"The problem is to bring the known and the unknown together in some satisfying way."
-Edmund W. Sinnott, Cell & Psyche: The Biology of Purpose
LifePsych logo represents an integration of sources of knowledge applied to the goals and tasks of life. The creation a a full, meaningful and happy life is dependent on the integration of these issues, refered to as Synergration.
Work, relations and self come from Realities Matrix
Science, rationalism, experience and spirituality comes from the relationship between data and logic, our two sources of information. From chaos, we can measure DATA and make LOGICAL inferences. When this is put into a context, we have INFORMATION. When this information is used to test a theory, we have the opportunity to develop KNOWLEDGE. If this knowledge is used to change a broad based system, we achieve a level of UNDERSTANDING, if we are enabled to predict and control the system. Using this level of understanding to influenced the behavior of many systems, we achieve a level of WISDOM. "Truth" is a metaphor.
Sources of Knowing
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Solid Data |
Poor Data |
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Solid Logic |
Science |
Rationalism |
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Fuzzy Logic |
Experience |
Spirituality |
Science: Knowledge gained by a systematic exploration of the relationship between data (matters of fact) and logic (valid inferences).
Rationalism: Knowledge gained by reason, drawn from logical conclusions.
Experience: Knowledge gained by experience and observation. Also known as "empiricism."
Spirituality: Knowledge gained by spiritual enlightenment in search of the central reality of life in the universe. Also known as faith, mysticism, and the tradition of cultural authority.
Work: Usefulness is the goal of work.
Meaningful work
Helping others
Citizenship
Leadership
Relations: Belonging is the goal of relations.
Intimacy and love
Family connectedness
Touching and sexuality
Group spirit ("esprit de corps")
Self: Significance is the goal of self.
Faith and spirituality
Principles and integrity
Creativity
Courage and perserverence
Purposive thinking about future
Self-regulation
Wisdom from experience
Synergration: Creating a full, meaningful, and happy life is the goal of synergration.
Truth: "Knowing is nothing but working with one's favorite metaphors. What then is truth? A movable host of metaphors, metonymies, and anthropomorphism's. Truths are illusions, which we have forgotten are illusions; they are metaphors that have become worn out and have been drained of sensuous force. The drive toward the formation of metaphors is the fundamental human drive, which one cannot for a single instant dispense within thought, for one would thereby dispense with man himself."
-Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
"The Dark Side": Opposing these positive forces, is the animal nature struggling for individualistic survival. These forces comprise the Antithesis of growth oriented positive psychology. Famous theorists have created similar views, using different terms.
Carl Jung: Shadow - the animal instinct archetype passed on to future generations
Read more about Jung at: http://hometown.aol.com/brneydgl77/myhomepage/index.html
Sigmund Freud: Id - the primitive, animalistic, instinctual element, found deep in the psyche
Read more about Freud at: http://freud.t0.or.at/freud/index-e.htm
Alfred Adler: Vanity - self-elevation as a defense against joining the human community
Read more about Adler at: http://www.alfredadler.org/adler.htm
