Self-exploration, reality, and the formation of personal philosophy

¶ … Personal Theory

Self-Exploration

When will you begin that long journey into yourself? One of the most famous philosophers in history of mankind, Rumi emphasized on exploring or discovering one self. Self-exploration is one of the fundamentals of philosophy. Before contemplating over the wonders of universe, man asked himself the very basic questions about his own existence. Without knowing one's origin and the reason of being born, man cannot shape his beliefs and thus remain directionless. As Aristotle said that the foundation of all wisdom is based on self.

The ideas, beliefs, values and norms of a person originate from his immediate surroundings. Among them, the first encounter is with parents. Parents transmit their own beliefs and values into the child's mind. Later on, siblings, family members and close friends influence a person's self-concept. Gradually, a man's social circle expands and as he becomes able to identify and choose among things, he begins to mold or change the beliefs and values, he was taught.

Reality

As simple the word reality is, the more difficult it is to comprehend what it actually is. Philosophers like Bishop George Berkeley and John Locke when pondered upon the origin of universe and mankind stated that reality is nothing but what can be felt with man's five senses. It means that only the things that we can see, hear, touch, smell and taste exist. Apart from that, there is no reality. However, reality is not confined to man's conscious sensations, rather it is deeper. A philosopher once dreamed of himself sitting in a dark well. After he woke up, he became confused of his reality. He questioned whether this was his reality or the one he had experienced in his dream. This very bizarre yet thoughtful idea has always led the other philosophers to wonder if there is something else out there beyond man's understanding.

Reality which has been discovered by science cannot be denied. No one can deny the existence of sun, moon, the solar system, human beings, nature cycle etc. As said by Descartes, the reality of all these things is almost palpable. However, the complexity of human mind has triggered several questions about the existence of reality beyond the physical world. It is often said that a man creates his own reality. This idea was established by Plato, who emphasized that everything originates in the form of an idea in human mind. Its physical being comes later. Philosophers like Plotinus and Aristotle disagreed with this idea since they believed that the foundation of reality relies on physical matter.

Nevertheless, medical science has proved today that human subconscious can not only create its own reality but it can also live in it e.g. A person suffering from personality disorder has his own reality. No matter, how absurd it sounds, he continues to believe that reality. The theory of perceptual blocking is worth mentioning here. Several survivors of World War II stated that they used perceptual blocking to block the gruesome effects of war. In order to keep themselves motivated to live, they blocked the unpleasant circumstances of war and created their own reality. Some of them even said that they had never experienced such peace before. The above discussion supports the idealistic theory of Plato.

Reality of everything is in constant state of change. The components of physical world as well as the man's mind are in continuous state of flux. Even our sensations, emotions and ideas not only keep changing but are being influenced by fellow beings every second. As Wayne Dyer puts it, everyone is a part of divine whole; therefore, we are all interdependent (Dyer, 1995).

Reality of certain things is still impenetrable for philosophers. Among them, existence of God is the most important question one might ask. Here, the interference of religion is inevitable. Regardless of all the religious arguments in favor or against of God's existence, there will remain questions unanswered and mysteries unresolved. God does exist but His actual existence in physical world might remain unknown to us.

While working with clients, it is cleverer to focus on the reality of the client: so that the latter feels understood. Nevertheless, there are always exceptions, like if the behavior of client is unreasonable or unethical, than it is more appropriate to focus on reality as it exists.

Human Growth, Development, Learning, and Motivation

Sigmund Freud has defined personality as a combination of id, ego and super ego. Id represents human's most basic needs and desires. A man's id knows no morality. It is spontaneous and is ingrained in human mind from his birth. A person might remain oblivious to his id. Ego is a man's conscious behavior to satisfy the needs arising from his id. Freud states that humans often use ego defense mechanisms to satisfy his id needs. Ego is controllable. Super ego represents a man's conscience. The ability to distinguish and choose between right and wrong comes from super ego. In simple words, personality is comprised of a man's conscious behavior, subconscious desires and unconscious needs.

