Philosophy of Human Nature

(This blog was adapted from a paper I wrote in 2021 for Graduate School)

Before I launch into my views of human nature, I must state that I believe there are no absolute truths. I see the world through a phenomenological lens, “reality is a function of that persons’ consciousness or understanding of the world” (Neukrug, 2018, p. 245). Meaning, each of our experiences is valid because it is our individual experience. I also take on an anti-deterministic perspective, if someone is willing and able to put in the effort I believe people can change. I believe at birth, people are born good (Neukrug, 2018, p. 7). Personality is shaped and developed by a variety of elements; mainly child-rearing patterns, environment, our relationships with others, and feelings of inferiority (Neukrug, 2018, p. 7). As people grow older I believe people are capable of transcending early childhood experiences (Neukrug, 2018, p. 7). And to me what feels the most important in the context of psychotherapy, change is most likely to happen by healing the past and remaining present (Neukrug, 2018, p. 7). 

Birth

I grew up in an evangelical nondenominational church. I was taught some things I recognize now to be harmful to the human experience, like the doctrine of total depravity (Schwartz, 2021, p. 9). I was also taught some things that framed my confidence. From birth throughout my entire childhood, I was told that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. This instilled that I have a special place and purpose in the universe. To say people are born bad or with original sin, would make it hard to view clients in unconditional positive regard (Grandello & Young, 2019, p. 124). I believe we are all born with “innate goodness”, but stressful, maladaptive, or traumatic experiences cause us to hurt ourselves or those we are in relationship with (Schwartz, 2021, p. 2). 

Personality

There are so many factors that play into one’s personality development. I believe personality development is influenced by six elements (there are others but to be these are the big ones); (1) early child-rearing patterns (2) environment & genetics (3) relationships with others (4) cultural influences (5) language (6) feelings of inferiority (Neukrug, 2018, p. 7). 

Child Rearing Patterns. B.F. Skinner is known for his extensive research on the parenting, punishment, and conditioning of children (Neukrug, 2018). Similar to Rogers and Adler, they believed depending on how a child was brought up will determine the congruence of the child’s life (Neukrug, 2018). Relational Cultural Therapy says that a person can be positively or negatively affected by the relationships they are in (Neukrug, 2018, p. 526). “Adverse parental experiences can have a transgenerational impact based on offspring exposure to the associated adversity” (Claere, et.al, 2021, p. 6). Which has been reinforced by the Adverse Childhood Experience study (Van Der Kolk, 2015, p.146).

Environment & Genetics. It was previously thought that genetic influence was a huge indicator of personality (Claere, et.al, 2021, p. 7). However, through epigenetics, we are finding that is not true. Epigenetics, meaning “non-genetic inheritance” is the “study of changes produced in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the sequence of DNA bases” (Claere, et.al, 2021, p. 1). Through a process called methylation, the body becomes more vulnerable to certain stressors (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 154). These patterns can be passed down through generation (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 154). Epigenetics can fall into the category of child-rearing patterns, environment, genetics, and cultural influences. In fact, several studies have shown that the “interrelationship between genes and the environment is even more complex than even the new discoveries imagined” (Claere, Gadelrab, Juruena, & Young, 2021, p. 6). In layman's terms, trauma can change the behavior of our DNA. 

Relationships With Others. Adler believed that people are born for the community (Neukrug, 2018, p. 118). We are built for meaningful relationships and gravitate towards “the best interests of others, the betterment of society and an understanding of our place in the universe” (Neukrug, 2018, p. 118). Relational-Cultural therapist Jean Baker Miller “conceptualized the human experience as relational” (Neukrug, 2018, p. 522). Freud famously said, “we are born alone, we die alone and except for a few moments in life we ultimately live alone”. I find this counterintuitive to the culture I’ve experienced. Especially how I have seen the Pandemic affect society. While there has been so much grief, society has realized how much we mean to, and count on one another.  

