Thought journal - Assignment Example

Thought Journal The “Self” in the Community Indeed, there have been much to learn in psychology which I find of significant advantage such as the lessons covered for studying the essence of memory, sensory perception, conditioning, as well as response and stimulus. What particularly interests me, nevertheless, is the section that has guided me to a series of introspection as I examine ‘the way I am’ in the light of understanding the manner by which I engage with my community. Primarily, it was at home and through the people by blood relation that, like majority of people do, I manage to have gradually established my real character.

With this basic unit of community, I experience being formed in several aspects and this formation is altogether a product of values taught and examples demonstrated by the adults whose actions have, in a way or another, influenced my set of perspectives on living and how I should find a way with it. Consequently, I somehow realize that while I acquire a unique identity by nature and ambition, I impose upon myself to assume traits of others which the norms of the society in general restrict men to be governed by.

Beyond the impact of family, my encounter of other human beings in school, for instance, has induced to my spontaneous ‘self’ plausible barriers and motivating factors alike that tend to shape and modify my thoughts and deeds. Due to this ‘modified self’ in the community, I observe that having to put bounds around the nature I am, it typically gives lee to the rest of the community members to assert themselves more than I do. Eventually, I get pierced with grief and I unconsciously shield myself with a borrowed ‘persona’ to front an image that becomes less able to speak the truth.

Complete Name: Course: Title: Thought Journal 2 -- Collectivism and Individualism Our study of psychology has further made me engage into analyzing which is a better approach for parents to raise their children. I have begun asking how the parenting style of the “collectivist” parents would compare to the style of the “individualist” parents. To be able to address these thoughts, I make attempts at observing parent-child relationship in our neighborhood and come up with a third-person general view of the both concepts based on a number of such observations.

In a society where collectivism is the sustaining principle of a culture, sociability is essential and individuals are expected to behave in a manner that contributes to interdependence with others. Collectivist parents assume a role that promotes a group-oriented learning in which they make it a point that children gain social acceptance so they would be necessarily taught to behave in such a way as to conform and be part of a group or circle of influence with prominent status. They chiefly require their children to get along well with people, believing that association with others is the key to better living at present and in the future to come.

On the other hand, a society that designates main thrust on individualism focuses on cultivating the potentials of an individual and highly depends on the capacities of a person regardless of one’s worth in a group. Individualist parents in this case rear their children with flexibility so that the latter can think, act, and decide more for themselves and they are not expected by the family to rely on social efforts for personal growth and development. Complete Name: Course: Title: Thought Journal 3 -- The ‘Fragmented Self’ Another thing that is worth meditating in my knowledge of psychology is how it applies to my reflection of a changing or straying ‘self’ as a member of society or larger community.

I perceive having ‘persona’ as an outward projection or an outer layer that masks my real desire attached with the original identity. At this point, I am aware that I have been reacquainted with my orientation though this time, it is far from the ‘true self’ as I substitute indifference via replacing my base character with personality or my temporary cover. In this case, I suppose there is no way performance may be linked in direct proportion to personality because to some extent, performance does fail when character could not seem to get over abiding by pretense with the personality that has taken off the true self.

The absence of the self with which the true identity or initial attributes were contained implies that, rather than stating complete absence which is not entirely possible, the self as part of the community by higher degree of mismanaged involvement, shatters to ‘fragments’. So the fragments of the self, in this scenario, knowing what formerly took place to arrive at this stage, disable a sold out performance in the form of doubts since the self as a whole, apart from the community, is supposed to be filled with determination.

This ‘fragmented self’, having missed portions of the original comes out with a weakened core from which sound communication ought to flow. As I attempt to find genuine or sensible connection, hence, I end up exerting huge efforts with fragmented patterns of joyful interaction as well, causing apathy or disillusionment instead of healthy relations with other individuals in the same community. References “Identity, Personality and Fragmentation.” Miscellaneous Musings. Retrieved from http://www.cyquest.com/motherhome/personality.

html on November 25, 2012. Gerhard, Adam. “Individualism and Collectivism.” Science 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.science20.com/gerhard_adam/individualism_and_collectivism on November 25, 2012.