Happiness – a phrase that is difficult to describe. Many people think that a lot of money and career progress would make them happy. Indeed, in the materialistic world, money can make things easier. However, is that true happiness?
According to humanism, being personally fulfilled is a matter of ethical responsibility that we all have. However, that philosophy will not mean a lot to you if you have never heard about humanism or you simply don’t know what it is. Well, it is about time to learn something new!
So, What Is Humanism?
For starters, it would be good to say a few words about the history of humanism. The main developers of this philosophy are Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow. The reason why these two individuals are important for humanism development is the work they published. For instance, in 1943, Abraham Maslow published the so-called Theory of Human Motivation. That work was published in Psychological Review. On the other hand, only two years later, Carl Rogers also published Client-Centered Therapy. It is a type of therapy based on a humanistic approach.
With only one quote, Abraham Maslow actually described humanism. He said – “What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.”
Generally speaking, humanism is the type of philosophy that explains how important the human factor is. It suggests that every human being has certain ethical responsibilities that will allow him to lead a happy and joyful life. However, with those responsibilities in mind, we all have the opportunity to become better people as well. Of course, as mister Maslow said, the person has to be aware of his bad side as well as abilities.
Different Types of Humanism
As mentioned, the humanism movement exists for around 60 years. Because of that, it doesn’t need to surprise us why there are different types of humanism. Many of them were developed many years ago, while some of them are a bit “younger”. It is in your best interest to hear some interesting facts about all of them.
Religious Humanism
Believe it or not, some religions are based on certain principles of humanism. Some of them are Lutherans, Unitarian Universalists, and Quakers. That fact only confirms one important thing. The influence of humanism was strong enough to become part of the belief systems of many groups of people. Isn’t that enough good reason to pay attention to it even more?
Humanistic Psychology
This section is going to be a bit longer as humanistic psychology truly is a form of science. It focuses on every individual and analyzes different crucial concepts such as self-efficacy, self-actualization, and free will. As you can notice, this form of psychology does not focus on the negative side and dysfunction. The purpose of people that promote this idea is to maximize the well-being of each person by focusing on the positive things.
Let’s make one comparison that will probably be interesting to many. You have probably heard many times about behaviorism and psychoanalysis. In the first half of the 20th century, these two philosophies were the main ones. For instance, the main goal of behaviorists was to analyze the process that produces certain behavior. On the other hand, psychoanalysis principles were based on the ability to understand unconscious motivation.
The followers of humanistic psychology have a different idea. Both of the mentioned philosophies were too pessimistic for them. Humanism does not focus on negative emotions and thoughts. Instead of that, it only highlights and describes the role of personal choice. Doesn’t this sound more optimistic?
Secular Humanism
Well, you may get confused now, so read carefully. Religious humanism is one thing, but secular humanism is quite the opposite of that. It neglects any form of religious beliefs. Believe it or not, this form of humanism even rejects any form of unusual and supernatural. It only focuses on pure logic as well as science. The followers of this type of humanism will always support the rational way of thinking which can lead to good solutions!
So, How Is Humanism Applied In Real-Life?
It is crucial for people that they do not make some wrong conclusions here. Everything you just read seems legit in theory. However, it is also worth mentioning that the philosophy of this type is also applied in psychology. More precisely, there are three different types you should know about. They are
- Social Change
- Personal Development
- Humanistic Therapy
Let’s describe one by one.
The social change method focuses on the changes that all the communities and societies need to make. For every individual, it is essential that his environment supports his well-being and supports him in his intention to become a better person.
Personal development, as the name suggests, focuses on each individual separately. Humanism explains that people can’t be happy in a well-being community if they are not happy “from the inside”. Because of that, through self-actualization, the supporters of humanism try to motivate people to show their full potential.
In the end, humanistic therapy represents a group of methods that support each individual to personally develop. All the therapies that exist are connected with the main principles of humanism. Some of them worth mentioning are existential therapy, Gestalt therapy, etc.
Final Thought
The purpose of this article was not to convince you that humanism is the perfect thing for everyone. It only describes what people can get, why it is important for our happiness and life in general. You are the only one who can decide whether humanism principles are going to change your life or not. However, for the first time, you have enough information to find an appropriate answer!
