Rollo May

When we study about Rollo May we reflect on a person who showed an understanding to humanity that many of the philosophers and psychoanalysts of his time did not. He showed his research through his clinical studies and did not think of humanity as a science to be studied like many others. He saw humanity as a people living in the world of present experiences that should ultimately develop a responsibility for who they become. Furthermore, he believed that a majority of people try to escape their destiny and give up on their pursuit of freedom which ends up with only those who are in a healthy position being able to take on their full destiny’s calling (Feist, 2013, p.318). So, when we look at Mays concepts of care, love and will we see his

perspective showing the world the true meaning of these terms and not what the world has come to define. According to May, these terms are defined incorrectly. When the book writes the word “care” what do we think it means? Care is an active process, the opposite of apathy. According to May, “Care is a state in which something does matter” (May, 1969b, p. 289). When one truly cares about someone they are willing to be empathic, to recognize that a person is a fellow human being, and to identify with the persons pain or joy, guilt or pity (Feist, 2013, p.329). Without this, care is delinquent! When we compare care & love we see a startling difference in that care is but a source of love. Loving someone is to be caring, cognizant of one’s humanity, and having a dynamic affection for that person’s development. May (1953) defined love as a “delight in the presence of the other person and an affirming of that person’s value and development as much as one’s own” (p. 206). For example, someone who is in a strictly sexual relationship will see the other person as lacking care or love as it is only about transacting certain desires. Furthermore, if one is lacking care, love is an empty vessel as care itself is a source of will and when there is none, will power is lacking. The problem with will power is that it can become self-serving and lacking the passion one needs, which leaves one with no care and in the end manipulation ends up occuring. According to May there are four kinds of love in western tradition sex, eros, philia, and agape. First, sex is a biological function that can be satisfied through sexual intercourse or some other release of sexual tension (Feist, 2013, p.330). Throughout times sex has been a way to procreate or as a way to satisfy one’s inner most lustful desires. Unfortunately, in today’s modern times sex has become a problem in that society is too preoccupied with it. Second, Eros is frequently confused with sex. Sex, as we explained above is a physiological need based on lustful desire but Eros is a physiological need that seeks an enduring union with a loved one (Feist, 2013, p.330). Third, philia is categorized as an intimate nonsexual relationship like the relationship of a sibling or lifelong friends, it takes time, but it is everlasting. And finally, agape is defined by May as “esteem for the other, the concern for the other’s welfare beyond any gain that one can get out of it: disinterested love, typically, the love of G-d for man” (May, 1969b, p. 319). These four kinds of love follows what May believes, in that every person should have an intricate part in a healthy relationship that should have a blend of these categories and that should be used throughout their life experiences.

2. Describe and discuss the following: power of myth, existentialism, personal constructs and constructive alternativism. (Chapters 11 and 19) [MO6.4]

What is a myth?

Sound like something made up that has no value in our lives, but according to May this is incorrect. Myths are the stories that unify society “they are essential to the process of keeping our souls alive and bringing us new meaning in a difficult and often meaningless world” (May, 1991, p. 20). He believes that human beings often communicate with each other on two levels. First level being rationalistic language and second level through myths. Rationalistic language is used when people want to communicate the truth and myth is used when total human experience is much more important empirical evidence. For example, Feist uses the example of the Oedipus story that is buried knee deep in myth. What is so alive with the Oedipus story is that reader feel connected with it while reading. Also, the story relates examples of activities that occur throughout the story such as the life of Oedipus, his suppression of guilt, birth, exile, separation, identity, incest, meditation, and death that we as human beings are able to visualize and expand on which causes us to grow internally, expand our awareness, and increase our ability to be conscious (Feist, 2013, p.334). Additionally, it is a way for people to search for an identity which can have positive results on their abilities as a person. When we think of existentialism we might think of the famous philosophers Friedreich Nietzsche or Martin Heidegger and other twentieth century philosophers, artists and psychiatrists, but it is Rollo May who made a considerable impact in interpreting its meaning and application. To understand existentialism, we need to know that the bottom line that is common among all the thinkers regarding its definition is that existence takes precedence over essence. Meaning, it means to emerge or to become which suggests process and growth. Whereas, essence refers to a product meaning something that is considered stagnation and inaction. Furthermore, there are two basic concepts of

existentialism, namely, being in the world aka expressed in German as Dasein and nonbeing (Feist, 2013, p.322). The simple meaning of being in the world or Dasein is having unity and being in touch with the reality of the world that surrounds us. Unfortunately, in modern societies, Dasein is not just utilized by pathologically disturbed individuals, but also by most individuals (Feist, 2013, p.323). According to Feist, in order to be considered as “being in the world” people must experience three simultaneous modes: Umwelt-the environment around us; Mitwelt-relations with other people; and Eigenwelt- our relationship with our self (Feist, 2013, p.323). Healthy people have and live with all three concurrently! They adapt to the natural world relate to others as humans, and have a keen awareness of what all these experiences mean to them (May, 1958a). As we have discussed what Dasein means we need to comprehend what nonbeing means. Just as one is aware of “Being-in-the-world” a dread of not being can occur called nonbeing or nothing. According to May a way to face this feeling of nonbeing is by confronting the inevitable that one day we are going to die and live in peace that it is and inseparable part of being. George Kelly's theory of personal constructs is a theory about theories or better yet known a metatheory (Feist, 2013, p. 553) that assumes people’s interpretation of a unified and everchanging world constitutes their reality. Personal constructs, Kelly believes, shapes behavior and defines them as transparent patterns or templates that people create by observing their expressions and then attempt to fit them over the realities of the world. Folks put events, and anticipate events based on their elucidations (Feist, 2013, p. 558). Kelly’s philosophical position is called constructive alternativism which assumes that alternative, substitute explanations are continuously accessible to people. He believed that people see and understand instances through their own looking glass and according to their personal constructs rather than reality. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the fact that individuals can interpret their environment from different perspectives, explanations, and interpretations that are legitimate at one time may be fallacious at a future time (Feist, 2013, p.557).