Psychology of Adjustment: Philosophy of Life Research Paper

Psychology of Adjustment: Philosophy of Life Research Paper

Instructions

Instructions
1. APA 7th
Edition Style Paper
2. APA 7th
Edition Title Page and Reference Page
cited (articles must be listed alphabetically)
3. 12
References and each reference must be less than five years old
4. 8 pages
5. Double
Space
6. Corey, G.
& Schneider Corey, M. (2018). I never knew I had a choice: Explorations in
personal growth. (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
7. Provide
Examples

Directions:
Read Developing a Philosophy of Life on page 390

In consideration of the questions posed on page 390 and
additional philosophical questions about life from your research, write a paper
on your philosophy of life. Your paper must be personalized and written from
your own perspective and not the perspective of others. Use the research you
find to support your philosophy.
Here are the questions on page 390. Use them as a guide, plus additional
questions you have researched, to develop your philosophy:

Are the values Ive believed in all these years the values I
want to continue to live by?

Where did I get my values? Are they still valid for me? Are
there additional sources
from which I can derive new values?

Is there a higher power? What is my perception of a higher
power? What is the nature of the hereafter? What does religion (or
spirituality) mean to me?

What do I base my ethical and moral decisions on? Peer group
standards? Parental standards? The normative values of my society? My culture?
My religion? My spirituality?

What explains the inhumanity I see in the world?

What kind of future do I want? What can I do to help create
this kind of future?

Your assignments must be 8 pages plus a title and reference
page.

Developing a Philosophy of Life (Pg. 390)
A philosophy of life is made up of the fundamental beliefs,
attitudes, and values that govern a persons behavior. You may not have thought
much about your philosophy of life, but the fact that you have never explicitly
defined the components of your philosophy does not mean you are completely
without one. All of us operate on the basis of general assumptions about
ourselves, others, and the world. The first step in actively developing your
philosophy of life is to formulate a clear picture of your present attitudes,
assumptions, and beliefs. We have all been developing an implicit philosophy of
life since we first began to wonder about life and death, love and hate, joy
and fear, and the nature of the universe. If we were fortunate, adults took
time to engage in dialogue with us and fostered our innate curiosity, rather
than discouraging us from asking questions. During the adolescent years, the
process of questioning usually assumes new dimensions. Adolescents who have
been encouraged to question and to think for themselves as children begin to
get involved in a more advanced set of issues. Many adolescents struggle with
these questions:
Are the values Ive believed in all these years the values
I want to continue to live by?
Where did I get my
values? Are they still valid for me? Are there additional sources from which I
can derive new values?
Is there a higher power? What is my perception of a higher
power? What is the nature of the hereafter? What does religion (or
spirituality) mean to me?
What do I base my ethical and moral decisions on? Peer
group standards? Parental standards? The normative values of my society? My
culture? My religion? My spirituality?
What explains the inhumanity I see in the world?
What kind of future do I want? What can I do to help
create this kind of future?
A philosophy of life is not something we arrive at once and
for all during our adolescent years. Developing your own philosophy of life
continues as long as you live. As long as you remain curious and open to new
learning, you can revise and rebuild your conceptions of the world. Life may
have a particular meaning for us during adolescence, a new meaning during early
and middle adulthood, and still another meaning as we reach old age. Indeed, if
we do not remain open to basic changes in our views of life, we may find it
difficult to adjust to changed circumstances. Both Janelle and Henry
demonstrate how their core values changed as their philosophy of life evolved.
Janelles Story
As a child and as a
teenager, my thinking was narrow. I either won or I lost. When I was the
runner-up in a regional spelling bee, I considered myself a loser. I once
received a third-place award in a state-level essay contest. Most people would
be pretty satisfied with that. Not me. If I didnt win the top prize, I felt
like I didnt accomplish anything. It didnt help that my older sister teased
me mercilessly about my insecurities and self-doubt. I think her teasing
contributed to my obsession with winning. As I grew older, I was uptight most
of the time because I felt there was no margin for error. Being the best was
the only option. Thats a hard way to live.
Because I was so compulsive about winning throughout high
school, I derived little pleasure from academics or extracurricular activities.
When I entered college, I made a conscious effort to change my unhealthy
mindset. Being preoccupied with perfection was robbing me of a satisfying life.
I began to seriously question my values and the importance I placed on
achievement. What good was attaining a goal if the joy of winning was quickly
replaced by a fear of failing at the next goal? I did a 180 and went through a
phase in which I didnt care about outcomes at all. I abruptly shifted my focus
to the process of learning and de-emphasized grades. This phase lasted quite a
while, and although my GPA suffered a bit, I felt much happier. I felt more
connected to what I was doing because I actually felt engaged in the process.
Years have passed and now I have a much more balanced perspective. I have
become a firm believer in embracing the process while not losing sight of the
goal or outcome. Winning for the sake of winning is no longer my goal. Engaging
in meaningful activities and learning from experience matter most to me. This
has become an integral part of my philosophy of life.
Henrys Story
I always put off
things that I wanted to do. I lived a relatively unexciting life that involved
getting up in the morning and going to a job that was pretty mundane but paid
the bills. Then I was in a boating accident and nearly died. My near-death
experience reinforced the point that we dont have unlimited time to accomplish
our goals and pursue our dreams. It made me reevaluate the way I was spending
my time. I now live my life fully aware that I may not live to see tomorrow.
Because of this change in my attitude, I decided to look for a job that was
more fulfilling and that allowed me to use my talents. I took a slight cut in
pay, but I love what I do and have more energy too. I dont waste much time
anymore doing things that have little value to me. The accident nearly killed
me, but it also woke me up. The saying live life to the fullest seems so
cliche, but it is the philosophy by which I live today.

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