When
I read and went through Carl Rogers, (1902 - 1987) works, who is well known for
The Person-centered approach (i.e., Client-centered therapy). Out of many concepts,
what I liked is he says that humans are basically good and the fully
functioning person.
I
hope that, if I have these concepts very strongly i. humans are basically good,
in my personality, I can build-up very good relationships to myself
and to others and to various aspects of life.
If I have the fully functioning person’s
personality, I could lead a life of the "fully functioning person" I can
be open to experience, able to live existentially, trusting in my own organism,
expresses feelings freely, acts independently, creatively and lives a richer
life; "the good life". From his explanation I also understood that the
good life is not a state of being, but a dynamic process. It is a direction to a
destination, and not a destination. It also involves
the stretching and growing of becoming more and more of one's potentialities.
It involves the courage to be. It means launching myself fully into the stream
of life.
Let
me explain in detail about the characteristics of a fully functioning person, openness
to experience – they move away from defensiveness, an increasingly existential
lifestyle – living each moment fully. This results in excitement, daring,
adaptability, tolerance, spontaneity, and a lack of rigidity and suggests a
foundation of trust. Increasing organismic trust – they trust their own
judgment (right and wrong) and their ability to choose behavior that is
appropriate for each moment. Freedom of choice –They believe that they play a
role in determining their own behavior and so feel responsible for their own
behavior. Creativity – they will feel more free, more creative in the way they
adapt to their own circumstances without feeling a need to conform. Reliability
and constructiveness – they can be trusted to act constructively. An individual
who is open to all their needs will be able to maintain a balance between them.
Even aggressive needs will be matched and balanced by intrinsic goodness in
congruent individuals. A rich full life – he describes the life of the fully
functioning individual as rich, full and exciting and suggests that they
experience joy and pain, love and heartbreak, fear and courage more intensely.
Conclusion
Who
will not like a good life? All the beings want to have a richer life, open,
fruit full, free life. I too like to live such a life, a perfect life. The
person one who chosen me said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father
is perfect.” (Mt 5: 48). Yes, to achieve
this perfectness, fullness, richness and goodness in my life. I hope that I
need to integrate the self theory of Carl Rogers in my personality.
Carl
Rogers(85), (1902 - 1987), of American Nationality, who is well Known for The
Self Theory - The Person-centered
approach (e.g., Client-centered therapy & Student-centered learning)
THE SELF THEROY OF
ROGERS' THEORY
Carl
R. Rogers was the first and foremost a therapist, with an
abiding respect for the dignity of persons and an interest in persons as
subjects rather than objects. He developed a
therapy called Clint Centered Therapy. It
includes the techniques and basic Philosophy of counseling. In this he gives a
clear exposition of procedures by which individuals who are being counseled may
be assisted in achieving for themselves new and more effective personality
adjustments.
Actualizing Tendency
Rogers believed
that humans are basically good and he maintains that the human
"organism" has an underlying "actualizing tendency", which
aims to develop all capacities in ways that maintain or enhance the organism
and move it toward autonomy. This tendency is present in all living beings. It
is the only motive force in the theory. It encompasses all motivations;
tension, need, or drive reductions; and creative as well as pleasure-seeking
tendencies. Each person thus has a fundamental mandate to fulfill their
potential. The inherent potentialities of the actualizing tendency can suffer
distorted expression when maladjustment occurs, resulting in behavior
destructive to oneself and others.
The Self
The human
organism's "phenomenal field" includes all experiences available at a
given moment, both conscious and unconscious. As development occurs, a portion
of this field becomes differentiated and this becomes the person's
"self". The "self" is a central construct in this theory.
It develops through interactions with others and involves awareness of being
and functioning. It is based largely on the social evaluations he/she has
experienced.
The "self" is described as: the organized,
consistent, conceptual gestalt composed of perceptions of the characteristics
of the "I" or "me" and the perceptions of the relationships
of the "I" or "me" to others and to various aspects of
life, together with the values attached to these perceptions.
The
difference between Congruence (fully functioning person) & Incongruence (maladjusted
person)
FULLY FUNCTIONING PERSON
|
MALADJUSTED PERSON
|
"fully
functioning person" who is open to experience and able to live
existentially, is trusting in his/her own organism, expresses feelings
freely, acts independently, is creative and lives a richer life; "the
good life" the good life which is a process not a state of being.
|
The
maladjusted individual is defensive, rather than enhancing his life, lives
according to a preconceived plan, feels manipulated rather than free, and is
common and conforming rather than creative. His self becomes more disturbed
due to others evaluations.
|
He will
be completely defense-free, open to experience, creative and able to live
"the good life".
|
He will feel
a threat that evokes anxiety and may have mental and emotional problems that
leads to unacceptable behavior.
|
Balance
between the self and organism
|
Break
between the self and organism
|
person’s
will have a good relationship with other people.
|
Affects
a person’s relationship with other people.
|
Congruence between
self and experience leads to better personality adjustment and less
defensiveness.
|
Incongruence is that
the rift between self and experience as natural.
|
Tom
gets poor mark in his exams. He know that his mother will beat him so out of
fear he corrects his mark statement. And also this shows his actual self and
what he would like to be. He was not able to achieve the Ideal self so it leads
him to incongruent.
Tom,
a young good boy, who had a joyful childhood speaking to a doctor. His fear and
anxiety starting from school made him to do many bad things continually. Now he
approaches doctor to have a good life and he wanted to become a fully
functioning person.