Do you have an internal or an external locus of control?

[LightSun]

"Do you have an internal or external locus of control? Which would you prefer? What are the pro's and con's with each orientation?

'The difference between an external locus of control and a person with an internal locus of control'

"There are people with an internal locus of control not driven by the opinions of other people. An internal locus, one takes a stoic self responsibility no matter what life throws at them. There is also an external locus of control where unfortunately those person's put to much emphasis on the opinions, likes and dislikes of others.

The externally influenced individual is too much at the mercy of what happens to them in life and are more prone to blame others and life for their own feelings. In psychology circles we are trained to take ownership of personal feelings such as to state: 'I think,' or 'I feel' statements. Now two external things which bother me are trophy hunting and Mr. Donald Trump. Both are anti-ethical to what I believe. I do not believe in judgment or name calling especially swear words.

“We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses.” Carl Jung

We must seek to understand. If there is any immorality in things then we take proactive action and strive to make things better. To judge alone accomplishes nothing rather it shows your own lack of understanding. Moreover, it shows a lack of emotional maturity and spiritual growth.

(1) One you accomplish nothing.

(2) You are preaching to the choir of your constituency.

Rather state the facts and let them speak for themselves. This is to take the road of Reason and inner morality. To take the lesser road reminds me of the sheer ignorance I witnessed from the Obama haters. If you use an attacking language that is an emotionally subjective generalization than you succumb to the 'haters' whether Obama or Trump.

“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.” Benjamin Franklin

"Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated." Coretta Scott King

Now I will take ownership and reveal my personal feelings about Mr. Trump. I do not like the man and personally abhor him. Nonetheless i will not succumb to calling him names. That would be a reflection of me and my lack of emotional maturity and spiritual growth.

I ask myself, "What can I reasonably do?"

(1) Point out objective facts without projections of emotionally subjective language. Let the truth speak for itself.

(2) When the time comes vote the man out of office and other than pointing out objective fact ignore the man to the best of my ability as I see him as a negative force.
Life is a test, always seek the high path of Reason and Agape compassion rather than succumb to base emotion laden judgments.

 

[Sacrophagus]

Inner referendum.

Those with an external compass tend to be prone to suffocating validation seeking, at the mercy of every outter change, hence why they are more likely to follow new trends because others are doing the same.

On the other hand, those of us with an internal compass tend to be detached from details of reality we deem as obstructing, value our freedom to the point we can purge anything looming in the shadows to take it away, and we're very obstinate.

 

[Quick]

Wow, I wish I could say I had a 100% internal locus of control. I do not though because I have many weaknesses.

 

[Galena]

I have a strong amount of both. Honestly, I cannot say I know which one dominates because of how powerful both the internal and the external have been in their own specific moments, and on a close enough timescale where I cannot say that it was just a matter of phases. In a situation, basically I will decide on where the greater influence rests and then really drive that home whichever it is. My orientation is just deciding hard, and that is fluid with the situation. If anything, I'm just a control freak.

 

[á´…eparted]

Very external

 

[LightSun]

Inner referendum.

Those with an external compass tend to be prone to suffocating validation seeking, at the mercy of every outter change, hence why they are more likely to follow new trends because others are doing the same.

On the other hand, those of us with an internal compass tend to be detached from details of reality we deem as obstructing, value our freedom to the point we can purge anything looming in the shadows to take it away, and we're very obstinate.

Sacrophagus wrote, (all quotes are Sacrophagus followed by my reply). (1) "....external compass tend to be prone ...suffocating validation seeking, at the mercy of every outer change...."

A person can have a healthy external locus of control if they have self esteem. If they are stoic in nature they can prevail over difficulties.

(2) "...they are more likely to follow new trends because others are doing the same."

This is a generalyzed statement but yes I would think they would be more prone to do what the popular person is doing.

(3) "...internal compass tend...be detached from details of reality we deem as obstructing, value our freedom to the point we can purge anything looming in the shadows to take it away, and we're very obstinate."

I would not use the word detatched so much as guided by an inner compass point whether it is popular or not. We are on a journey of self and in discovering and making our own happiness.

 

[Bush]

It's more impressive to say that you've got an internal locus of control, so I'll roll with that.

 

[Cellmold]

Well since one is framed in this OP as more beneficial than the other (read: 'better') then it must be internal locus of control.

Although I would say neither exists in separation from the other. Otherwise, what is the internal locus responding to exactly?

I think this would be better seen as a spectrum, in which individuals can become (in the extreme forms) isolated from what arises uninfluenced due to too many internal illusions & on the other hand, completely dependant on what arises as others dictate it.

 

[Z Buck McFate]

Although I would say neither exists in separation from the other. Otherwise, what is the internal locus responding to exactly?

I think this would be better seen as a spectrum, in which individuals can become (in the extreme forms) isolated from what arises uninfluenced due to too many internal illusions & completely dependant on what arises as others dictate it.

I think this is precisely correct. I think it's a noble endeavor to cultivate as much of an internal locus of control as possible, but even individuals whom practically make this endeavor their full time job (e.g. Buddhist monks) continue to find things - after a lifetime of cultivating this skill - in the external environment which they get stuck on.

 

[anticlimatic]

The amount of respect I have for someone is inversely proportionate to how external their locus of control is.

Mine is at least 90% internal.

