The Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story - Book Report/Review Example

Psychological Analysis of Ben Carson’s Life Story One of the wonderful things about studying psychology is the number of theories that have been put forth since psychology became a science. These theories don’t radically differ from one another (usually), but the subtle differences among proposed explanations for why humans are the way they are fascinating. Theories are complex; often one part of a theory will perfectly explain a person’s behavior while another part will be completely off the mark. These contrasts show that no one way of analyzing a person or situation is the “right” way. It is more interesting to apply a number of theories to one person’s life story than to try to shoehorn a person into fitting a theoretical framework, so examining the life of Ben Carson in light of several psychological theories is a good exercise in understanding how theorists developed their ideas. This essay looks at the various stages of Ben Carson’s life as told in his autobiography Gifted Hands, and looks at his life from the perspective of (1) Baumrind’s parenting styles; (2) Piaget’s stages of cognitive development; and (3) Gardner’s and Sternberg’s types of intelligence. How Dr. Carson came to be a successful brain surgeon is amazing given the odds stacked against him from birth. He is, indeed, a ghetto kid from Detroit, the child of a single mother who didn’t even complete elementary school. Growing up in the 1960s, prejudice was everywhere for black kids. His family was incredibly poor and he attended public school. Yet, somehow, he grew up to be a sought-after neurosurgeon with an attitude that would be admirable on anyone. Psychological theories such as those named above can offer some insight into how Dr. Carson developed into the person he became. Baumrind’s Parenting Styles Diana Baumrind studied parenting styles and began to formulate her theories in the 1960s and 1970s, just around the time Ben Carson was growing up. If she had known about Mrs. Carson, she might have used her as an example of an authoritarian-authoritative parent. Mrs. Carson was very strict with her sons, insisting that they turn off the television and apply themselves to their studies, but she was not mean to the kids. Dr. Carson does not dwell on what kinds of discipline his mother used on her sons but it is clear that she is in authority over them. He describes himself and his brother as basically good kids, although his older brother seems to have had some attitude problems before Mrs. Carson took over their time and development. So, while Mrs. Carson fits some of Baumrind’s definition of an authoritarian parent, such as enforcing rules rigidly, she seems to be more of an authoritative parent when viewed through her adult son’s eyes. It is possible that because of the type of child Ben Carson was, and because he became a great success, Mrs. Carson’s parenting style seems less restrictive in retrospect. She was lucky to have such a good son, and he was lucky to have such a good mother; another child may have described her as being very mean and authoritarian. Mrs. Carson certainly did keep her sons from engaging in antisocial behaviors which might have ruined their chances for success in college. One antisocial behavior that plagues inner city kids is violence; Ben attempts to stab his friend and then remembers his mother’s lessons on using prayer to solve problems. She got through to him with this lesson. Other opportunities such as joining the ROTC influenced Ben as well, but his basic upbringing was firm but loving, demanding yet encouraging. An important thing that Mrs. Carson did when her sons were young was to spend quality time with them. Although she herself did not have any schooling, she spent time with them on their studies and listened with interest when they talked. Ben’s story about his mother encouraging him to memorize his multiplication tables is a good illustration of good parenting. Mrs. Carson had her times tables memorized, so her son should too, and so much more. Although Dr. Carson didn’t realize it at the time, his mother was setting herself up as a role model for him in a good way: she could have gotten down on herself about her lack of education, but chose instead to see her limits as accomplishments rather than detriments. And Mrs. Carson didn’t see parenting as an inconvenience, as the textbook mentions some modern parents do. She saw her sons as a life’s work and worthwhile and herself as worthwhile. There is no way to know what parenting influence Dr. Carson’s father might have had, since he chose to remain with the other family he had created rather than with Ben and Curtis. In Dr. Carson’s memory, he is a good man, always willing to play and very patient. Baumrind would probably describe him as an indulgent-neglectful parent. He was definitely neglectful; even when they were married he was gone a lot of the time. It also seems as though he never had much of a hand in disciplining or guiding Ben. In his memory, Ben is in a way glad that his father left, because he realized later that peace could be found in the three-person unit that remained. He describes being fearful and hiding in his room when his parents had silent arguments. Dr. Carson’s story might have been very different had he had two parents with such conflicting parenting styles in his life. Piaget’s Theories of Moral Development Turning now to a slightly older theory developed by Piaget in the 1930s, tracing Dr. Carson’s moral development as a child gives a good picture of why he turned out to be so successful. Piaget points out two stages, heteronomous and autonomous, which children go through in their formative years. Ben relates a story of how his brother was about to be “tracked” into a vocational educational path and his mother disagreed with the school’s choice. Ben recalls being extremely surprised that anyone could argue with authority, which is a perfect illustration of Piaget’s heteronomous morality. His reaction to his father’s abandonment of the family is also a good illustration; he argues with his mother that families are supposed to stay together, meaning that the rightness of the world would be destroyed if there were a shift in the boundaries he was used to. As Dr. Curtis grows older and becomes aware of racial prejudice, he begins to make autonomous moral decisions. He is angered by his teacher’s reaction to his being the smartest kid in class, and while pondering her behavior he thinks alternately that she is a “turkey” and that he won’t settle for second place just because he is black. Throughout the autobiography, Ben returns over and over to the racial prejudice he encounters in his life, and his later reaction to patients’ prejudice is almost the same as his child’s reaction to his teacher: people are people, even prejudiced people. While developing into a moral person, both Christianity and his mother’s example became touchstones for Ben. He uses his experiences to gain more understanding of himself and other people, rather than reacting negatively and shutting off the opportunity to make right choices. All children deal with a variety of moral issues as they grow. Piaget may have based his theories on observations of children in the 1920s and 1930s, but a generation later Dr. Curtis was formulating the same moral groundwork as previous generations of children. Using the incident of the