Cultural Influences. A belief held by Behaviorists and Post-Modern therapists, “cultural influences play an important role in how the individual is conditioned” (Neukrug, 2018, p. 282). Whether it be religion, age, race, sexuality, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or gender, all of this plays into how we view and interpret the world. Many of these things are out of our control but still make a huge impact on our lives. 

Language. Post-Modern approaches to therapy such as Social Constructive, Narrative, and Relational-Cultural therapy, state that language and discourse around an individual shape mental concepts for what is believed to be true about their world and themselves (Neukrug, 2018, p. 448). Linguistic Determinism, states language has structures and limits and therefore puts limits on how we define and interact with the world (Bennett, 2022). Some African languages have different determiner words ( "a", "the") for living things and inanimate objects (Bennett, 2022). Meaning their culture grows up with a deeper sense of respect for living things like nature and animals (Bennett, 2022).

Feelings of Inferiority. Growing up in the church I heard both arguments, original sin and being wonderfully made. After going through my own “deconstruction process” I have seen and experienced how much of the church is driven by fears of inferiority. Which can either drive someone to be successful or drive someone to obtain power and rule over others. 

Healing

One approach to counseling I rather enjoy is Relational-Cultural therapy. RCT, an anti-deterministic view, believes that a person does not grow at one specific moment in time, but linearly develops over one’s life (Neukrug, 2018, p. 526). As relationships deepen, so does the depth and complexity of the growth occurring in a client’s life (Neukrug, 2018, p. 526). To enable change, however, you must heal the past and focus on the present and have hope for the future. However, exposing someone to a traumatic memory does not integrate that memory into someone’s being (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 258). Understanding the “memory processing system” is essential to helping unfreeze from a traumatic or maladaptive memory (Van Der Kolk, 2014, p. 258). As Dr. Charslie said in a lecture, “focusing on the past can be grounding, and focusing on the future can be hopeful”. It is essential to heal wounds of the past to live a holistic life. 

Anti-Deterministic and Phenomenological 

Freud, while a little wacky, laid down the foundations for counseling. His Psychoanalytical approaches take on a deterministic approach, that we are unable to change and are driven by instincts like hunger and thirst (Neukrug, 2018, p. 38). This can be true for some, I had an excellent discussion with a classmate who challenged my original claim, we are not driven by instincts. She works with East Texas Food Bank, therefore sees a very different world than I have been exposed to. It’s my own privilege to say that people are not driven by instincts, a single parent struggling to put food on the table for their family is 100% driven by instincts. This interaction however enforces my phenomenological perspective.

My experiences have led to me surmise we live in a world where there is no definite reality. Certainty there are absolute truths but we all lead and experience very different lives. My reality was formed from a predominately white, upper-middle-class, evangelical Christian upbringing. That leads me to believe and experience the world a certain way. I never had to worry about my next meal or where I would sleep. But someone in a third-world country will have a very different experience and be motivated by very different factors. It is because of this that I take on a Phenomenological approach to counseling as well as how I interact with the world. For me, it is much easier to say “the opposite is also true” than to argue with someone on what is the “right” or “correct” reality.

Bennett, S. (2022, January 20). Woman - The Gender of God. Almost Heretical. (N. Hanson, Interviewer)

Claere, A., Gadelrab, R., Juruena, M., & Young, A. (2021, December). Epigenetics: A missing link between early life stress and depression. Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry(109), 1-10.

Grandello, D., & Young, M. (2019). Counseling Today Foundations of Professional Identity (2nd Edition ed.). New York, New York: Pearson.

Neukrug, E. (2018). Counseling Theory and Practice(2nd Edition ed.). (C. Benson, B. Christian, & J. Giganti, Eds.) Cognella Academic Publishing.

Schwartz, R. (2021). No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family System Model. Boulder, Colorado: Sounds True.

Van Der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps Score: Brain, Mind, and Body In The Healing Of Trauma. New York, New York: Penguin Books.