Adler says, “You are not living to satisfy other people’s expectations.” And further, “Other people are not living to satisfy your expectations.” Don’t be afraid of who might be watching; don’t pay attention to other people’s judgment; and don’t seek recognition from oth- ers. Just choose the path that is best for you, and that you believe in. Furthermore, you must not intervene in other people’s tasks, and you must not allow others to intervene in your tasks either. To those who are new to Adlerian psychology, this is a concept that has a great impact.

Quote #1

The objective of education, in a word, is self-reliance.

Quote #2

There are two objectives for behavior:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">To be self-reliant.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">To live in harmony with society.</li></ul>And there are two objectives for the psychology that sup- ports these behaviors:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The consciousness that I have the ability.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The consciousness that people are my comrades.</li></ul>

Quote #3

Educators and leaders must ascertain the children’s goals instead of focusing only on their actions.

Quote #4

Youth: But if you don’t praise them at that point, they’ll lose their drive and turn into children who don’t do anything at all. And in some cases, they’ll start engaging in improper behavior, won’t they?Philosopher: No. You teach them continually that they have worth, even if they are not “special,” by showing them respect.Youth: Concretely speaking, how do you do that?Philosopher: Instead of focusing on whenever a child does some “good thing,” turn your attention to the smaller everyday details of their words and actions. And then focus on and sympathize with that person’s concerns.

Quote #5

Philosopher: The fifth stage of problem behavior is “proof of incompetence.”Youth: Proof of incompetence?Philosopher: That’s right. Here, please try to think about it as if it were you yourself. Though you have taken all sorts of steps to ensure that you will be treated as a “special being,” none of them is going as planned. Your parents and teachers, and even your classmates, are not hating you as you wish them to. You cannot find a “place to be” in either the classroom or at home.

Quote #6

The objective of education is “self-reliance.” And the educator is a “counselor.”

Quote #7

Youth: A sickness of the entire classroom?Philosopher: Yes, it is a disease called the principle of competition. What is needed of educators is to look at the community in which the problem behavior is occurring, not at the individual who is engaging in it. And then, instead of attempting to treat the individual, to go about treating the community itself.

Quote #8

Adlerian psychology is a horizontal relationship–based “psychology of democracy.”

Quote #9

By saving another person, one tries to be saved oneself. By passing oneself off as a kind of savior, one attempts to realize one’s own worth. This is one form of the superiority complex that people who cannot dispel their feelings of inferiority often fall into, and is generally referred to as a “messiah complex.” It is a mental perversion of wanting to be a messiah, a savior of others.

Quote #10

Philosopher: Being self-centered does not mean looking only at oneself because one “likes oneself.” In actuality, the opposite is the case, and it is because one is unable to accept oneself as one is, and because one is constantly beset with anxiety, that one has concern only for oneself.Youth: So, you’re saying that because I “hate myself,” I look only at myself!?Philosopher: Yes, that’s right.

Quote #11

Philosopher: Self-reliance is “breaking away from self- centeredness.”Youth: … !!Philosopher: This is why Adler called community feeling “social interest,” and also referred to it as concern for soci- ety and concern for others. We have to get past our obsti- nate self-centeredness and stop trying to be the center of the world. One has to break away from “me.” One has to break away from one’s pampered childhood lifestyle.

Quote #12

Philosopher: Marriage is not a matter of choosing a “target.” It is a matter of choosing one’s way of living.Youth: Choosing a way of living! Then, the “target” can be anyone?Philosopher: Ultimately, yes.Youth: Don’t mess around!! Who would ever recognize such a statement? Retract that, retract it right away!!Philosopher: I recognize that this is a view that is met with a great deal of opposition. But we are able to love anyone.

Quote #13

Of course, there are many people who felt “destiny” on meeting someone and decided to get married in accordance with that intuition. But that is not a previously established destiny. It is only that one decided to believe it was destiny. As Fromm remarked, “Loving someone is not simply an intense emotion. It is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise.” It doesn’t matter how the meeting happens, if one makes the firm decision to build real love from that point, and one confronts the “task accomplished by two people.” Love is possible with any partner.

