What do humanists focus on

In politics and social theory, this approach calls for human rights and equality. In counseling and therapy, this approach allows a psychologist to focus on ways to help improve an individual's self-image or self-actualization — the things that make them feel worthwhile.

Humanism is an optimistic, whole-person theory that focuses on what makes each individual person unique. People who apply a humanistic perspective to their relationships with others treat others with empathy and focus on what is positive. Parents who use a humanistic approach focus on building their children's confidence and competence in a manner that's appropriate to who they the children are as human beings. Leaders who regularly exercise adaptability and flexibility with regard to meeting the needs of individual team members and their organizations can be described as humanistic.

Now that you are aware of some examples of humanistic perspective, it may be easier to understand what humanism is all about. Next time you see a problem or consider a solution, think about what someone with a humanistic perspective would do. You may find that you get better results by using a humanistic approach rather than following another path. To get prepared, spend some time exploring what empathy really is. Once you're clear on the definition, review some examples of empathy.

All rights reserved. Father and son examples of humanistic perspective. Examples of Humanism in Relationships People who apply a humanistic perspective to their relationships with others treat others with empathy and focus on what is positive.

A friend feels like his or her life is bland and boring. A humanistic approach would encourage the person to do some soul-searching and determine what is missing. It might be a hobby, friendships or something else.

Whatever it takes for the person to feel fully self-actualized is what should be sought as a potential solution. For example, transpersonal psychology and positive psychology both draw heavily on humanist influences. The goals of humanism remain as relevant today as they were in the s and s and humanistic psychology continues to empower individuals, enhance well-being, push people toward fulfilling their potential, and improve communities all over the world.

Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Maslow AH. A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review. Greening T. Five basic postulates of humanistic psychology.

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What Is Psychotherapy? Explore the Life and Theories of Carl Rogers. One pioneering humanistic theorist was Carl Rogers. He was an influential humanistic psychologist who developed a personality theory that emphasized the importance of the self-actualizing tendency in shaping human personalities. He also believed that humans are constantly reacting to stimuli with their subjective reality phenomenal field , which changes continuously. Over time, a person develops a self-concept based on the feedback from this field of reality.

Figure 1. If your response is primarily positive, then you tend to feel good about who you are, and you probably see the world as a safe and positive place. If your response is mainly negative, then you may feel unhappy with who you are. Rogers further divided the self into two categories: the ideal self and the real self. The ideal self is the person that you would like to be; the real self is the person you actually are. Rogers focused on the idea that we need to achieve consistency between these two selves.

Human beings develop an ideal self and a real self, based on the conditional status of positive regard. We experience congruence when our thoughts about our real self and ideal self are very similar—in other words when our self-concept is accurate.