Actual Abilities As A Path To Oneself

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Video: Actual Abilities As A Path To Oneself
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Actual Abilities As A Path To Oneself
Actual Abilities As A Path To Oneself
Anonim

Resume: This article proposes to consider a new function of actual abilities in positive psychotherapy - a better understanding of one's relationship with oneself.

This article proposes to consider a new function of actual capacities - a better understanding of relationship with oneself.

A distinctive feature of positive psychotherapy is differential analysis, which considers actual abilities as an effective potential for the development of personality and conflicts [2].

Let me remind you that N. Pezeshkian called actual abilities such behavioral norms that constantly operate in our daily interpersonal relationships and therefore always retain their actual value [2]. Although actual abilities begin to form even in the prenatal period [3], they are not congenital and inherited [1]. Actual abilities are formed and manifested in human behavior depending on the influence of three development factors: the characteristics of the body, the environment and the spirit of the times.

N. Pezeshkian identified about 15 functions of actual abilities, noting that this list may be supplemented in the future [1]. He viewed actual abilities as:

  • Development opportunities
  • Descriptive categories
  • Hypothetical constructs at an intermediate level of abstraction
  • Causes or triggers of conflict and disease
  • Social and community norms
  • Socialization variables
  • The role of the stabilizer
  • Group membership attribute
  • The path of rapprochement and understanding
  • Substitutes for religion
  • Disguise
  • Weapon and shield
  • Content of settings
  • Psychodynamically effective abilities
  • Ability to provide differential analytical recommendations

In this article I want to share with you an interesting find, in my opinion, regarding one more function of actual abilities.

Please note that one of the functions, the author highlights the role of the mask. Describing this function, Pezeshkian noted that sometimes a person can pretend, falsely demonstrating some actual abilities that are unusual for him in order to achieve his goals. Moreover, pretense does not always occur on a conscious level. The author gives the example of a groom who shows his courtesy and tenderness before the wedding, and then returns to his usual self-righteousness and male chauvinism. [one]

Taking this function into account, I suggested that “masks” in our culture can interfere with our real understanding of ourselves. The motivator of behavior for many people in our culture is the concept “What will people say?”. Thus, for a person with such a concept, the assessment of others is of particular importance, and he tries to earn good grades, justifying the expectations of others. However, in everyone's life there is a special kind of relationship that is often overlooked - the relationship with oneself. They are based on the attitude of parents and significant people to a person in childhood (Sphere "I" in the role model). In childhood, through upbringing, a person also learns behavioral norms that are needed for life in society. It is through the upbringing and attitude of significant adults (the environment) to the child that actual abilities begin to develop.

The spirit of the Soviet era did not quite favorably influence the attitude towards oneself. Messages "I am the last letter in the alphabet", "Perish yourself, but help your comrade", etc. formed in a person a concept of their unimportance and insignificance. Children of the Soviet and post-Soviet period are distinguished by low self-esteem and a lack of a sense of their own self-worth. Such adults are more often focused on results, on diligence, on getting approval from others. In a word, secondary abilities prevail over primary (KNOW-LOVE). It would seem that then the primary abilities should have minimum values.

However, I noticed that when working with a differential analytical questionnaire (DAO), some of these clients subjectively see their primary abilities in high scores as well. There is only one peculiarity - these primary actual abilities are intended mainly for others. I once revealed this by asking a client to evaluate her current abilities as follows: in one column - in relationships with other people, and in the second - in relationships with herself. As I expected, the difference was palpable, which was a discovery for the client herself. Moreover, the difference was visible in both primary and secondary actual abilities. For example, in relationships with others, the client's commitment was at its maximum (10 points), and the commitment to herself was not so important (5 points). My hypothesis regarding the difference in indicators of actual abilities for others and for myself has been confirmed so far in working with different clients.

Relationships with oneself are the basis for relationships with other people and the world. Everyone knows the phrase from the Bible: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Nossrat Pezeshkian also spoke about this, clearly using circles: “If you want to change the world, start with your country. If you want to change your country, start with your city. If you want to change the city, start with your surroundings. If you want to change your environment, start with your family. If you want to change your family, start with yourself."

Since then, I have been using DAO, among other things, to bring the client closer to understanding himself. Considering the attitude of the client to others and the attitude to oneself, one can come to the basic and situational concepts for each actual ability, and, consequently, to a better understanding of the content of the basic and internal conflicts.

I propose to consider possible options for questions for the above method of working with DAO (table 1).

Table 1.

I gave examples of my questions, but this list is not final and can be supplemented depending on the situation and the type of the client's personality.

Using DAO in this way, you can see additional development zones for the possible emergence of emotional stress and potential conflicts (not only interpersonal, but also intrapersonal). This will be reflected in the form of extreme minimum and maximum values of the points assigned to oneself, as well as in a noticeable difference in points between the two columns “with others” and “with oneself” for a separate actual ability. This type of work can be used both as a diagnosis at all three levels of work in Positive Psychotherapy, and as planning therapeutic interventions at a situational, meaningful, basic level, changing ways of behavior and attitudes towards oneself.

We know that actual abilities can be active and passive. This article describes the experience of using an active method of using actual abilities.

In my practice, until now, I have used this method of working with DAO mainly with clients who are characterized by low self-worth that interferes with them, but I suppose that the opposite, egocentric, option is also possible, when the attitude towards others will need to be corrected.

Literature:

  1. Peseschkian Nossrat. Positive psychotherapy. Theory and Practice of a New Method- Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1987, Germany- 444
  2. Karikash V., Bosovskaya N., Kravchenko Y., Kirichenko S. Fundamentals of Positive Psychotherapy. Initial interview. Toolkit. Module 2. - Cherkassy: Ukrainian Institute of Positive Cross-Cultural Psychotherapy and Management, 2013 -64 p.
  3. Pezeshkian N. Psychosomatics and positive psychotherapy: trans. with him. - M.: Medicine, 1996 - 464p.

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