The Personality Theory proposed by Carl Rogers

The humanistic psychology it is one of the most important currents of thought in psychology. From her, people like Abraham Maslow (with its popular Maslow's pyramid) or Roll May They defended a positive vision of the human being, according to which we are all capable of becoming the type of people we want.

The Carl Rogers personality theory it is an example of this vital optimism carried over to psychology and philosophy. Let's see what this theory consists of.

The person, according to humanism

Certain currents of psychology have been associated with a pessimistic view of the human being. For example, the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud presents an account of the psyche in which unconscious desires and their clash with social norms govern our behavior, and the behaviorism The American has been accused of presenting people as machines that react to external stimuli.

However, humanistic psychologists such as Carl Rogers proposed some ideas about the mental processes in which emphasizes the freedom of individuals to take the course of their lives

. According to them, neither biological nor environmental factors are determining factors in our behavior, and they do not inevitably "drag" us towards certain types of behavior. In short, they were not deterministic.

Specifically, Carl Rogers He believed that the personality of each person developed according to the way in which he manages to get closer to (or away from) his life goals, his goals.

This idea that the Personal development and the way in which the individual struggles to become what he wants to be is a central idea of ​​humanistic psychology, but to Carl Rogers is especially important, because for him it is through personal development that character and way of being is formed.

Carl Rogers and the highly functional personality theory

Carl Rogers proposes the idea that the personality of each individual can be analyzed according to the way in which he approaches or moves away from a way of being and living life that he labels as highly functional person.

Highly functional people are characterized by being in a constant process of self-actualization, that is, seeking an almost perfect fit with vital objectives and goals. This process of personal development is in the present, so it is always in operation. Thus, the personality of highly functional people is, for Carl Rogers, a framework in which a way of living life that constantly adapts to circumstances flows in real time.

What is the highly functional person like?

According to Carl Rogers, personality traits that defined highly functional people are defined according to the following five characteristics.

1. Openness to experience

The personality of highly functional people is, according to Carl Rogers, very open to experience, in a broad sense. He does not adopt a defensive attitude by default in the face of the unknown, but prefers to explore new possibilities. That is why this type of personality is defined by the acceptance of the emotions associated with what is being experienced, the non-avoidance of "negative emotions" and the adoption of receptive attitudes in situations that are not clearly dangerous.

2. Existential lifestyle

This characteristic has to do with the tendency to assume that it is oneself who has to give meaning to the experiences that are lived in each moment, through a process of creating meaning. In this way, the way of living day to day is allowed to be spontaneous, creative, without trying to make everything that is perceived forcibly fit into preconceived schemes. The lifestyle associated with this type of personality, for Carl Rogers, is characterized by avoid the tendency to prejudge.

The present is not analyzed as something that must be fully explained by the experiences of the past, but is lived fully.

3. Self confidence

For Carl Rogers, the fact of embracing a free way of living life implies relying on one's own criteria and the way of making decisions above any other reference. The idea is that, since no one knows better than yourself your own way of living life, there is no tendency to rely on codes of behavior imposed from external instances.

4. Creativity

The fact that Carl Rogers' highly functional people are enemies of dogmas and conventions makes them look beyond what is considered "normal." This provides the necessary foundation for them to develop your creativity.

5. Freedom of choice

The creative and innovative way of being of the highly functional personality theorized by Carl Rogers makes these people are able to find new behavioral options where apparently there are only a few. This defines the nonconformist character of this type of personality, which is capable of solving paradoxes in which there is an apparent contradiction between the options that a priori seem available.

6. Constructive character

This personality type shows great facility to respond to all needs in a balanced way, so that crises are used as opportunities to build new opportunities and find ways to achieve levels of well-being.

7. Personal development

Personal development is the vital engine of highly functional people. It is lived as a process of constant change, in which a final final goal is never reached, but rather is passed from one stage to another.

Criticisms and observations of Rogers' theory

The characteristics and definitions that Carl Rogers uses to define highly functional people are very abstract and highly ambiguous, since sticking to very rigid concepts would go against his idea that a personality based on self-actualization and personal development constantly flows and escapes conventions.

However, this has also earned him a lot of criticism: after all, virtually everyone can identify with the traits attributed to highly functional people, following the logic of forer effect.

Only each person is able to judge to what extent it is useful or inspiring to have these characteristics as a reference.