The Nature of Human Nature.

I. Learning Objectives
The learner has the ability to discuss the following; The
representation of the self and the conceptualization of it from the
many disciplinal models, and different facets of it.
The learner can demonstrate their own critical and reflective
thought, analyzing the development of the self and identity by
formulating a self theory.

II. Journeying Back to the Self.

Coleman and Hammen gave insights of the human nature, as shown

in the following:

Human nature is anything a group of people share, certain emotions and

feelings: love, hate, honesty, dishonesty, peace, war, working, loafing; all
can be dubbed with the name human nature.

To men, human nature means just that being ‘human’ with the ability to
experience great joy, sensual pleasure, sorrow, etc. The basic things in life
are these.

I feel that most people are selfish and self centered, that they don’t think of
the consequences, just their immediate satisfaction.
Human beings are basically good in nature; helpful, generous, but if he is
deprived of his share through some unintentional circumstances, he may
likewise try to deprive others.

Describing human nature is something that comes out naturally, like

making mistakes or thinking of oneself first. Human nature is hard to
understand.

In the end, all this explains is how Coleman and Hammen

view the human psyche and how they act psychologically,
and so far what's written here isn't quite as off the mark
considering the human race does exhibit these traits, thus it
means that most of these are parts of yourself and you can
show it, and act on it, if not just some of it is still inside your
and psychological capabiltiies.

III. Oneself, Free or Determined

Is man truly liberated? Alternatively, his actions may be influenced by factors outside
his grasp. Humans, according to certain philosophers, are pawns of fate. The ancient
Greek concept that men and women are pawns of fate underlies Aeschylus and
Sophocles. The Calvinist doctrine of predestination, which states that each person is
already chosen for salvation or condemned to hell at conception is fundamentally
predetermination—events are determined by what has happened previously. "What will
be, will be," and we're just puppets playing our parts according to the script, with no
prospect of changing it.
Viewing what's written as above, it does make you think that
yourself if you are free or determined, or both. If everything
is already predestined to your destiny, then should you even
do something while having the knowledge that everything is
already supposed to happen, is it really worth it? Is it really
freedom when, in a way, we're already a ready-made man
with his fate already determined? The Calvinist doctrine of
predestination makes you question exactly that,

Is man truly liberated?

IV. Different Psychological Models

● The Psychoanalitic Model

- This model is based on Sigmund Freud's groundbreaking
work. Freud. The main principles are based on the
findings of a clinical trial, individuals undergoing
psychoanalysis, a treatment procedure that is strongly
reliant on the method of tight connection. The patient is
requested to give an uncensored account of his or her
experiences. Anything that comes to mind, leaving no
stone unturned.
- The id, ego, and superego are the three parts of the self.
The fundamentals of this model follows the idea that
behavior is the consequence of three factors interacting.

A. The id contains the biological urges that are innate and

primordial. Hunger, thirst, and hostility, to name a few.
THESE PRIMITIVE DRIVERS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE OF
VALUE;THERE ARE TWO TYPES:

1. Constructive desires, primarily sexual in character. This

supplies libido, or life's essential energy.

2. More enigmatic destructive and aggressive urges. However,

they have a proclivity towards self-destruction and death.

B. The ego mediates between the desire of the id's and the
external world's reality. Although the ego's primary goal is to
satisfy id desires, it must do it in such a way that individual
survival is ensured. This necessitates the application of reason
and other cognitive resources to cope with the facts of the
external world, as well as the management of id desires.

C. The superego is a psychological construct. The term

"theses" refers to the result of one's studies of taboos and
societal moral values It's known as the good and the evil, the
right and the wrong, are all important to conscience. It acts as
a secondary internal control that kicks in to deal with the
unfulfilled id's desire.

Sigmund Freud himself relief on something that would connect to this

model, called Psychoanalysis to complete the model. Psychoanalysis is
clinical strategy for treating psychopathology, is guided by psychoanalytic
theory, which is a theory of personality organization and dynamics of
personality development. Since Sigmund Freud's work in the late
nineteenth century, psychoanalytic theory has undergone numerous
improvements.
 ● The Behavioristic Model

• This stems from John Watson's early work, which said that if psychology
was ever to become a science of behavior, it had to confine itself to the
study of occurrences that could be objectively seen.

• Starting with the premise, Watson shifted the focus of psychology from
inner mental processes to objectively observable behavior. The
psychologist might anticipate human behavior by objectively observing
such conduct and the stimulus circumstances.

• However, B.F. Skinner and others elaborated on this viewpoint, including

psychologists. Depending on the individual's conditioning, this concept
allows for good or evil, rational or irrational action. Rather of attributing
conduct to assumed conceptions such as an ego and a superego,
behaviorists seek for explanations in the individual's reinforcement history.