Quote #14

Youth: Love and marriage are the dance that two people make together. Philosopher: You are standing now at the edge of the dance floor of life and watching other people dance. You are assuming that “there couldn’t be anyone who would dance with someone like me,” while in your heart you are waiting impatiently for your “destined one” to reach their hand out to you. You are doing everything you can to endure and to protect yourself, so that you do not feel any more miserable than you do already, and so that you do not begin to dislike yourself.

Quote #15

There is one thing that you should do. Take the hand of the person beside you and try to do the best dance that you can possibly do in that moment. Your destiny will start from there.

Quote #16

A single book can change your life. Already an enormous bestseller in Asia, with more than 3 million copies sold, The Courage to be Disliked demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of 19th century psychology alongside Freud and Jung, it follows an illuminating conversation between a philosopher and a young man. The philosopher explains to his pupil how each of us is able to determine our own lives, free of the shackles of past experiences, doubts and the expectations of others. It's a way of thinking that's deeply liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and those around us can place on ourselves. The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. Now that The Courage to be Disliked has been published for the first time in English, so can you

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

philosophy

Philosophy

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

books

Books

Ichiro KISHIMI Philosopher, Adlerian psychologist and translator of English and German languages. Born in 1956.M.A.in philosophy from Kyoto University. Director of the Japanese Society of Adlerian psychology. Former counselor at Maeda Clinic in Kyoto and has taught philosophy and ancient Greek at various institutions such as Kyoto University of Education and Nara Women's University. He presently teaches educational psychology and clinical psychology at Meiji School of Oriental Medicine in Suita, Osaka. Kishimi now has his own private counseling office in Kameoka, Kyoto, and devotes his time to giving lectures on Adlerian Psychology and child education.

Ichiro Kishimi

Fumitake Koga is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Fumitake Koga has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Fumitake Koga's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Fumitake Koga

The Courage to Be Disliked

One morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in bed he had been changed into a monstrous vermin.

The sister whispered, "Gregor, open the door—I beg you." Gregor had no intention of opening the door, but congratulated himself on his precaution, acquired from traveling, of locking all doors during the night, even at home.

And for a little while longer he lay quietly with weak breathing, as if perhaps waiting for normal and natural conditions to re-emerge out of the complete stillness.

All right, people did not understand his words any more, although they seemed clear enough to him, clearer than previously, perhaps because his ears had gotten used to them. But at least people now thought that things were not all right with him and were prepared to help him. The confidence and assurance with which the first arrangements had been carried out made him feel good. He felt himself included once again in the circle of humanity and was expecting from both the doctor and the locksmith, without differentiating between them with any real precision, splendid and surprising results.

Imagining that all his efforts were being followed with suspense, he bit down frantically on the key with all the force he could muster. As the key turned more, he danced around the lock.

Gregor was now shut off from his mother, who was perhaps near death, thanks to him. He could not open the door, and he did not want to chase away his sister who had to remain with her mother. At this point he has nothing to do but wait, and overwhelmed with self-reproach and worry, he began to creep and crawl over everything.

It was clear to Gregor that his father had badly misunderstood Grete's short message and was assuming that Gregor had committed some violent crime or other.

As her hands reached to the back of his father's head and she begged him to spare Gregor's life.

He did not wish to let her go from his room any more, at least not as long he lived. his frightening appearance would for the first time become useful for him. He wanted to be at all the doors of his room simultaneously and snarl back at the attackers. However, his sister should not be compelled but would remain with him voluntarily.

Then the door of the bed room opened, and Mr. Samsa appeared in his uniform, with his wife on one arm and his daughter on the other. All were a little tear stained. Now and then Grete pressed her face onto her father's arm.