The process of human growth and motivation highly depends upon his personality. According to motivation theories, people have different levels of motivation e.g. self-efficacy theory states that some people have high efficacy (self-confidence), whereas some remain dubious as to their ability to perform or achieve certain tasks. Control theories imply that the more a person has locus of control, the more motivated he feels. Locus of control differs for everyone since it comes from family, friends, environment and person's engagement in particular activities (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). Higher degree of motivation encourages learning and experiencing newness, which might result in changing a man's personality altogether.

It is either intrinsic or extrinsic motivation that motivates a person to achieve certain goals. The former refers to internal satisfaction and contentment over doing something, whereas the latter depends upon some outside reward. People usually change because of intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside. It enables a person to do something he or she enjoys doing e.g. A painter or a musician is at his best when is motivated internally. Material rewards cannot motivate a person to such extent. Intrinsic motivation gets the best out of a person triggering his creative instincts. On the other hand, extrinsic rewards can boost a person's motivation to do an unpleasant job, but it cannot maximize performance to its best. People are usually petrified of change because they have fear of unknown. In situations, where people can seek intrinsic and extrinsic rewards during or after the change process, they are less reluctant to embrace change.

Needs refer to a man's basic necessities, i.e. food, shelter, clothing. Since, they are possessed by every human being from birth, needs do not vary from person to person. Conversely, goals are derived from surroundings, environment and circumstances of a person; therefore, they are different for everyone. For instance, a person might have a goal to go to college, whereas another person's goal could be to build a house. Needs and goals are not equal important motivators. The reason is a person experiences needs at the very first stage of motivation. After having attained the basic needs, he moves up the ladder to accomplish his goals. A man can go up to any length to satisfy his needs. However, he can also suppress his goals.

Normal personality development is a process, where a person receives all the physical care and attention from his childhood. Mental development is the most important part of personality. It is easier to cope with physical ailments then mental diseases. Both physical and mental aspects of personality are interdependent in personality development. Several cases have shown how mental troubles led to physical problems. Similarly, physical diseases often lead to mental disorders like depression and anxiety. Coming towards the challenge of disordered and disturbed minds, it doesn't necessarily mean that challenging behavior arises from mental illness, rather it can be possessed by people who have no mental illness. The cure to irrational or challenging behavior of such individuals is personal attention, love and catharsis. However, in cases of prolonged mental illness due to childhood traumas or abuse, professional help of psychiatrist is indispensable.

There is no such thing as ideal personality. Every person has a set of both positive as well as negative personality traits. However, a person can always improve or degrade his personality through modifying his behavior and attitude.

Counseling

Therapeutic process is healing of mind's wounds through psychiatric therapies. The most significant part of therapeutic process is counseling. Mental problems of disturbed minds are initially cured through diagnosis of problem area. A therapist determines the discrepancies in patient's emotional beliefs and values, and tries to amend the irrational or abnormal attitudes through counseling. Counseling plays a significant role in a person's growth and development by making him aware of his irrational attitudes and distorted behavior. People who go through the process of counseling can turn their life upside down and bring tremendous improvements.

Professional psychiatrists and psychologists who have ample knowledge about the functionality and complexity of human mind are supposed to set and renew the standards of counseling and therapeutic process. The primary attention of counseling should remain focused on human past experiences, current concerns and future goals, since they determine his feelings, thoughts, or actions, and ultimately constitute the whole personality. Counseling is a major ingredient of psychiatric therapy without which a patient cannot share his problems. Internal satisfaction is vital for a normal person, without which he cannot adjust or adapt to social standards in the first place.

The most inspiring theory in the field of philosophy is idealism as proposed by Plato. Wayne Dyer reinforces Plato's theory that a man creates his own reality. Human mind can overcome the most severe of problems through seeking refuge in spirituality. No medicine or treatment can ensure healing unless a person does not have the urge and willingness to fight the traumas he is facing.