In the history of psychology, we might find a certain model of human beings which has a thin veneer of polite conduct, barely covering a raw, animal, bestial nature - a calm face covering a bundle of nerves or even evil desires.
Psychologists such as Abraham Maslow claimed that this model is incomplete - that below that bundle of nerves lies a deeper nature, and it is beautiful.
In the introduction to Toward A Psychology of Being, Maslow writes that “this inner nature” seems to be positively good, and evil behavior is normally a reaction to situations where the inner nature is stifled.
And it is stifled in the normal person, by habit and cultural pressure. To the extent it is suppressed, the individual becomes sick. To the extent it is liberated, a person becomes healthy, fruitful and happy.
According to Maslow, even adverse experiences such as frustration, pain and tragedy can serve to reveal this inner nature.
What is your intrinsic nature? What is at your core?
For the transcript: What is Essentially You A Beautiful Thought