Growing more silent and almost unconsciously understanding each other in their glances, they thought that the time was now at hand to seek out a good honest man for her.

The Metamorphosis (German: Die Verwandlung, also sometimes translated as The Transformation) is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It has been called one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western world. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, waking to find himself transformed (metamorphosed) into a large, monstrous insect-like creature. The cause of Gregor's transformation is never revealed, and Kafka himself never gave an explanation. The rest of Kafka's novella deals with Gregor's attempts to adjust to his new condition as he deals with being burdensome to his parents and sister, who are repelled by the horrible, verminous creature Gregor has become.

career

Career

mentalhealth

Mental Health

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

Franz Kafka

Metamorphosis

You might have heard that you should develop your EQ. EQ is the personal ability you have to recognize and label your own emotions and feelings.

Your Starting Point

Emotional intelligence (EQ/emotional quotient) is our ability to identify, understand and manage or control our feelings. It is additionally our ability to perceive, understand, and influence the emotions of other people.There isn't really an EQ "score" or metric that states how emotionally intelligent you are. If a person is "EQ dumb", most people know it and will usually stay away. If an individual is "EQ smart", he/she acts like a magnet to people.

What is EQ?

Once you can recognize your own feelings to a degree of certainty, you will then move on to develop the ability to see emotions and feelings in others for what they are.

Recognizing Feelings

If you can see feelings in yourself, you'll be able to identify them in others. That's the second step you would take if you are interested in developing you EQ—seeing others' feelings as they express them.

Identifying Feelings

The next level of emotional intelligence that you can develop for yourself is your personal ability to rein in or direct your emotions, to call on certain emotions, for instance, so that they help you perform better.

The Next Level of EQ

Think about a feeling where your answer was a clear "yes". There is actually a very simple way to dissolve any feeling that arises and is noticable in the body.Mental health professionals have been using and teaching it for decades, as part of their toolkit for helping emotionally overwhelmed patients. On average, it takes less than 2 minutes.

When Your Answer was a Clear "Yes"

In your path towards higher EQ, you will most likely run into thought traps—which tend to become habitual for many of us.

Thought Traps

Every ten minutes for the next hour, stop. Stop everything you are doing and ask yourself, "What is the predominant thought I have just been thinking?" Write down the complete thought. Don't do anything about it yet, just write it down.

Stop

Notice when you are spinning in your head around a recurring thought that you just can't let go of.Once you have noticed which thought keeps popping up or that you are spinning in your head, stop! Stop and ask yourself this question, "Could I let go of listening to my mind, yes or no?"Naturally, for these purposes, you want to answer yes.

Notice

Self management—in regards to improving your EQ—takes awareness of your own feelings, behaviors, and reactions one step further. Self-management is you at-will ability to delay gratification, in the name of more personal mastery over strong feelings or urges.In the name of a quiet, more balanced observation of other people around you. In the name of allowing others to shine.

Self-Management

These are three key words that help you understand what mindfulness is: determination, awareness, and attention.

Understanding Mindfulness

Use your imagination and look for moments during your ordinary day to practice mindfulness. Look for times during your day when you can focus your five senses into more mindfulness. Pay attention to the actual activity (standing, driving, sitting, eating), the people around you, the environment surrounding you and so on.

Imagination

Emotional intelligence means being aware that feelings drive both our best and our worst behaviors. For some of us need to train ourselves to observe and understand. Active listening helps.

Awareness

The best novelist and screenplay writers are active and attentive observers of humankind. They have to be, as understanding the role of emotions is how they develop the characters depicted in their stories.

Observing

Having a higher EQ will undoubtedly change your life.

