Stages of the Development of Personality

In creating a family genome for a class, I found mine is filled, from all angles, with addicts, criminals of sorts, pedophiles, many had psychological deficits and a few committed suicide. Each had an intricate story of their own that contributed to how mine began. One could say I was doomed from the time the sperm hit the egg. I’d have even agreed when only looking from a psychoanalytical or a biological point of view. As I grew from child to young adult, my perspective changed to that of a cognitive behaviorist. I tried to incorporate a psychoanalytic perspective in tweaking my negative cognition and behaviors. Ultimately, that led my personality to grow beyond a Freudian view. As my personality developed further, I adopted a humanistic point of view.

The psychoanalytic approach doesn’t rely on the principle of freewill. Children also do not have the capability of making choices that will affect their lives. They depend on their caretakers to make these critical decisions. Psychoanalytic theory reflects the person’s past to gather data about why they have negative thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. My childhood like everyone else’s was out of my control and therefore, much of it I felt rejected and much like a failure.

It is a human parent’s natural responsibility to care for and guide their offspring but if they do not then it causes much distress in the ego. Also, when your moral compass is being taught by delinquents who have not quite learned their own morality, your superego has inconsistencies. A child who is not safe and does not have their basic needs met loses pieces of their id. Turner (2009) explains that the process of feeling safe works on many subtle levels, and involves working out for oneself, in a...

... middle of paper ...

...our own wealth- seeking (Friedman, Schustack, 2009) .

Now, I teach my kids these things that I have learned. One is never judge a book by it’s cover, another is treat people how you wish to be treated. I know that I am a better parent because of my parents. I’m still not sure if it’s all just a predestined mathematical equation that has all the possible solutions already mapped out or if every decision you make is your individual choice. It is the ride not starting point or the destination. I do however know that personality is always changing and every new situation shapes that.

Works Cited

Friedman, H.S. (2009). Personality Classic Theories and Modern Research. Pearson.

Melton,, R. F. (1994) Competencies in Perspective. Educational Research 36 (3), pp. 285-295.

Turner, W. (2009). Strange Relationships. Therapy Today 20 (10), pp. 24-27.