The Evolution of the (Adult) Self
Details
This topic was covered 6 years ago, but I suspect will be new for most members. Those that attended it back in 2019 are welcome to join again.
As adults we can continue to develop as we age. Our focus in this meetup will be the following video interview (55 mins long) with Harvard psychologist Robert Kegan:
Here is a quick summary of Kegan's account of the stages of human development:
Stage 1: Impulsive mind (early childhood)
Stage 2: Person’s sense of self is ruled by their needs and wishes (childhood to adolescence)
Stage 3: The Socialized Mind is able to live in stable relationship with others in a community. Identity and roles are determined by local culture, which also means that one is subject to the opinions of others and wants to please them through telling them what they want to hear. This institutional stage relies on authority to say what beliefs are right, which one will then loyally follow.
Stage 4: The Self-Authoring Mind can take a step back from one’s surroundings and upbringing and regard them critically. One forms one’s owns judgments based on the evidence that is provided. As a result, one is “self-authoring” an identity that is independent of one’s environment. At this inter-individual stage, one can appreciate that others have a different yet equally valid value systems.
Stage 5: The Self-Transforming Mind is able to look at multiple value-systems simultaneously and evaluate which one is suitable for this occasion. One is wary of any single right ideology, even if it is one’s own that is based on reason. This multi-frame perspective is able to hold the contradictions between competing belief systems and can become comfortable with the dialectic between systems of thought.
Questions to ponder:
What life experiences have most shaped your evolution? To what extent do you sometimes a feel tension between doing what society/religion/family tells you to do and what you feel is the right thing to believe and do? And how (if at all) do you resolve this tension? Do you feel like you are growing and developing in your adulthood? And what new experiences (e.g. travel, new hobbies, new friends, etc.) could facilitate your growth in the future?
Hope to see some of you at this event.
* Please bring a lawn chair for sitting on*
Cheers,
Colin
The Evolution of the (Adult) Self