2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
Traditionally in psychology and psychoanalysis, the term "character" is used to refer to configurations of behavioral traits. "Anal character" is called compulsive personalities, "Hysterical character" - theatrical personalities, "Passive-aggressive character" of people with repressed aggression, "Narcissistic character" - egocentrists.
Emotional experiences take the form of character in the context of human interactions, these are repetitive patterns from parent-child relationships and child education in general, which in the future form a certain emotional experience, especially if it is the experience of meaningful relationships. All this is in the unconscious, but it is not repressed, but simply outside of reflection. We only feel our experiences, without thinking about their meaning and how it happens. The totality of pre-reflective organized structures is the character of a person, and he himself.
From this point of view, there can be no types of character, since the experience of the emotional experience of each person is unique and singular. Its features are manifested in all spheres of human life, both insignificant and important (fantasies, creative activity, relationships with loved ones, professional activities, psychological characteristics and disorders). Psychoanalytic therapy is a diagnostic method for identifying these pre-reflective structures in the reflection of a person's consciousness, feelings and actions.
The early experiences of the child in which his feelings were ignored, devalued, for which he was shamed or punished have important consequences in the formation of character. The child may acquire an unconscious belief that will not always be adequate psychological defenses. High self-esteem can be a consequence of a violation of emotional perception, the idea of being ideal can become central in life. The inability to achieve the ideal causes emotional feelings of inferiority (feelings of loneliness, shame, self-loathing), there will also be expectations of contempt and disgust from others. Belief in this only helps to destroy the relationship with them.
There is also a serious narrowing of the horizons of emotional experience, which causes a feeling of danger both in general and in specific situations. When a child's feelings are rejected or disregarded, he perceives that his experiences are not important and should be suppressed. At the same time, a person becomes emotionally dependent on others. His emotional maturity remains in its infancy and is acted out bodily, which often leads to psychosomatic illness.
Acquaintance with pre-reflexive feelings in psychoanalytic therapy helps to correct the character. There has been a long debate in the psychoanalytic society about the role of cognitive understanding and emotional awareness in the process of therapeutic change. In fact, cognition and emotions, feelings and thoughts cannot be separated (unless in pathology).
The therapeutic moment is not only the analytical understanding and interpretation of the present and the past, but also its feelings and their acceptance, the opportunity to relive traumatic moments in a safe environment and thereby gain new life experience.
Adaptive defenses become more flexible and more complex, control of old defenses weakens and emotional experiences become adequate and are perfectly woven into life, helping to better understand other people, thereby improving the quality of human life. Perhaps this is a change in character:)
Recommended:
Features Of A Hysterical Character, Or Theatrical Character
Sometimes you can hear the phrase “you are hysterical, she is hysterical”. But, in fact, the hysterical character is found, both among men and among women, about 50 to 50. In this article I would like to reveal the topic of what kind of hysterical or theatrical character it is, and what are the main features of a hysterical personality.
Loss And Grief. Article For Victims And Helpers, Self-help And Therapy
Loss and grief. Article for victims and helpers, self-help and therapy The article was written both for people experiencing loss, supporting loved ones, and for representatives of helping professions. Death, divorce, termination of relationships, social and financial "
Distinguishing A Depressive Character From A Narcissist, Schizoid, And Grief
Continuing the theme of the depressive type of character, I would like to pay attention to how the depressive character differs from the experience of grief, from the narcissistic or schizoid characters. Let's start with the experience of grief.
Eat What They Give! Or How Does The Satisfaction Of Needs In Childhood Affect A Person's Character And Destiny?
Eat what they give! I remember myself when I was 4-5 years old. I’m sitting at the dinner table and until nausea I don’t want to eat milk with nasty froths, or boiled slimy onions, or a strange soup that smells of something incomprehensible, and an always busy mother or a kindergarten teacher, who has 15 more fidgets under supervision, say:
Technique For Working With Metaphorical Cards "My Character And My Goal"
Purpose: changing the prevailing views on achieving a certain goal, reassessing the qualities of one's character in relation to achieving this goal, changing behavior strategies in relation to achieving the goal. Tasks: visualize an important goal become aware of character traits perceived as positive become aware of traits perceived as negative come to a conclusion about which character traits help and which hinder the achievement of a specific goal outline ways
