Positive Psychology: Carl Roger's View on the Functioning of the Self

If you're looking for a way to understand yourself, then I'd like to share Carl Rogers' nineteen propositions with you. 

Carl Rogers was groundbreaking in developing a Person-Centred approach Psychotherapy and founding Humanistic Psychology, and what would eventually become the Positive Psychology movement; a psychology of well-being. 

The 19 propositions he wrote were originally described in more academic terms, so here I converted them into something simple for everyone to read.

I am at the Centre of My Changing World: I exist in a world that's always changing, and I'm at the centre of my own experiences. Everything I feel, think, and do is shaped by this personal experience of the world.

My Reality is Based on My Perceptions: The way I see and perceive things forms my reality. I respond to life based on this reality, not necessarily based on how things are objectively.

I Respond as a Whole Person: I react to my world, with many parts of my mind in an interconnected system, as a complete being, all influenced by my perceptions and experiences.

My Fundamental Goal is Growth: My main aim is to actualise, maintain, and enhance myself, toward reaching my fullest potential.

My Behaviour Aims to Meet My Needs: All my actions are directed towards fulfilling my needs as I perceive them, within the context of my reality.

Emotions Drive My Actions: My emotions support my goal-oriented behavior, varying in intensity based on the importance of the need they're addressing.

You Can Understand Me from My Perspective: To truly understand why I behave as I do, one must see things from my internal frame of reference, from my own perspective.

My Self-Concept Develops Over Time: I form an identity, a sense of "me," influenced by my experiences and interactions with the world.

My Self-Concept is Shaped by My Interactions: My sense of self evolves from engaging with my environment and others, forming a consistent yet adaptable pattern of how I view myself and my relationships.

Values Influence My Self-Concept: The values I attach to my experiences and that form part of my self-concept come both from direct experiences and from others, though sometimes they might be adopted without full awareness.

I Process Experiences in Relation to My Self-Concept: I either integrate new experiences into my self-concept, ignore them if they don't fit, or distort them if they conflict with how I see myself.

My Behaviour Reflects My Self-Concept: Generally, I act in ways that align with my self-concept. How I view myself deeply influences my actions.

Unacknowledged Needs Affect My Behaviour: Sometimes, my behaviour is influenced by needs or experiences that I haven't fully acknowledged or understood.

Disconnect Causes Psychological Tension: When I deny or ignore significant aspects of my experiences, it creates inner conflict and tension, a state known as incongruence.

Alignment Brings Psychological Well-being: Psychological well-being comes when my self-concept is in harmony with my sensory and visceral experiences, allowing for a coherent sense of self.

Threats to My Self-Concept Make Me Defensive: Experiences that don't align with my self-concept feel threatening, leading me to defend my existing view of myself.

In a Safe Environment, I Can Grow: When I feel safe and unthreatened, I can explore and potentially integrate experiences that once seemed at odds with my sense of self.

Accepting My Experiences Enhances My Understanding of Others: By fully embracing and integrating my experiences, I become more understanding and accepting of others as distinct individuals.

Integrating New Experiences Transforms My Value System: As I incorporate more of my embodied experiences into my self-concept, I begin to shift away from values based on external approval to those grounded in my authentic self-experiences, and grow towards becoming a fully functioning person.

If you'd like to learn more about Person-Centred theory, please read this excellent webpage over on the Person-Centred Association's website.


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