By virtue of being born to humanity, every human being has a right to the development and fulfilment of his potentialities as a human being.
Ashley Montague
As we all change physically, we also change mentally. The only difference is that the body stops growing at some point but your personal development can continue the rest of your life. So, development is a natural process that happens to some extent spontaneously, but how much and in what direction you will develop depends largely on you. In fact, we can talk about two types of development:
•Quantitative may be indicated by an increase in the following: reflection, curiosity, a desire to learn; complexity; perspective (e.g. considering long term plans or other people); sensitivity to nuances or details; a variety of interests, knowledge or skills; flexibility, creativity; self-control (e.g. an ability to delay immediate gratification); and productivity.
Qualitative: some psychologists suggest that development goes through stages:
1. Physical stage. Bodily instincts and urges are dominant. The mind is mainly focused on concrete and immediate events. Physical experiences are most valued.
2. Conventional stage. Social norms and customs, and corresponding feelings (acceptance, belonging, shame) are dominant. The long term consequences also become important.
3. Individual stage is characterised by developing reflective and abstract thinking, making autonomous choices, and experiences that involve personal depth.
4. Transcendent stage involves finding meaning, dedication to something beyond oneself (e.g. other people, the environment, an idea, spirituality). Universal values are recognised.
Developmental challenges. Development is not straightforward. As any transition, it can make you feel insecure, confused, vulnerable, lonely, or bored, and may cause conflicts with others. It is important to recognise that these experiences may be a part of your development rather than a psychological problem. Development also rarely goes in a straight line. Periods of advancement are often followed by periods of stagnation or even regression (to allow integration of the new). Another potential problem is that some parts of you can be developed better than others. So, you can excel in one area of life, and remain immature in others.
What can help? Self-reflection, self-control and other subjects that we have covered in Pub Psychology are part of and can assist personal development. Moreover, sharing your experience, difficulties and successes with like-minded people can also be or a great value. But don’t forget, this is your journey, so imagine, as clearly as you can, where you want to get in terms of your development in a few years time, and use it as your light-house!
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