Become Emotionally Smarter with a Practical Approach! Emotional intelligence has been a buzzword in the personal growth industry and in high-level corporate recruitment strategies since 1995, when Daniel Goleman used the term for his book title and topic. As we would say today, his use of it "went viral" immediately, in the world of business and mental health in particular. Often abbreviated as "EQ", emotional intelligence is the personal ability you have to recognize and label your own emotions and feelings, and to use this information to steer your thinking and behavior in the desired direction. Whether you are looking to climb the career ladder with ease, thrive during social events or simply feel more at peace with yourself, a well-developed EQ is absolutely critical. During the course of this book, we will take a look at the current knowledge surrounding the subject, as well as how you can vastly improve your own emotional intelligence with a series of simple, practical exercises. You will learn about: - How to observe and analyze your emotions at any given moment. - How to connect more easily with people and build strong and lasting relationships. - How your body reacts to your various emotional states. - How to release unwanted and potentially destructive emotions. - "Thought traps" and how to deal with them. - Mindfulness and its role in developing EQ. - How to improve your EQ in everyday environments. - How having a higher emotional intelligence will benefit your life. And more!

meditation

Meditation

Eric Jordan

Emotional Intelligence Mastery

Aesthetic and art are different. The distinction between the two is perhaps made most perspicuous by showing the difference between aesthetic and artistic properties.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Roughly, aesthetic properties are those that are the properties of sensory taste that we perceive in the things we experience: properties like ‘beautiful,’ ‘dynamic,’ ‘graceful.’</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Artistic properties are those that are relevant to artworks: facts about the context of creation, who the artist was, when they made the work, what their intentions for the work were, etc.</li></ul>

Aesthetic vs Art

It is true that many objects in the history of art are beautiful, and are largely concerned with the aesthetic. However, focusing exclusively on the beauty of artworks has been called a kind of historical myopia by many.

Historical Myopia

It is necessary to separate aesthetics from art because aesthetics deals with opinions on perception of the world in general. Formalist painting and sculpture can be granted an ‘art condition,’ but only by virtue of their presentation in terms of their art idea.

The art question is further muddied by yet another distinction, that between definitions of art and accounts of art. <ul><li class="ql-align-justify">For some, the classificatory question is to be answered by a definition such that one can determine, for any X, whether X is a work of art or not.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">For others, to provide an answer to the question of what is art is to give an account of art as a complete practice, which includes making sense of why cultures make and appreciate art, what are the values of art, etc.</li></ul>

The Art Question

Some of the most memorable experiences in life fill us with a profound sense of wonder and awe. Philosophers consider these experiences examples of the sublime.While experiences of the sublime are often overwhelming and overpowering, overall they are deeply empowering. According to Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the sublime empowers us by revealing the greatness (i.e., the sublimity) of our rational minds.

The Sublime (1/2)

For many people, the sublime is an experience of feeling a deep connection to nature or even a divine reality.[24] Thus, Kant’s decision to locate sublimity in the rational human mind might seem like an inaccurate description of what the experience is really like.Nonetheless, Kant’s theory of sublimity is an ideal starting point for anyone who wants to philosophize about why we derive aesthetic enjoyment from the experience of overwhelmingly large and powerful phenomena.

The Sublime (2/2)

Perhaps a combination of these theories can explain what makes something funny:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The superiority theory of humor: funniness results from feeling superior to another person or at a former version of ourselves.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The relief theory of humor: venting nervous energy is the primary function of laughter.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">The incongruity theory of humor: humor results from the sudden recognition of dissonance or incongruence where our expectations had prepared us for something completely different.</li></ul>There is little consensus regarding which theory is best, but this is not uncommon.

The Philosophy of Humor

Many videogames contain extreme violence, such as brutal killings, that would clearly be wrong if performed in reality. While some people find killing in videogames morally problematic, most people don’t.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Many people would find child abuse and other sadistic crimes to be wrong, even when only in a videogame.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">But if virtual murder is OK since nobody is actually harmed, why isn’t virtual child abuse also OK, since nobody is actually harmed? Conversely, if virtual child abuse is unacceptable despite harming nobody, why isn’t virtual murder also unacceptable?</li></ul>

Videogames and Philosophy

Aesthetics vs. Art by Brock Rough Definitions of Art by Brock Rough Kant’s Theory of the Sublime by Matthew Sanderson The Philosophy of Humor: What Makes Something Funny? by Chris A. Kramer Videogames and Philosophy by Alex Fisher

history

History

education

Learning & Education

Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art: An Introductory Anthology

Erik Erikson (1902–1994) proposed a lifespan model of development, emphasizing how social relationships shape our sense of self. He suggested we pass through eight stages, each marked by a central conflict, or psychosocial crisis, that must be resolved for healthy personality growth.

