Psîkolog Brian Little: "Kesayetiya me ji ya ku em difikirin guherbartir e"

Growing up, we get to know the world and try to understand how we can exist in it — what to do, whom to love, with whom to make friends. We try to recognize ourselves in literary and film characters, to follow the example of famous people. Personality typologies created by psychologists and sociologists tend to make our task easier: if each of us belongs to one of the sixteen types, it remains only to find ourselves and follow the “instructions”.

What does it mean to be yourself?

According to psychologist Brian Little, this approach does not take into account personal dynamics. Throughout life, we experience crises, learn to overcome difficulties and losses, change orientations and priorities. When we become accustomed to associating any life situation with a certain behavioral pattern, we can lose the ability to solve problems creatively and become slaves to one role.

But if we can change, then to what extent? Brian Little proposes to look at personality as a multi-layered construct, organized according to the “matryoshka” principle.

The first, deepest and least mobile layer is biogenic. This is our genetic framework, to which everything else is tuned. Let’s say if our brain is poorly receptive to dopamine, we need more stimulation. Hence — restlessness, thirst for novelty and risk.

The next layer is sociogenic. It is shaped by culture and upbringing. Different peoples, in different social strata, followers of different religious systems have their own ideas about what is desirable, acceptable and unacceptable. The sociogenic layer helps us navigate in the environment that is familiar to us, read the signals and avoid mistakes.

The third, outer layer, Brian Little calls ideogenic. It includes everything that makes us unique — those ideas, values ​​and rules that we have consciously formulated for ourselves and which we adhere to in life.

Resource for change

Relations between these layers are not always (and not necessarily) harmonious. In practice, this can lead to internal contradictions. “The biological propensity for leadership and stubbornness can conflict with the social attitude of conformity and respect for elders,” Brian Little cites an example.

Therefore, perhaps, the majority so dreams of escaping from family custody. is a long-awaited opportunity to adapt the sociogenic superstructure to the biogenic foundation, to gain inner integrity. And this is where our creative “I” comes to our aid.

We should not identify ourselves with any one personality trait, says the psychologist. If you use only one behavior matrix (for example, introverted) for all possible situations, you narrow your field of possibilities. Let’s say you can refuse public speaking because you think it’s «not your thing» and you’re better at quiet office work.

Involving our ideogenic sphere, we turn to personal characteristics that can be changed. Yes, if you are an introvert, it is unlikely that the same cascade of reactions occurs in your brain as an extrovert when you decide to make as many acquaintances as possible at a party. But you can still achieve this goal if it’s important to you.

Of course, we should take into account our limitations. The task is to calculate your strength so as not to go astray. According to Brian Little, it is very important to give yourself time to relax and recharge, especially when you are doing something that is unusual for you. With the help of such “pit stops” (it can be a morning jog in silence, listening to your favorite song or talking with a loved one), we give ourselves a break and build up strength for new jerks.

Instead of adapting our desires to the rigid construction of our «type», we can look for resources for their realization in ourselves.

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