Maslow's stuff is more my territory than Freud. My last course was about all of the different theories. It was interesting how I could find something meaningful that rang true for me in every single one. You should read about George Kelly's construct theory. I found that one quite fascinating.

Humanistic theories offer a positive view on humanity. Guess that's why they call them humanistic. My textbook had a list of the behaviors of self-actualizers. A lot of them already applied to me and some were things I've been working on. I thought that was pretty cool. :cool:

Mmm, but another thing I'm having trouble with is the potential for circular definitions. I mean, if you select certain people as the "healthiest", and then try to measure how they're different from other people, you can find all sorts of cool stuff, but what you may be measuring is just the criteria you used to select them as "healthy" in the first place.

It's nice to know what makes people seem healthy to others, but it's a little more difficult to establish that they really are healthy. Or, another way, it's a stretch to say that because some people achieve health, we all have the potential for it. I'd like to believe it, but I'm not sure how you could really prove that.

It is more difficult to prove free will and self-actualization. The only way for scientists to try to be scientific is through some kind of measurement and assessment. This is challenging to define when it comes to human beings. That's why I don't think there are truly any right or wrong answers in this. It's what fits for you and what helps you to feel centered and healthy. I think, anyhow.

George Kelly's theory is about the way each one of us views the world. This is based on our personal experiences and the feelings we have about those experiences. I can take a piece from that theory, Freud's use of symbolism, Bandura's self-efficacy, and Carl Roger's unconditional positive regard and self-actualization...and they all have meaning to me. There are no clear cut answers to the mysteries of human behavior and personality, I don't think. We're complex beings. We are always learning. That's the beauty of it, too.

Just saying hi.

Yes, but my fortune cookies always tell me stuff I already know. :-)

{I talk a fair game, too ...}

I need a cookie that'll tell me how to get what I want!

{Unless you get what you want by listening, in which case, never mind.}