Introduction

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Feeding and consistent caregiving.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Hope.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: If unresolved, the infant may grow into an anxious child who views the world as unreliable.</li></ul>If their needs (food, comfort, affection) are consistently met, the infant typically develops a sense of trust, believing the world is safe and predictable. Conversely, unpredictable or neglectful care leads to mistrust and anxiety.

1. Trust vs Mistrust (0-18 Months)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Learning self-care (e.g., toilet training, dressing).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Will (the will to act independently).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: Excessive shame or doubt may result in overdependence on others and low self-esteem.</li></ul>Toddlers begin exploring their environment and asserting independence in tasks like dressing themselves or choosing foods. If caregivers encourage these efforts, children feel a sense of autonomy (confidence in their ability to handle challenges). Overly critical or controlling caregivers can make the child doubt their abilities, leading to shame and doubt.

2. Autonomy vs Shame & Doubt (18 Months-3 Years)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Play, exploration, and asking “why”.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Purpose.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: Excessive guilt can stifle creativity and inhibit a child’s desire to assert themselves.</li></ul>At this stage, children devise new games, imagine different roles, and learn to plan and execute activities. Encouragement fosters initiative (a willingness to try new things). Criticism or discouragement can produce guilt, making children feel they are a nuisance or that their ideas are unacceptable.

3. Initiative vs Guilt (3-5 Years)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Schoolwork, peer comparison, skill-building.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Competence.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: A lasting sense of inferiority can undermine confidence in academic or social settings.</li></ul>As children enter school, they compare their abilities to peers and seek to demonstrate competence. Support from teachers and parents helps them develop industry (confidence in skills and productivity). Without such support, or when faced with persistent failures, children risk feeling inferior and unmotivated.

4. Industry vs Inferiority (5-12 Years)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Experimenting with roles, peer influence, self-reflection.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Fidelity (the ability to remain true to oneself and others).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: A weak sense of identity can lead to insecurity, confusion, or even rebellion.</li></ul>During adolescence, the focus is on discovering “Who am I?” Teens explore different roles, values, and goals. When they are free to experiment—and receive guidance without pressure—they often develop a strong sense of identity. If they feel restricted, confused, or overwhelmed, they may experience role confusion.

5. Identity vs Role Confusion (12-18 Years)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Forming romantic relationships, deep friendships, emotional intimacy.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Love.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: Chronic isolation may lead to alienation and difficulty maintaining relationships.</li></ul>Young adults seek close bonds and relationships that involve mutual care and trust. Successful formation of these intimate connections leads to intimacy (the willingness to be open, vulnerable, and committed). Struggling to form meaningful relationships can cause isolation, characterized by loneliness and sometimes depression.

6. Intimacy vs Isolation (18-40 Years/Young Adulthood)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Parenting, career, community engagement.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Care (concern for future generations).</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: A sense of stagnation can trigger self-absorption, lack of personal growth, or midlife crisis.</li></ul>In mid-adulthood, individuals focus on guiding the next generation, whether through parenting, mentoring, or community involvement. Successfully contributing to others’ growth fosters generativity (the sense of productivity and accomplishment). Feeling unproductive or disconnected, by contrast, produces stagnation.

