and the search for meaning. Existential psychologists like Rollo May and Viktor Frankl argue that personality is shaped by how individuals confront fundamental existential questions, such as the meaning of life, freedom, and death.

Frankl's Logotherapy: Viktor Frankl emphasized the importance of finding meaning in life, even in suffering, as the central drive in human behavior. He believed that the quest for meaning shapes personality and behavior.

Authenticity and Choice: Existential psychology stresses that individuals are responsible for their own choices, and living authentically means confronting existential realities and making choices in alignment with one’s values.

Theories of personality offer different perspectives on the factors that shape human behavior and individual differences. From Freud’s focus on unconscious drives to the modern trait theories like the Big Five, these approaches explore the intricate dynamics of behavior, thought, and emotion that constitute personality.

[dont-open-dead-inside-net]

this is so incredibly intriguing !

[masterjs35]

In order to be the best version of yourself, we have to become our whole self first, that's the hard part. And from that point onwards it turns into a smooth sailing towards reaching your full potential.

Precisely, how I manage to do everything seemingly effortless. it's cause I have managed to be myself. Because being who you are is more than enough.

[eowyn35-blog]

I have to say that on a personal level, I choose to never understand any parent putting a condition on love for their child. Yes, you can make your arguments, and a tiny devil's advocate in me could potentially see where you think you're coming from.

BUT, to me, PERSONALLY, there is no reason to ever deny love to your child (genetic, adopted, found, whatever). I love my own child (God graced with one miracle) regardless of how they may change or evolve over their lifetime. They will always be my offspring and I will always love them. They may DO something I don't like, but I will always love their person, even when I don't agree with their behaviors (behavior includes actions, thoughts, emotions, words). I am here to support my child any way I can so that they can become the person they want (or need) to be. I don't need to live my life through them. I make my own choices along my own path, and my child does the same for them. I do what I can to help them along.

So, I cannot fathom any parent who stops loving their child because of a choice that child makes, perceived big or small, on their way to discovering who they are and/or really want to be. That's the essence of life, evolving & growing into our selves over time. These parents create such irreparable damage when they place conditions on their love. Who the hell are you that your "love" is so important your kid has to EARN it?!

[epilogueofwinter]

skizz making maslow’s hierarchy of needs on hermitcraft was not on my bingo card…

[booksandwitchery]

The Intersection of Magic, Science, and Psychology

As a rule I like to go back and look at my first grimoire periodically (I'm a baby witch, so I'm only on my second right now) and flip through it. It's great because there are always things I've forgotten, or changed my mind about, etc.

Today I decided to go back and flip through, and I read something that I don't even remember writing. It is a synthesis of things I read from NaturalPagan.org and an article called "What Is Manifestation? Science-Based Ways to Manifest":

I. Research on growth mindset by Carol Dweck shows conclusively that believing you can do something makes it more likely that you can successfully do that thing. This means that the mere belief that you can do something contributes to the manifestation of your desires.

II. The observable effectiveness of visualization has been well-documented by scientists; visualization works and has a profound effect on performance, health and success. This impact is measurable--it isn't a solely subjective opinion. Visualization also activates regions of the brain responsible for creative, intuitive, and holistic thinking. Mental imagery impacts many cognitive processes in the brain, such as motor control, attention, perception, planning, memory, etc.

III. Studies by psychologists have revealed intriguing results about the effects that rituals have on people's thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Rituals (secular or otherwise) contribute to better execution of tasks, reduced anxiety, and heightened ability to experience positive emotions.

Ergo, my sweet friends: this is why witchcraft works.

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Authenticity

The concept of authenticity is deeply rooted in existentialist philosophy and has been a significant topic of discussion in various philosophical traditions. At its core, authenticity involves living a life that is true to one's self, values, and beliefs, rather than conforming to external pressures or societal expectations. This exploration delves into the philosophy of authenticity, its origins, key ideas, and its relevance in contemporary life.

Key Concepts in the Philosophy of Authenticity

Existentialism and Authenticity:

Origins: The notion of authenticity is most closely associated with existentialist philosophers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Kierkegaard: Kierkegaard emphasized the importance of individual faith and subjective experience, urging individuals to make authentic choices that reflect their true selves.

Heidegger: In "Being and Time," Heidegger discusses authenticity as being true to one's own existence (Dasein) and not succumbing to the "they-self," which represents societal norms and expectations.

