Three Concepts I find Most Important
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The Trait Perspective: The theory that our lives are determined by the distinguishing features of our personalities. While it does not explain how we initially develop these traits or predict exactly how they will change, the trait perspective allows individuals to determine a self-concept that helps them identify their strengths, weaknesses, and find ways to treat or leverage with the latter. I consider this very important, as traits and personality are a very major part of our personal identity, and knowing one's advantages and disadvantages can lead to a healthier and more stable lifestyle.
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The Ideas of Consciousness: Not all of our mind is immediately accessible. This theory states that there are three layers of consciousness in an almost iceberg effect; conscious, preconscious, and unconscious. The unconscious is established by Freud as the largest part of the consciousness, holding our deepest desires, drives, and thoughts. This is relevant to me because of further research and experimentation into this idea, including studies conducted that center around dreams and hypnosis.
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The Social-Cognitive Theory: Humans are social creatures, therefore the perspective that states they are influenced by the environment around them is an important one. Throughout development people learn and grow from the family and peers around them. Children raised into different religions will develop habits to mirror that particular faith, and people of any age will feed off of each other, whether introverted or extroverted. A disruptive office atmosphere may leave an employee stressed, overwhelmed, or unable to focus. A caste system within school may have adolescents fighting to determine their own identity or get a firm hold on a particular place in that caste.
Applications to My Life
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I am aware of my MBTI personality type, as I took the offical online test and received my letter combination and traits that my particular type tends to display, and how to strengthen my faults. I also know by the FLVS-provided Big Five framework what end of the scale I fall into: ( bolded )
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Open to new experiences or Not open
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Conscientious or Disorganized
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Extroverted or Introverted
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Agreeable or Conflicting
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Adaptable or Neurotic
The question is, what does this knowledge of my traits, faults, and strengths have to do with anything? There are plenty of things. On one hand, I'm aware of my short-comings and understand my limits; when to stop studying or stressing over a test, when to continue doing yardwork because I have enough energy, or even knowing whether I would be suited for a summer job. Knowing my limits helps me stay alert, comfortable, and calm. This ties in with being conscious of my introversion and neurotic nature. I'm very easily anxious, and I need to know when to take a step back and relax, so that I don't have break downs. It also helps me to be aware of my social time, so that I don't become stressed from too much contact with the outside world and become anxious or sick. In short, I can maintain a healthier mental state by knowing when to call it quits. On the other hand, my strengths help me to figure out what I can accomplish and apply it to school, home responsibility, and other plans.
This theory may not have any influence on my everyday lifestyle, but it does help me understand my own mind better, and become more invested in research regarding it. While I may not be completely aware of what totally drives me, I do often remember dreams, impulses, and other things that came from my unconscious state, often appearing while I was asleep. Nightmares, for instance, are widely regarded as depictions of what frightens us most, and some psychologists say that they are a way for the brain to prepare us for stress or tragedy. Sigmund Freud, for instance, believed that dreaming was a "safety valve" for unconscious desires or stimuli, whether negative or positive.
My good dreams usually involve "reruns" of moments in my life that I enjoyed the most, consciously or subconsciously. Moments from my childhood, where I had little emotional or physical stress, is predominant. My nightmares usually depict harm coming to me or my family, something my conscious mind can't even bear to think about. While I don't know exactly why I have these dreams or which researchers to believe, the theory helps me realize that I have more going on than what's immediately at the front of my mind, and it helps me reflect upon myself and sort out priorities.
This ties in to both of the former topics, though moreso the first. I am aware of my introversion, which includes limited social capabilities, being easily exhausted in crowds or after school, and anxiety that comes from a need to go somewhere that I know will have a lot of people around it, as I dread the fatigue and cornered feelings I receive from it. Unfortunately, unlike an extrovert, the majority of my contact with people becomes negative.
The Social-Cognitive theories help me gain a better understanding and open mind in regards to other people. I become aware of different lifestyles that people are raised into or change because of, and that helps me accept our differences more easily. I'm Jewish, but most of my friends are atheists or Christians, and because of that, their views on science and the universe differ depending on the person. I can't change their views, nor can they change mine, because we have all grown up with it deeply rooted into us. Knowing this, we learn to accept each other regardless.
Similarly, as an introvert I tend to be very irritable with social or energetic people. One person whose chatting annoys me may go home to a family who they cannot make conversation with, and that leads them to find an outlet in school. Even if I don't know this, being conscious of the fact that their situation may be radically different from mine allows me to be more accepting and empathize with those that I would otherwise brush off, ignore, or become aggravated by.