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Lark's Quest

Lark

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Jun 21, 2009
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A while back reading Eric Fromm's Art of Listening, which was his "method" of therapy in outline I was able to make a list of the things which he thought were curative factors in addressing what he considered "modern character neurosis", now perhaps this wouldnt really be considered neurosis these days and if it was as something necessarily needing therapy.

Anyway, I've thought about developing this list as something to use myself in personal and professional development, its sort of what I'm interested in besides visiting online forums to shoot the shit with random strangers.

Fromm sees the short list as:
- Changing one's own action
- Developing Interest in the world
- Learning to think critically
- Knowledge of oneself and getting aware of one's unconscious
- Becoming aware of one's body
- To concentrate and meditate
- To discover one's own narcissism
- Analyzing oneself

So I was wondering, do you think its a useful or a waste of time to engage in any sort of personal development or self-improvement at all? Do you think this list is any good? What way would you world or change it if you were to reinvent it? If you were to try and practice any of these how would you go about it?
 

ubiquitous1

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So I was wondering, do you think its a useful or a waste of time to engage in any sort of personal development or self-improvement at all? Do you think this list is any good? What way would you world or change it if you were to reinvent it? If you were to try and practice any of these how would you go about it?


I think it is a good list and it is similar to my own way of self-assessment. Unfortunately, item #4 on the list doesn't enter my consciousness until reality sticks out its foot and trips me, causing me quite a bit of discomfort, although, the older I get the less frequently this happens. Once I identify things that I do not like about myself, I try to find ways to improve them. For example, I didn't feel very logical, so in an effort to improve my deductive reasoning I began taking advanced math classes.


Other things are improved through awareness alone. For example, I do not like change, being outside my comfort zone and I am extremely shy. Therefore, I temper these natural tendencies by not making absolute plans and forcing myself to try new things or talk to new people.


Could you reword this question?

What way would you world or change it if you were to reinvent it?
 

Totenkindly

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Anyway, I've thought about developing this list as something to use myself in personal and professional development, its sort of what I'm interested in besides visiting online forums to shoot the shit with random strangers.

Fromm sees the short list as:
- Changing one's own action
- Developing Interest in the world
- Learning to think critically
- Knowledge of oneself and getting aware of one's unconscious
- Becoming aware of one's body
- To concentrate and meditate
- To discover one's own narcissism
- Analyzing oneself

So I was wondering, do you think its a useful or a waste of time to engage in any sort of personal development or self-improvement at all?

It's an interesting question... if only for the fact I never really asked it, I have always assumed that self-improvement was good!

Hopefully a lot of these things wouldn't be impositions on the person but things they would WANT to do.

I've never understood totally why psychological growth and maturation was something people would have to force themselves to do, especially in checklist form. If you could be better, more well-rounded, happier, and "more you" and thus fulfilled as a person... wouldn't you go for that? (However, I'm aware that I am a particular type of person who automatically observes, introspects, and evaluates regardless, so a lot of this is natural behavior... Some types of people will be better at it than others.)

I'll have to think more about the other questions and answer later.
 

miss fortune

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oooh... I know myself too well, for instance, making a list of things I need to jump to or recognize will end up by the wayside :doh:

by my observations as a good extrovert though- if you actually pay attention to the reactions of others around you for a bit you can learn quite a bit about your behavior and what "vibe" you give off... if that would be of any help!

of course, I'm usually kind of in my own world, so it takes a bit of reminding to myself to pay attention.... :blush:
 

Lark

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Jun 21, 2009
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It's an interesting question... if only for the fact I never really asked it, I have always assumed that self-improvement was good!

Hopefully a lot of these things wouldn't be impositions on the person but things they would WANT to do.

I've never understood totally why psychological growth and maturation was something people would have to force themselves to do, especially in checklist form. If you could be better, more well-rounded, happier, and "more you" and thus fulfilled as a person... wouldn't you go for that? (However, I'm aware that I am a particular type of person who automatically observes, introspects, and evaluates regardless, so a lot of this is natural behavior... Some types of people will be better at it than others.)

I'll have to think more about the other questions and answer later.

I know some people who follow the Fight Club mantra that self-improvement is masturbation and that self-destruction is the only time well spent.

There's others who without being so negative about it reject the idea as a waste of time, hokey or less important than serving others or improving the world. I kind of see it as all connected anyway but ultimately the better an individual is and the more rounded they are or developed the more likely they are to improve the world, simply by being I guess.

I'm interested in this kind of thing but the answers which you get from different sources can be very varied, some value intraspection for instance while others extraversion, besides Fromm I think Russell had some good ideas in The Conquest of Happiness (be outwardly interested, have a range of hobbies and interests, be not in conflict with yourself or others, dont experience neurotic guilt).
 
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