near-stabbing of his friend as an example, during his time in the bathroom Ben undergoes a complete moral transformation: he realizes that change is incredibly difficult but that it must happen in order for him to grow into a successful person. Dr. Curtis frames his moral transformation by using his adult friends’ theories that change is impossible, and credits his transformation to a strong faith in God. His example shows that moral issues can be decided upon by children and that they can then change their actions accordingly, using their own inner strength. While Dr. Curtis relies on several factors for strength—his mother, his memories of his mother, his wife, mentors and teachers, and certainly his faith—his morality is not dictated by those others; it comes from inside himself. In his later life, Dr. Curtis uses these two formative stages of his moral development to his advantage in dealing with the people he encounters professionally. After the death of his patient Jennifer, for instance, he ponders his sense of responsibility toward all patients and morally justifies his actions by concluding that his work is good, even if people end up dying. He comments that he has carried an emotional burden with him ever since the death of Jennifer. Likewise, he has carried emotional burdens (and their moral lessons) from his childhood experiences. The key here, psychologically speaking, is that these burdens and moral decisions are made easier because he developed a firm sense of his morality when he was young. Gardner’s and Sternberg’s Types of Intelligence Obviously, Dr. Curtis is an incredibly intelligent person. That said it is interesting to look at his intelligences from theoretical frameworks to really get inside his head and understand how intelligent he really is overall. First there are the three types of intelligence that Sternberg discusses: Analytical, Creative, and Practical. Anyone who can make it through medical school and residency must have a great amount of analytical intelligence. From the moment Ben got his glasses as a child he applied himself to learning anything and everything in a methodical way, and those methods produced rewards when he was the top student in class. Ben even dreams the answers to an important exam, though he credits this to a miracle. Likewise, anyone who can perform brain surgery must be creatively intelligent and indeed, Dr. Curtis relates many stories of how he was able to think on his feet during consultations or surgery. Because he made it through all those years of schooling and developed a sought-after practice, Dr. Curtis shows he is able to apply everything he’s learned to everyday situations. Ben’s example of how he was the only student who completed the hoax exam for Psychology 301 is a good illustration of all three of these intelligences at work. First, he trusted his analytical intelligence even though he had no clue what the questions on the exam meant. He just kept working, setting his mind to doing the best he could with the knowledge he had in his head. Second, he uses his creative intelligence to bluff his way through the answers, getting caught up in the flow of his thoughts so much that he doesn’t even notice he’s the only person left in the room. Finally, he uses his practical intelligence to apply himself to the test even though no one else did: he knew that the other tests were destroyed, and he needed to pass the class. Very practical. Gardner’s eight frames of mind are also at work in Ben’s intelligence. Verbally, he can talk to anyone from a “lowly” ward aide to high powered and world famous surgeons, using his personality and obvious command of the language to communicate. Dr. Curtis talks about his mathematical intelligence throughout the book, but especially during his young years starting with the multiplication tables. His spatial intelligence is used extensively in performing delicate surgeries, along with a keen kinesthetic ability. Ben’s musical intelligence is mostly concentrated in his wife, who is an accomplished musician, but that counts in some ways for him because she is an extension of himself. Interpersonally, Ben’s experiences with prejudice and with people in general set him up to be an easily likable person, and he seeks out other people to get to know them and leverage their knowledge (including nurses who are often ignored). Intrapersonally, the whole autobiography is an examination of himself and his life. Finally, Dr. Curtis has a good sense of the natural from a young age, from his first library readings about animals. When Sternberg’s and Gardner’s theories of intelligence are combined, we come up with the theory of emotional intelligence. From the first page to the last, Ben Carson’s autobiography paints a portrait of a man with incredible emotional intelligence. He is good with people; he is good with his wife; he is good with his superiors and mentors. Most of all, he is good with himself. He is able to relate stories of terrible failures (almost stabbing his friend; losing patients; nearly failing courses) right alongside stories of wonderful successes (most of his life). His ability to objectively look at his own actions and the actions of others is one thing that has allowed him to become such a success in his chosen profession and in his life. Concluding Remarks Throughout his autobiography, Dr. Carson does not analyze himself, his mother or brother, his mentors and teachers, or even his culture from the perspectives we have just talked about. He tells his story in a straightforward manner, returning always to his faith in God and his admiration for his mother as the foundational explanations for his eventual success. He is a humble man in his actions toward other people yet at the same time acknowledges how proud he feels when others turn to him for help—from his school mates in seventh grade all the way to the patients who will have no other surgeon but him. By acknowledging his inner worth and not letting his success spoil his outward actions, Dr. Carson succeeds in being a worthwhile person as well as a great surgeon. Occasionally, Dr. Curtis “analyzes” himself or a situation, but he is not hung up on a personal exploration for meaning as the purpose for writing this autobiography. Only by being a neutral third-party and standing outside him and his life can we see how his mother’s parenting shaped the man he became, how his own inner and outer moral strengths sustained him throughout his life, and how he leveraged his above-average intelligences through success and failure. Each turning point in his life revolves around his strengths as a person, and even though he failed (or came close to failing) at many points, he keeps going on. That is the mark of a successful person. As Dr. Curtis winds up his autobiography, he again returns to his humbleness, amazed and flattered that people recognize and admire him. Since he hasn’t psychoanalyzed his life, he really can’t see why he should be set apart from any other person—in his mind, anyone could do what he did. However, psychologists might disagree and want very much to use his life as an illustration of their theoretical points. Overall, he is a positive example of what theoreticians are describing: capable, intelligent on multiple levels, and very, very successful. Ben credits his mother, his mentors, and his faith, but down deep knows he is entirely responsible for his own actions and the outcomes of his life. Read More