Clarity

• A Favor-----Please by Doug W., 12/5/98
  • Epilogue by Vic Comello, 2/5/99
    • Vic, I Hope You're Still There by Jim Duffy, 2/13/99
      
      

I agree that the word "power" or "capacity" would be more correct than "freedom" in the sentence you cite. I also believe that the phrase "human freedom" is a snare and that the phrase is fallaciously equated with "free will." In fact, I said as much in my first "Black Boxes" post when I said I believe that human freedom (i.e., a free will) does not exist.

You seem to believe that I take the position that guilt necessarily attends undertaking growth initiatives. That is not the case. Since we are being precise about language, let me clear up another instance of sloppy verbiage on my part. I have the unfortunate tendency to use the word "growth" when what I really mean is "emergence." If you think about it, the phrase "psychological growth" is just as nebulous as "human freedom." Because our personalities emerge piecemeal as a result of experience, however, the concept of psychological emergence is on less shaky ground.

Kathy's parents unreasonably opposed her emergence initiatives. Without this opposition, there would have been no guilt.

Another misreading had to do with the issue of anger. I said that Kathy was able to undertake emergence initiatives because of her anger, because her anger counteracted the inhibiting influence of her guilt. It was what allowed her to act positively despite her guilt.

Now to the issue of interpersonal support. We are highly social animals. What that phrase means to me is that interpersonal factors have an extremely strong influence on our behavior and sense of self. They are not the only influence, however. Another important factor is the emerging self, which can never be equated with the self acquired as a result of past experience. It is always more, and may be significantly different than the self derived from experience when the person has been traumatized during childhood. This emerging self is the unconscious planner of CMT.

To give you an idea of how I see this self operating, let's return to the case of Kathy. Early on, she exhibited a talent that first emerged as an interest in writing stories. Later her writing interest turned toward journalism. During therapy, she returned to writing stories but began pursuing other artistic fields as well. It seems possible that in the future her interest in writing will merge with her other artistic interests to allow for the emergence of a new venue for her writing. I am trying to illustrate my concept of emergence here.

When Kathy was young, she wrote stories that she thought were good. For her to see herself as a writer, however, she needed interpersonal support to confirm her judgement. She needed to receive it from her parents and her teachers and peers. It would have helped if someone had confirmed her judgement by agreeing to publish one of the stories, too. She received none of that when she was very young. It was she against the world. As a result, the anger she felt by being denied confirming interpersonal support was diffuse.

Later, however, she started receiving some support from her teachers and peers, in the sense that she was given a position on the school newspaper and was being read and appreciated by others--except, of course, her parents. At this point, her diffuse anger took a focus on her parents and added to the anger she felt toward them for other reasons. The confirmation she received during therapy increased her subjective sense of being talented, while her therapist helped her to deal both with her anger and her guilt.

• About Dreaming and Dreams andOther Things by Doug W., 3/20/99
  • Uncertainty by Vic Comello, 3/20/99
    • Comments on Vic's Comments on Doug's Comments by Jim Duffy, 3/22/99
      • Proof? by Vic Comello, 3/22/99
        • Reason, Evidence, and Silliness by Jim Duffy, 3/23/99
• What I Do and Don't Believe by Jim Duffy, 3/22/99