 

[Coriolis]

Mostly internal, in that it is up to me how to handle whatever life sends my way. That being said, external influences do exist and sometimes can overwhelm even our best attempts to compensate, mitigate, or otherwise overcome. So, it is a mixture but for me strongly skewed toward internal.

 

[Stigmata]

Internal.

I'd like to believe that I have the ability to manipulate any given situation to fit the mold of whatever my mind constructs. Every response/action spawn a series of possible outcomes, yet I acknowledge that every action I take creates a new path of forks in the road from which to travel.

 

[LightSun]

Mostly internal, in that it is up to me how to handle whatever life sends my way. That being said, external influences do exist and sometimes can overwhelm even our best attempts to compensate, mitigate, or otherwise overcome. So, it is a mixture but for me strongly skewed toward internal.

Coriolis wrote, (1) "...internal...up to me how to handle whatever life sends my way."

I am projecting. I am stoic and I find you to be quite reasonable.


(2) "...external influences do exist and sometimes can overwhelm even our best attempts to compensate, mitigate, or otherwise overcome."

We have two realities (generalization). There is real reality and then there is the unforseen. When something comes out of the blue that can be traumatic it can cause cognitive dissonance. That is the colliding of two realities the real reality and your conceived and expected reality.

 

[Coriolis]

Coriolis wrote, (1) "...internal...up to me how to handle whatever life sends my way."

I am projecting. I am stoic and I find you to be quite reasonable.


(2) "...external influences do exist and sometimes can overwhelm even our best attempts to compensate, mitigate, or otherwise overcome."

We have two realities (generalization). There is real reality and then there is the unforseen. When something comes out of the blue that can be traumatic it can cause cognitive dissonance. That is the colliding of two realities the real reality and your conceived and expected reality.

Therein lies the beauty and utility of contingency planning.

 

[Yuurei]

"Do you have an internal or external locus of control? Which would you prefer? What are the pro's and con's with each orientation?


'The difference between an external locus of control and a person with an internal locus of control'

"If one blames others or life for their feelings then they are reacting from an external locus of control stance. To judge alone accomplishes nothing rather it shows one's own lack of clear understanding. These type of individuals will never truly realize their heart's desire to its fullest degree. An external locus of control person unfortunately put to much emphasis on the opinions, likes and dislikes of others. The externally influenced individual is too much at the mercy of what happens to them in life and are more prone to blame others and life for their own personal feelings.

A person can have a healthy external locus of control if they have self esteem, are stoic in nature and seek to prevail over life's difficulties. By taking ownership of our thoughts, feelings and actions we operate from an internal locus of control. If triggered, rather than blaming we reflect and look within. At the bottom of the trigger is an unhealed part of oneself. We must seek to understand the nature of the trigger in order to gain insight and grow from the experience.

In dealing with life's circumstances with mindfulness and reason we continue to actualize. People with an internal locus of control are not as easily driven by the opinions of other people. An internal locus of control individual takes a stoic self responsibility no matter what life throws at them. In psychology circles we are trained to take ownership of personal feelings such as to state: 'I think,' or 'I feel' statements. Internal locus of control individuals become orientated and self guided by an inner compass point whether it is popular or not.

We are on a journey of self discovery of the true self and in the creation of our own happiness. The best avenue is to take the road of Reason and Agape compassion. We in this capacity are more able to learn from life's lessons and thus grow in depth and breadth."

I know this is a bit late but I just saw it. I love this. If there is anything I wish to teach to people it is this...so far I've been unsuccessful. People really do like to cling to their excuses.

 

[Lark]

I know this is a bit late but I just saw it. I love this. If there is anything I wish to teach to people it is this...so far I've been unsuccessful. People really do like to cling to their excuses.

I am not sure that this can be taught, on the one hand I think that insight is not sufficient to inform behaviour, even when its understood fully and accepted as agreeable.

On the other hand, no matter how much steely resolve anyone has, or imagines they have, it should not excuse the external, situational stressors from consideration. There really is more to it than simply encouraging people to steel themselves to their circumstances when their circumstances really, really ought to change. Like I've known a lot of people who are highly adapted to really terrible circumstances, they cope where others would fail to but should they have to?

I'm not thinking specifically of trolling, bullying, cyberbullying, other forms of intimidation, crime but it counts in that case as much as other sorts of adversity, hardship, scarcity or deprivation.

Like I get tried of hearing about cases of people who have NPD or who're sociopaths or psychopaths or something like it and engage in trolling plead free speech and complain about a victim culture when someone tries to check their behaviour. All of that has a consequence beyond cyberspace too. Its a sort of culture jamming which I think will effect how juries feel about trials, how professionals or judges do, how forms of abuse are conceived of by the community at large involving vulnerable populations like the old, the sick, children but also individuals in general. Basically, if you're dealing with an ill individual and they insist you just need to be more like them, its not a good idea to go along with that. Some, though not all, discussions of self-control seem to take on the hue or complexion.

That said, while that's my current view and the accent or angle I like to put on this discussion presently, I have seen the value of self-control contra wholesale social change in the past. It definitely does recommend itself in some individual-social or minority-majority scenarios when seeking to strike the balance and its been undervalued I believe. There are still a lot of people who are pursuing the validation from strangers that they ought not to (personally I think this can be a hangover from some earlier evangelical or proselytizing cultures that've deeply scarred the psyche of some societies).