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Self reflection and psychological analysis?

john27 January 11, 2022 at 01:30 3500 views 16 comments
In a culturally homogeneous setting, could self reflection pose as a mode of psychological analysis?

It would take place more or less i'd imagine, as a reflection on your motivations, your key influences, your behavioural "routine", and then you would generalize that to your specific community, or try to find similarities and whatnot.

The most notorious example that might have implemented this "tool" would have been Sigmund Freuds' Oedipus complex, Although I have zero proof that he reached that conclusion through self reflection.

( :eyes: )

One real problem I see with this is that it wouldn't be scientific; It basically amounts to someone saying "I know just because!", but at the same time, the utilization of one's humanity to understand humanity is appealing, and would seem logical (or not!) from afar...

Edit: Here's another question I found interesting: Are empathetic people more psychologically acute?

Comments (16)

Caldwell January 12, 2022 at 02:26 #641466
Quoting john27
One real problem I see with this is that it wouldn't be scientific; It basically amounts to someone saying "I know just because!", but at the same time, the utilization of one's humanity to understand humanity is appealing, and would seem logical (or not!) from afar...

Good observation. That's how coherence theory came about. Philosophers wanted to give credence to common sense observation. According to this theory, we really couldn't have stability and sustainability of our belief system unless it coheres with the external world. Looking at it another way, if our belief system didn't cohere with the outside world, it would have had grave consequences even before the dawn of modern man.

So while not scientific, the utilization of one's humanity has a very solid foundation (yes, I know, it doesn't look good on paper amongst the logical interpreters we have here).
Tom Storm January 12, 2022 at 02:44 #641468
Quoting john27
could self reflection pose as a mode of psychological analysis?


Depends on what you count as self-reflection and what you count a psychological analysis. But really what is psychological analysis? There is counselling; there is therapy; there is psychoanalysis. But these terms are pretty loose and contested. I would think that any serious and honest self-assessment is a kind of psychological technique. Some forms of reflection lead to self-awareness and insight - these are considered psychologically healthy states. Remember also phenomenology has become integrated in some areas of psychology.
Agent Smith January 12, 2022 at 09:00 #641615
Psychology attempts to answer two questions:

1. How you think (the way you think)? Thinking patterns.

2. Why do you think the way you think? The basis of thinking patterns.

Socratic self-examination attempts to answer one question:

3. Who are you?

Are questions 1 + 2 = question 3?

I = A thought pattern based on certain underlying psychological doodads?

If yes, they could upload me into a computer. Lemme see...I'm agnostic, antinatalist, empiricist, skeptic,...



john27 January 12, 2022 at 11:27 #641720
Quoting Caldwell
. That's how coherence theory came about. Philosophers wanted to give credence to common sense observation. According to this theory, we really couldn't have stability and sustainability of our belief system unless it coheres with the external world.


Oh neat. I'll have to check it out.
john27 January 12, 2022 at 11:38 #641728
Quoting Tom Storm
I would think that any serious and honest self-assessment is a kind of psychological technique.


That's pretty much the impression I had. Quoting Tom Storm
Some forms of reflection lead to self-awareness and insight - these are considered psychologically healthy states.


Right. Another thing: diary's, poems, books, not only is writing one "therapeutic", it's a physical way for the therapist, or general reader to look inside your brain. It just so happens that these modes of literature stem from self reflection.
baker January 14, 2022 at 23:10 #643134
Quoting john27
In a culturally homogeneous setting, could self reflection pose as a mode of psychological analysis?


No:
In a culturally homogeneous setting, psychological analysis poses as the mode of self reflection.
Raymond January 14, 2022 at 23:22 #643144
Ego-death, self reflection, representations of the self, self consciousness, self referential strange loops... What's the big deal about the self? Do we all have an identity crisis?
john27 January 15, 2022 at 11:26 #643370
Quoting baker
In a culturally homogeneous setting, psychological analysis poses as the mode of self reflection.


Hah! Interesting. While definitely we are relying more and more on psychological assessment for us to find our footing, I don't think we have reached that point (as an extreme) yet.
john27 January 15, 2022 at 11:28 #643371
Reply to Raymond

Self reflection would more mean independent reflection than ego reflection in this case. The question is rather whether we can use an individuals assessment to find out how a group feels.
Raymond January 15, 2022 at 11:55 #643373
Quoting john27


Self reflection would more mean independent reflection than ego reflection in this case. The question is rather whether we can use an individuals assessment to find out how a group feels.


Ah! That you think for yourself? I'm not sure you can know how it feels in the group without being in them.



Raymond January 15, 2022 at 12:05 #643374
Quoting john27
The most notorious example that might have implemented this "tool" would have been Sigmund Freuds' Oedipus complex, Although I have zero proof that he reached that conclusion through self reflection.


How does an Oediipus complex relate to a community? Does this vision imply a community in which it's normal, or not, to make love with the mother?
john27 January 15, 2022 at 14:22 #643398
Quoting Raymond
How does an Oediipus complex relate to a community? Does this vision imply a community in which it's normal, or not, to make love with the mother?


It's to imply I would assume, that the majority of people in a community feels at some time in their infancy a want to make love to their mother. Weird, I know.
Raymond January 15, 2022 at 14:43 #643402
Quoting john27
One real problem I see with this is that it wouldn't be scientific;


Why would that be a problem?

Robert H Kroepel January 16, 2022 at 03:44 #643687
Reply to Agent Smith

If the mind is an individual's desires, fears and priorities that cause his behavior as his proactions and reactions, then psychology would be the study of the mind and how it causes – motivates – (1) his behavior as his proactions and reactions, (2) his feelings as his reactions to his actual, imagined or remembered realizations of his desires and fears,(3) his personality as his consistent proaction's and reactions in similar situations, (4) his mental problems as his unachievable and inappropriate desires, and (5) his mental solutions to his mental problems as his achievable and appropriate desires and asks/answers the ancient philosophical question ...

Q1: Why do we do what we do? [Includes thinking.]
A1: We do what we do because we have desires to do what we do, fears of not doing what we do, and priorities among our desires and fears.

Q2: What are our desires?
A2: We have physiological (unlearned) and psychological (learned) personal proactive desires for (1) survival, (2) water, (3) food, (4) shelter, (5) companionship, (6), sex, and (7) reproduction and organizational goals (desires) for purpose, structure, and functionality inre businesses, governments, and non-profit organizations.
Agent Smith January 16, 2022 at 06:50 #643697
Reply to Robert H Kroepel

From TikTok:

[quote=Some dude]You're too hungry to understand, sister[/quote]
john27 January 16, 2022 at 13:07 #643775
Quoting Raymond
Why would that be a problem?


It would lack certainty, I'd say.