Adlerian Theory and Its Personal Application

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that Alfred Adler argued, intriguingly, that all motivation is a product of a singular drive to achieve individual perfection or a personal ideal. The writer notes that this approach to psychological motivation and development has its critics, largely because few believe that achieving such an ideal is even remotely possible. Further, the writer points out that worse, many people who struggle towards perfection are left frustrated and depressed when they find they cannot achieve their goal, despite their best efforts. On a personal note it is related that the writer has been motivated to transcend the limitations of the past and make a better, more fulfilling life, in the truest tradition of Alfred Adler.

Journal Entry: Adlerian Theory and Its Personal Application
Journal Entry: An Adlerian Perspective

From the Paper:

"Adler also differed from other psychologists of the day - and today -because of where he placed his focus and emphasis in studying individual motivation. Other theorists see motivation as the product of one's past. In other words, if an individual experiences Event A during childhood, then we should expect that that individual would perform Behavior B as an adult. This is one approach to the question of a motivation's origins. Adler, however, advocated teleology, which states that motivation is the act of moving towards the future, not being mechanically driven by the events of the past. Teleology is future-oriented and requires an individual to concede that while life may be hard or uncertain, one always has the ability to make choices that will change the nature of that life. Adler, then, saw motivation as a function of an individual's desire to achieve a particular goal, not simply as the product of past events beyond the individual's control. This differing perspective places a greater emphasis on the free agency of the individual to take control of his or her life and change it for the better."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Boeree, C.G. (2006). Alfred Adler. Personality Theories. Retrieved April 30, 2007, from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/adler.html

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