Part Two of Two

To be human is to be capable of sadistic destruction, and yet to be “fully human” in the positive sense is to develop the ability to choose conscience-grounded and service-oriented growth.

A human being could believe their “purpose” in life is to be the most productive serial killer of all time. Humanistic Psychology (HP) maintains that this is not a meaningful purpose, nor a fully human purpose.

It is easy, and helpful at times, to believe that our survival/security needs must be fully met before working on fulfilling growth/transcendence needs.

The burnt-out nursing manager discussed in part one of this blog would state she cannot do deep or meaningful work with patients or employees because they have unmet security needs.

Of course, it's good for us to help each other find resources to fulfill security needs!

And yet, this assumption is often dangerous and inaccurate. We often force things to be black/white, yes/no. We like linearity: Step one always comes before step two.

Life is not like putting together Ikea furniture. Often, life is paradoxical. Our needs for security and growth are integrated, not distinctly separate. We skip steps and return to previous steps.

It’s messy. It’s creative.

While we can work to end world hunger, donate to our food banks, and while the........

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