7. Generativity vs Stagnation (40-65 Years)

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Key Activity: Life review, reflection on achievements, acceptance of mortality.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Virtue: Wisdom.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Negative Outcome: Persistent despair and regret can lead to depression or hopelessness.</li></ul>In late adulthood, people reflect on their lives and accomplishments. If they view their experiences as meaningful, they achieve ego integrity (a sense of satisfaction and readiness to face life’s end). Those who feel they’ve fallen short may experience despair, marked by regret, bitterness, or fear of death.

8. Ego Integrity vs Despair (65+ Years)

Erikson’s theory outlines eight stages of psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood. At each stage, individuals face a conflict, such as trust vs. mistrust, which shapes their personality. Successfully resolving these conflicts leads to virtues like hope and integrity, while failure can result in guilt or despair.

parenting

Parenting

Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development

Writing, thinking, and learning were the same process.

Reasoning is a lost skill of the children of the TV generation, with their famously short attention span. Writing can help them get it back.

The TV Generation

Obscurity being one of the deadly sins, anyone might suppose that serious people would labor mightily to avoid it in their writing. But to suppose this is to overlook another force of nature that almost equals entropy as a drag on life’s momentum.

Obscurity

There are no cheap substitutes for the best.

In writing, short is usually better than long. Short words and sentences are easier for the eye and the mind to process than long ones, and an article that makes its case succinctly is the highest form of courtesy to the reader. Somehow it never occurs to sloppy writers that they are being fundamentally rude. Most pieces can be cut by 50 percent without losing any substance. Brevity is one sign of a well-organized mind.

Brevity

Jargon is the lingo of people in specialized fields who have infected each other with their private terminology and don’t think there’s any other way to say what they mean. Somewhere they forgot about the mother tongue. There’s almost no subject that can’t be made accessible in good English.

Jargon

Whenever you see in the newspaper or hear someone say that writing in America has gone to the dogs, you can bet that it’s the educated classes who are doing the bewailing and the uneducated classes and the young who are being bewailed.

The Illiteracy of the Elite

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Never use the same word twice for the same idea. Thus you make sure that the reader never knows whether it’s the same idea or not.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Never use the first person where you can use ambiguous phrases like “the writer” (especially when you’ve just mentioned some other writer) or, better still, “it is thought” or “it is considered,” so that the reader can’t be exactly sure who thinks what, or what—if anything—you do think.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Never use an active verb where a passive verb will do. It pads out the sentence nicely and puts more distance between you and the facts—and the reader.</li></ul>

The Rules of Bad Writing (John Rodgers)

The question of the “truth” of the individual geometric propositions is thus reduced to one of the “truth” of the axioms.

Truth

Zinsser believes that writers often conspire in their own insecurity. (By “writers” he also means every student of high school age and older who writes a paper of any kind.) Teachers of writing are dismally aware of the inclination of writers to equate the worth of their writing with the worth of who they are.The equation goes: “You think this is a terrible paper, therefore you must think I’m a terrible person.”

Insecur

The thought is natural, perhaps almost inevitable: when we write we put some part of our self on paper for other people to judge. But finally that thought is a self-indulgence.Writers who think they are being criticized when only their writing is being criticized are beyond a teacher’s reach. Writing can only be learned when a writer coldly separates himself from what he has written and looks at it with the objectivity of a plumber examining a newly piped bathroom to see if he got all the joints tight.

Open to Criticism

Think flexibly about the field you’re writing about. Its frontiers may no longer be where they were last time you looked.

Flexible Thinking

This is an essential book for everyone who wants to write clearly about any subject and use writing as a means of learning.

productivity

Productivity

writing

Reading & Writing

William Zinsser

Writing to Learn

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">The field of abnormal psychology seeks to understand the causes of mental disorders, how to best define and categorize such disorders, and the phenomena associated with these conditions.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Clinical psychology applies the knowledge developed through the study of abnormal, developmental, and other fields of psychology, to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental disorders.</li></ul>

Abnormal vs Clinical Psychology

Defining what constitutes abnormality is a challenge because there is no single definition that fits all instances, and agreement between observers and across cultures is low. With so many disorders, categorization and classification are needed to organize our knowledge of the field. One system of categorization is provided by DSM, published by APA.