John Broadus Watson was an American psychologist who popularized

behaviorism as a scientific theory and a psychological school. Watson's
1913 presentation at Columbia University, titled Psychology as the
Behaviorist Views It, aided this shift in the psychological profession.
Behavioral psychology, commonly known as behaviorism, is a learning
theory based on the concept that all behaviors are learned through
conditioning. Interaction with the environment is how conditioning takes
place. Our activities are shaped by our responses to external stimuli,
according to behaviorists. Unlike Freud's and neo-Freudians'
psychodynamic approaches, which emphasize on how mental illness
relates childhood experiences to inner (unconscious) processes and
defense mechanisms, learning, or behavioral approaches, concentrate
solely on observable behavior. The scientific study of human learning and
behavior was the primary preoccupation of the early behaviorists.
 ● The Humanistic Model

• This model is distinguished by its positive growth rather than by a

consistent set of rules or personality development and function. Aliport,
Maslow, and Rogers were among the psychologists who contributed to this
approach. Although influenced by both, this approach differs from both
psychoanalysis and behaviorism.

• The self is viewed as a unifying theme in this concept.

• Carl Rogers contributed significantly to the development of this theory in

terms of defining the self-concept:
1. Each person lives in his or her own inner realm of experience, in which
he – the I, me, or myself – is the focal point.

2. The individual's greatest effort is directed toward maintaining. Self-

improvement and actualization are two terms that are used
interchangeably.

3. Individuals react to situations based on their unique views of themselves

and their surroundings — they react to reality as they see it and in ways
that are compatible with their self-concept.

4. The introduction of self-defense mechanisms such as rationalization

follows a perceived danger to the self. This includes the narrowing and
rigidification of perception and coping behavior, as well as the introduction
of self-defense mechanisms such as rationalization

5. Under normal circumstances, the individual's inner tendencies are

toward health and wholeness, and he acts rationally and constructively,
choosing paths toward personal progress and self-actualization or
fulfillment.
Psychology is defined by humanism as an unfulfilled need that disrupts our
homeostatic balance. Treatment focuses on self-actualization and
unconditional positive regard, in which the therapist accepts an individual in
all aspects. According to the humanistic perspective, abnormality emerges
when people are unable to be their true selves. People can only be their
true selves if their physical and social needs are addressed first, according
to humanistic psychology.

● The Existential Model

• Rather than science, this approach is based on philosophy and literature.
It was inspired by Heidegger, Jaspers, Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Rollo
May's works.

• Existentialism's goal is to enable individuals to stand on their own, to form

their own identities, and to make their existence meaningful - to make their
lives matter. The fact that man's existence is predetermined is a central
issue of existentialism. It is up to him to get his essence out of it. It is up to
him to mold himself into the sort of person he wants to be and to live a
meaningful life.

• The decisions make up an individual's essence. "I am my decision," as

Sartre puts it. The person is considered as having ultimate freedom in
deciding what he will become; even refusing to choose is seen as a choice.

In the end, this model relies on something called Existentialism, it's a

philosophical system or approach that emphasizes the presence of the
individual as a free and responsible actor who determines their own
development through willpower. Søren Kierkegaard is often regarded as
the father of existentialist for his emphasis on individual existence—
particularly religious existence—as a continuous process of becoming, as
well as his invocation of the linked ideas of authenticity, commitment,
responsibility, anxiety, and dread.
V. A System Approach to Understanding Human
Nature

SIMPLE OR COMPLEX LIVING SYSTEMS ARE AVAILABLE. ON THE

OTHER HAND, ALL OF THEM HAVE CERTAIN PROPERTIES IN
COMMON:

1. Structural Properties - every biological system has structural properties,

subsystems that are self-contained and work together to allow the system
to function as a whole.

2. Integrative Properties — Living systems have built-in inclinations to keep

their structure and functionality intact.

3. Field Properties — Every lower-level system is connected to a higher-

level system. Living systems are "open systems" because they are not self-
sufficient and can only survive if they sustain positive interactions with their
surroundings.

OTHER SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HUMAN SYSTEM

INCLUDE:
1. Only the human race appears to have progressed to a high level of
reflective consciousness or self-awareness.

2. Modifiability of action is a term that refers to the ability to change one's

Man's mental abilities allow him to study, reason, and imagine in an infinite
number of ways in order to cope with changing circumstances.

3. Symbols are used. Man's special mental endowment permits him to

interact with ideas, symbols, events, and concepts, particularly of those that
are absent or fictitious.
4. Information, values, and meaning are all on my mind. Man is given the
option of choose what goals to pursue and how to achieve them.

5. Field complexity and transaction. Man is constantly in contact with his

surroundings.

6. Self-direction. Reflective, self-awareness, modifiability of action, use of

symbols, concern with knowledge, values, and meaning, and complexity of
transactions with the environment are all characteristics of human beings.