4 Elements of the Humanistic Approach to Personality
A Psychologically Over-Thought Article About Human Nature
The humanistic approach stresses that although we sometimes respond automatically to events in the environment (behavioral theory) and may at times be motivated by unconscious impulses (psychodynamic), we have the power to determine our own destiny and to decide our actions at almost any given moment. We have free will.
Although this is considered as non-scientific in nature, free will is actually limited by the options open to an individual at any given moment. And often times for any individual, making that decision is a problem in itself. As Rollo May said, “Now it is no longer a matter of deciding what to do, but of deciding how to decide.” I would like to think we are not puppets controlled by our past or by external stimuli but instead are free, even just to a certain extent, as limited physically feasible options, responsibilities, norms and standards of society bind us. It would be cowardly to not be held accountable for our actions. We are after all conscious and aware of most of what we do as well as why we do them. I would also like to think that people would not intentionally cause harm upon others. Another tenet is that people are considered basically good.
The 4 elements which seem central to any humanistic approach to personality
1. An emphasis on personal responsibility — this idea was borrowed from existential philosophers and is a cornerstone of the humanistic approach. Its essence is that within limits, there is practically nothing we “have to” do. Humanistic theorists argue that our behaviors represent personal choices of what we want to do at a particular moment. People actively shape their own lives with the freedom to change limited only by physical constraints. We are then liable for our actions because they are products of CHOICE thereby holding us accountable for it. I firmly believe “Man is not a victim of fate.”
2. An emphasis on the “here and now” — One can only live life fully in the present. In the humanistic approach, people needn’t be victims of their past. We are the result of our past experiences, but these experiences need not dictate what we can become. “Man is not a victim of the past.” I have realized that we ought to take advantage of the time we have now since this is the only time given to us. To dwell on the past or worry about the future will only hinder us from attaining the full potential of today.
3. A focus on the phenomenology of the individual — this falls under the premise that no one can know you better than you know yourself. During the course of therapy, clients come to understand themselves and develop an appropriate strategy for resolving their problems. Not to the extent of Plato’s conception that “all knowledge is already within us,” but that we are capable of finding answers for ourselves. When we are open to what it is we truly feel and think, because as far as I’m concerned, only we ourselves can determine our true thoughts and feelings without filtering them for social desirability and self-presentation issues. That’s our tendency when sharing with others. And so to be “transparent” to ourselves as Jourard mentioned may be the only way to personal adjustment and personal growth.
4. An emphasis on personal growth- Humanistic psychologists propose that people rarely cease striving when their immediate needs have been met; rather, they are motivated to continue to develop in a positive manner. They will eventually progress toward some ultimately satisfying state of being (Carl Roger’s fully functioning individual or Abraham Maslowe’s self-actualization). This growth process is assumed to be the natural manner of human experience unless certain problems prevent us from doing so. Rogers describes this ever-unfolding of one’s self as a “process of becoming.”
Many criticisms of the humanistic approach mention that this is not applicable therapy to the dysfunctional individual. This makes it so fit for the norm. An ordinary person would not want to be labeled as crazy, although they may feel that way sometimes when they lack the explanation for their actions or feelings. The humanistic approach grants the average individual room for explanation and improvement. Although some consider it lacking in scientific significance, it serves to explain the lay behavior which makes it appealing and practical to everyday life.