Defining Abnormality

The main concern of abnormal psychology is the way in which abnormality is defined and categorized. Illuminating the cause (etiology) of various disorders is another major goal, as is the prediction of when disordered states might arise.

The Main Concern of Abnormal Psychology

The field of clinical psychology applies the knowledge gained through the study of abnormal psychology to the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders.

The Main Concern of Clinical Psychology

Sigmund Freud pioneered the idea in 1955 that the symptoms of mental distress arise as a result of traumatic experience. From this discovery came the concept of talking cure (otherwise known as psychotherapy) in which the therapist, through a special form of conversation, assists patients to address, and hopefully resolve, the psychological causes underlying their mental distress.

Freud's View

There is no single means of defining what constitutes abnormality. The following five criteria are often used by professionals and many laypeople: distress, disorder, dysfunction, deviance, and danger. It is important to note that there can be, and often is, disagreement in the field as to whether a condition constitutes a disorder.

The Criteria of Abnormality

There are many theories as to what causes mental illness. Although most of these theories have support in the research literature, no single their can explain all disorders. Psychological disorders can be explained on many different levels and have many different causes, and for any particular individual with a disorder, it is likely that there are multiple factors operating simultaneously to produce their condition.

What Causes Mental Illness?

Gale Researcher Guide for: Clinical and Abnormal Psychology is selected from Gale's academic platform Gale Researcher. These study guides provide peer-reviewed articles that allow students early success in finding scholarly materials and to gain the confidence and vocabulary needed to pursue deeper research.

Jane Alexandra Kessler

Gale Researcher Guide for: Clinical and Abnormal Psychology

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Philosophy is associated with wisdom: etymologically, the term ‘philosophy’ is derived from the Greek, meaning ‘lover of wisdom’.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Philosophy is the child of wonder and curiosity about the world.</li></ul>

What is Philosophy?

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle (this Athenian triumvirate) are of astonishing and continuing influence over Western philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy and, one-time, the sciences when subsumed as ‘natural philosophy’.

The Athenian Triumvirate

The Pre-Socratics are philosophers prior to Socrates. Much of their work is lost but they were highly influential – two notables being Heraclitus and Parmenides.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Heraclitus announced that you cannot step into the same river twice for waters are always changing. A quick response is: you cannot even step into the same river once.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Parmenides, in a poem, The Way Truth, argued that all is one and unchanging. It met support via Zeno of Elea’s motion paradoxes: how can you reach that wall? First you need to go half-way, then half of the remainder, then half the new remainder, and so on. </li></ul>

The Pre-Socratics

Socrates was an intellectual gadfly, stinging the complacency of the rich and powerful – of those who thought they knew. Found guilty of corrupting the young and of impiety, he was sentenced to death by hemlock, and declined to escape. Most of what we know about him derives from his greatest pupil, Plato.

Socrates (469–399 BC)

All subsequent philosophy has been described as a footnote to Plato. Plato looked be- yond this world of ever-changing appearances, to un- changing ‘forms’ or ideas. He suggested recipes for the good life, radical ideas for society – women on a par with men – and offered thoughts on love, desire and mind.

Plato (429–347 BC)

Philosophy, the “love of wisdom”, is the product of our endless fascination and curiosity about the world – the child of wonder. Through it, we seek to answer the most fundamental of questions: How do we know what we know? Does God exist? What is beauty? How should we live our lives? What am I? In this exhilarating tour, Peter Cave navigates all the main topics of philosophy with verve and clarity. Using witty and whimsical examples, including stoical sofas and Reg, the “regular” human, who just happens to carry his brain in a rucksack, Cave provides a welcome antidote to the dry textbook while covering everything from political philosophy to points of logic. Interspersed with helpful textboxes and underlining the enduring relevance of philosophy to us all, there is no better introduction for the aspiring sage.

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