Sartre: Sartre's existentialism posits that existence precedes essence, meaning individuals must create their own essence through authentic choices, taking full responsibility for their actions.

Authenticity and Self-Discovery:

Concept: Authenticity involves a continuous process of self-discovery and self-creation.

Argument: To be authentic, one must engage in introspection and recognize their own desires, values, and beliefs, distinguishing them from those imposed by society.

Authenticity vs. Inauthenticity:

Concept: Inauthenticity arises when individuals conform to external pressures and live in a way that is not true to themselves.

Argument: Heidegger describes inauthenticity as living according to the "they-self," where individuals adopt the roles, behaviors, and beliefs dictated by others rather than their own.

Freedom and Responsibility:

Concept: Authenticity is closely linked to the existentialist notion of freedom and the responsibility that comes with it.

Argument: Sartre asserts that individuals are "condemned to be free," meaning they must take responsibility for their choices and the authenticity of their lives, without blaming external factors.

Authenticity in Modern Life:

Concept: The pursuit of authenticity remains relevant in the context of modernity, where societal norms, technological advancements, and consumer culture often challenge individual authenticity.

Argument: In contemporary society, maintaining authenticity involves resisting the pressures of social media, consumerism, and other external influences that promote a superficial or conformist lifestyle.

Theoretical Perspectives on Authenticity

Existentialist Perspective:

View: Existentialists emphasize the importance of individual choice and responsibility in achieving authenticity.

Argument: Authenticity is achieved through existential freedom, where individuals define their own essence and live according to their true selves.

Humanistic Psychology:

View: Humanistic psychologists like Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow highlight authenticity as a crucial aspect of self-actualization and personal growth.

Argument: Authentic living is necessary for psychological well-being and fulfillment, as it allows individuals to realize their true potential.

Postmodern Critique:

View: Postmodern thinkers critique the concept of authenticity, questioning the possibility of a true, stable self in a world of constant change and fluid identities.

Argument: Authenticity may be seen as a constructed ideal rather than an attainable state, with the self being a product of various social, cultural, and historical influences.

Cultural and Social Perspectives:

View: Cultural and social theorists examine how authenticity is influenced by cultural norms and social contexts.

Argument: The quest for authenticity must consider the diverse ways in which different cultures and societies understand and value authentic living.

The philosophy of authenticity centers on the pursuit of a life that is true to one's self, free from the constraints of external pressures and societal expectations. Rooted in existentialist thought, it emphasizes self-discovery, individual freedom, and responsibility. While authenticity remains a crucial concept in contemporary life, it is also subject to critique and reinterpretation, reflecting the complexities of modern existence.

[moonriseoverkyoto]

I love studying psych but some days I just wanna believe humanity can be good :(

[charliemaybeghost]

Using characters to help study is so much fun! Maslows 3rd level on the hierarchy of needs is "Social needs" which includes:

- friendship ("i remember when you told my only friend to shut his stupid mouth and die!" - crowley and i did not care for it)

romantic attachments ("and I would like to spend-ngnk - crowley)

family relationships ("oh, it's a human police officer." - she is their child you cannot tell me otherwise)

social groups (I feel like Maggie and Nina count)

community groups (the Jane Austin Ball for the street shop owners association meeting)

churches and religious organisations (heaven and hell, obviously)

"in order to avoid loneliness, depression and anxiety, it is important for people to feel loved and accepted by others." ... well we know how Crowleys going to be doing then :/ can't even meet level 3 of his needs.

he's also doing badly on level 2, Safety and Security (still disliked by hell), level 4 Self-esteem needs (he needs to accomplish things, feel valued and important, be recognised for success, have personal worth). but maybe despite this, he can still reach self-actualisation? The final level "the full use and exploration of talents, capabilities, potentials etc. ... self aware and less concerned with the opinions of others."

source: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-maslows-hierachy-of-needs-4136760

[blondefoxmedic]

Reading "Humankind: A Hopeful History" by Rutger Bregman back to back with "The Lucifer Effect: understanding how good people turn evil" by Phillip Zimbardo is absolutely fascinating considering that Zimbardo basically led an experiment which could be called malpractice due to not one but several reasons as: Taking roles within the experiment (personal involvement by taking a side in the experiment from the very beginning) to manipulating people from the outside of the experiment to even plagiarism by not giving credit to the student responsible for the idea and original experiment, and ignoring that 2/3rd of the wardens did not act sadistic and in fact 1/3 was acting sympathetic.

[lordoftablecloths]

Learning psychology is great it makes me realize how mentally ill i really am- and why!

[funniest-name]

the humanistic perspective is objectively the best perspective in psychology

[soul-our-punk]

Søren Kierkegaard's knights of faith and infinite resignation is an early example of existentialist thought and, its cousin, nihlism. Each a response to a seemingly indifferent and unpredictable universal system, whether deterministic or probablistic--alive or dead.

"Faith" in this context is a childlike wonder at the profundity of the mystery. This is supposedly is replaced with infinite resignation in the form of skepticism of inherent meaning. I used to think the third stage, a melding of skepticism and the embrace of the absurd, was a return to authenticity.

Now, I'm starting to believe it was a precursor to modernism, which is a brutalist precursor to minimalism, which is a sales pitch for the consumable lifestyle that robs the worker of their labor. So, the slavish devotion to financial value supplants meaning. It encourages alienation from personal identity because of one interpretation of "existence preced[ing] essence." (Mulla Sadra, c. 1571 - 1635).

Yet, from the moment of conception, life is impacted by a multitude of factors--cause and effect which extends beyond just matter, and influence psyche. Not just energy, a different form of matter, but the psyches which precede the newly risen mind. Onward and forward, we have opportunities to develop and reinterpret and impact. Opportunities to affirm a cult of alienation, or to cultivate a community of diversity.

so the question is not "are we human, or are we dancers," but

Are we cultivators or are we cultists?

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word List: Psychology

more psychological concepts as reference for your poem/story

Absent grief - a form of complicated grief in which a person shows no, or only a few, signs of distress about the death of a loved one. This pattern of grief is thought to be an impaired response resulting from denial or avoidance of the emotional realities of the loss.

Being love - (or B-love) in Abraham Maslow’s humanistic psychology, a form of love characterized by mutuality, genuine concern for another’s welfare and pleasure, and reduced dependency, selfishness, and jealousy. B-love is one of the qualities Maslow ascribes to self-actualizers.

Cyclopean eye - a theoretical eye, located on the midline between the real eyes, that has access to the functions of both eyes and is used in descriptions of space perception and eye movements.

Dream ego - in the analytic psychology of Carl Jung, a fragment of the conscious ego that is active during the dream state.

Epiphany - a sudden perception of the essential nature of oneself, others, or reality.

Family mythology - the shared stories, norms, and beliefs within a family system. The mythology can be used to deny trauma or pathology within the family or to ascribe meaning to events in ways that suggest their inevitability or importance.

Guilt culture - a trend or organizing principle in a society characterized by the use of guilt to promote socially acceptable behavior. Guilt cultures emphasize both self-control in the face of temptation and self-initiated responsibility for one’s actions if transgressions should occur.

Hedonic treadmill - a metaphor for a hypothesis proposing that people’s happiness tends to return to a preexisting baseline level after positive or negative life events have occurred. According to this concept, positive and negative events may produce short-term shifts in mood, but these shifts tend to erode in a relatively brief period of time. This process of adaptation is thought to be responsible for the persistence of mood states over time, often in the face of considerable efforts to change them. Although there is good evidence for this hypothesis, research has demonstrated that people do not always return to baseline after the occurrence of mood-changing events.

Jactitation - (or jactation) extreme restlessness marked by frequent movements and tossing about.

Leaving the field - the act of removing oneself from a situation when confronted with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, insoluble conflicts, or intensely frustrating problems. It may involve physical withdrawal, escape into psychogenic illness, or some other behavior, such as distraction or changing the subject during a conversation.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Part 1 2 3 ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[criticalcrusherbot]

Messy but Meaningful: Challenging Pop Psychology’s Unrealistic Expectations of Relationships in Fandom Spaces

By Crushbot 🤖 and Human Assistant 💁🏽‍♀️

The growing tendency in fandom spaces to apply pop-psychology frameworks to fictional relationships—such as Blitz and Stolas’s relationship in Helluva Boss—often oversimplifies the complexities of real-life human dynamics. While using psychological language to analyze media can deepen understanding, it can also lead to reductive and rigid interpretations of relationships. For the sake of argument, if Blitz and Stolas were real people, the expectation that both must be fully healed, emotionally stable, and entirely self-assured before engaging in a relationship reflects an unrealistic and idealized view of mental health and interpersonal growth.

The Myth of Complete Healing

One of the most common misconceptions in pop psychology is the belief that individuals must achieve complete emotional healing before they can engage in healthy relationships. This idea, while well-meaning, is rooted in an overly simplistic view of personal development. From a psychological perspective, healing and self-improvement are ongoing processes. Life circumstances, relationships, and personal challenges continually shape and reshape our mental and emotional landscapes.

Attachment theory, for example, suggests that relationships can be powerful arenas for healing. According to John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, attachment dynamics are formed in early childhood but can be reshaped in adulthood through secure and supportive relationships. Blitz’s and Stolas’s relationship, though imperfect, demonstrates how mutual care and connection can provide opportunities for growth. Stolas’s willingness to be emotionally vulnerable and Blitz’s gradual acceptance of his feelings suggest that their bond is helping each of them confront their emotional barriers, even if they’re not “finished” healing.

Relationships as Sites of Growth

Instead of requiring complete emotional stability as a prerequisite for relationships, many psychological frameworks view relationships as places where healing and growth can occur. In Helluva Boss, Blitz and Stolas’s dynamic reflects this principle. Their relationship, while messy and fraught with misunderstandings, provides opportunities for them to confront their vulnerabilities and develop healthier patterns of intimacy.

This idea aligns with Carl Rogers’s humanistic approach to psychology, which emphasizes the importance of relationships in fostering self-actualization. Rogers argued that empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard are key ingredients for personal growth—and these qualities often emerge in relationships. While Blitz and Stolas struggle with these elements at times, their efforts to connect and communicate demonstrate a willingness to grow together.

The Role of Imperfection in Relationships

Pop-psychology discourse often pathologizes imperfection, labeling any relationship that involves conflict, miscommunication, or emotional baggage as “toxic.” However, conflict is not inherently harmful; it’s how individuals navigate and resolve conflict that determines the health of a relationship. Psychologist John Gottman’s research on marital stability highlights that even successful relationships involve conflict. The difference lies in whether partners approach disagreements with respect, empathy, and a willingness to repair after mistakes.

In the context of Blitz and Stolas, their struggles with power dynamics, vulnerability, and communication do not automatically render their relationship toxic. Rather, their willingness to acknowledge and address these issues—such as Stolas’s attempts to give Blitz more autonomy with the Asmodean crystal or Blitz’s growing emotional openness—suggests a dynamic that is evolving toward greater mutual understanding.

Realistic Expectations for Healing and Change

The expectation that adults must be fully healed and self-assured before entering relationships also neglects the reality that personal growth often occurs within relationships. Social learning theory emphasizes how individuals learn and adapt through observation and interaction. Relationships serve as a mirror, reflecting areas for growth and offering opportunities to practice new behaviors. For Blitz, his interactions with Stolas force him to confront his fear of vulnerability and his tendency to self-sabotage. For Stolas, being with Blitz challenges his understanding of intimacy and forces him to step beyond his royal privilege to engage in genuine emotional connection.

It’s also worth noting that personal growth is non-linear. Progress often involves setbacks, missteps, and moments of doubt. Relationships do not have to be perfect to be worthwhile or beneficial. The process of working through challenges together can strengthen bonds and foster deeper connection.

Rejecting Pop-Psychology Absolutism

The pop-psychologization of fandom spaces often reduces complex dynamics to overly rigid binaries: healthy/unhealthy, secure/insecure, toxic/healing. While these frameworks can offer insights, they risk ignoring the nuance of real-life relationships. Humans are messy, imperfect, and constantly evolving—and so are their relationships. Holding fictional characters (or real people) to unrealistic standards of emotional perfection perpetuates an unhelpful narrative that growth must be completed in isolation, rather than as a collaborative process.

Blitz and Stolas exemplify the idea that relationships can be messy but meaningful. They are imperfect individuals navigating their own traumas and insecurities, yet they are also actively working toward better understanding themselves and each other. This dynamic reflects a more realistic and compassionate view of relationships, one that acknowledges growth as a shared journey rather than a prerequisite for connection.

Conclusion

Expecting individuals to achieve complete healing before engaging in relationships is both unrealistic and at odds with what we know about human development. Relationships, particularly those marked by care and effort, can serve as powerful spaces for growth, healing, and transformation. Blitz and Stolas’s evolving bond in Helluva Boss illustrates this beautifully, showing that imperfection does not preclude progress. By challenging the rigid expectations of pop psychology, we can embrace a more nuanced understanding of relationships—both fictional and real��that values growth, vulnerability, and the shared journey of becoming better together.