Healthy and Unhealthy Perfectionism

Healthy and Unhealthy Perfectionism Theories Personality Psychology Print Healthy and Unhealthy Perfectionism By Owen Kelly, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on July 28, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 31, 2020 Bambu Productions / Getty Images More in Theories Personality Psychology Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology Perfectionism  is a tendency to set up excessively high standards for yourself and/or others. Like any personality trait, perfectionism includes a whole spectrum of characteristics, some positive and some negative, that vary from person to person. We tend to characterize perfectionism as a negative trait in our culture, but research has indicated that there are both healthy (adaptive) and unhealthy (maladaptive) types of perfectionism. What Is Adaptive (or Healthy) Perfectionism? This type of perfectionism is characterized by having high standards for yourself as well as others, being persistent in the face of adversity, and conscientiousness. Healthy perfectionism usually goes along with goal-directed behavior and good organizational skills. For instance, you might describe yourself as a perfectionist when it comes to school or work because you always strive to do your best, turn your work in on time and meet or exceed expectations. However, you dont get too upset if you dont quite meet your goals. This is a healthy type of perfectionism because it focuses on the positive and motivates you to do well. Many athletes and artists have adaptive perfectionism and since it only relates to one area of their lives, their sport or their art, it helps them excel in their fields. What Is Maladaptive (or Unhealthy) Perfectionism? As with anything, perfectionism can be extremely unhealthy if taken to an extreme. Maladaptive  perfectionism is characterized by excessive preoccupation with past mistakes, fears about making new mistakes, doubts about whether you are doing something correctly and being extremely concerned about the high expectations of others, such as parents or employers. An excessive preoccupation with control is a hallmark feature of maladaptive perfectionism. This type may affect every area of your life, not just one or two. Basically, it is perfectionism that is extreme enough that it rules your life and causes severe anxiety and stress. For example, you might consistently get sick to your stomach before a test or presentation because you are so afraid you will not live up to others or your own expectations. Another example is constantly asking others for reassurance that you are doing a good job and that you are liked and respected. You may spend a good portion of your days ruled by fear or anxiety over not meeting your own high standards.  These ways of coping are unhealthy because they focus on the negative, as well as things that you usually cannot control anyway. In general, while adaptive perfectionism tends to be associated with good psychological well-being and high achievement both at school and at work, maladaptive perfectionism has been associated with distress, low self-esteem, eating disorders, insomnia, and symptoms of mental illness. Get Help If Perfectionism Is Impairing Your Quality of Life If your perfectionism seems to be taking over your life, it might be time to find some help. There are treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, available to help you relax, let go and stop letting your perfectionism rule your life. You may be able to identify causes or triggers for your perfectionism as well that will help you understand how to manage it more effectively.

The Mandarin Meaning of Yin Yang Philosophy

Yin Yang is a philosophical concept of balance. The symbol associated with this concept is described here by Elizabeth Reninger: The image consists of a circle divided into two teardrop-shaped halves - one white and the other black. Within each half is contained a smaller circle of the opposite color. The Chinese Characters for Yin and Yang The Chinese characters for Yin Yang are é™ °Ã©â„¢ ½ / é˜ ´Ã©Ëœ ³ and they are pronounced yÄ «n yà ¡ng. The first character é™ ° / é˜ ´ (yÄ «n) means: overcast weather; feminine; moon; cloudy; negative electrical charge; shady. The second character é™ ½ / é˜ ³ (yà ¡ng) means: positive electrical charge; sun. The simplified characters é˜ ´Ã©Ëœ ³ clearly show the moon/sun symbolism since they can be deconstructed to their elements æÅ"ˆ (moon) and æâ€" ¥ (sun). The element é˜  is a variant of the radical é˜Å" which means abundant. So Yin Yang could represent the contrast between the full moon and the full sun. The Meaning and Significance of Yin and Yang It should be noted that these two opposites are viewed as complementary. To a modern observer coming from a Western background, its easy to think that yang sounds better than yin. The sun is obviously more powerful than the moon, light is better than darkness and so on. This misses the point. The idea behind the symbol of yin and yang is that they interact and that both are necessary for a healthy whole. Its also meant to represent the idea that extreme yin and extreme yang are unhealthy and unbalanced. The small black dot in the white shows this, as does the white dot in the black. 100% yang is very dangerous, as is complete yin. This can be seen in taijiquan, which is a martial art partly based on this principle. Here is Elizabeth Reningers further explanation of the meaning of the Yin Yang symbol: The curves and circles of the Yin-Yang symbol imply a kaleidoscope-like movement. This implied movement represents the ways in which Yin and Yang are mutually-arising, interdependent, and continuously transforming, one into the other. One could not exist without the other, for each contains the essence of the other. Night becomes day, and day becomes night. Birth becomes death, and death becomes birth (think: composting). Friends become enemies, and enemies become friends. Such is the nature - Taoism teaches - of everything in the relative world.

The Hunger Games Catching Fire - 1209 Words

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a movie based on Suzanne Collins’ novel that was directed by Francis Lawrence. Starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, Donald Sutherland as President Snow, and many more. This sequel was rather more successful than the first installment. With the fact that this movie was made with nearly twice the budget as the first, I guess it was expected by many, that this one should be better. Then again, the changing of the director’s seat may seem to raise an eyebrow. So I expect, the director could bring us something new, something fresh by making this film much more entertaining than the first, with many intense moments alongside a heart-breaking ending, which is a cliffhanger actually. But I am for sure before I watch this, this movie could be an a-class movie, and deserves much more praise. I was wrong. I just had a thought that maybe the director just tried too hard, and eventually kind of screwed the plot. Luckily, he puts an effort on the technical side, which makes this movie ‘not that bad’. Here, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is keeping her head down after not only surviving but outsmarting the Games as well. But, Katniss finds herself back into the Games after the authorities announce a Quarter Quell; a tournament that includes entirely the former champions who must exterminating oneShow MoreRelatedThe Hunger Games And Catching Fire1900 Words   |  8 PagesMany today would watch The Hunger Games and Catching Fire and think to themselves; it is just a story, two oppressed teenagers rise to become the heroes and star-crossed lovers of their dystopian society. If you look deeper, you can see how much more that their districts are like modern society than we would like to believe. Before understanding how poverty in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire affects the citizens of Panem (the country in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire) you must first realizeRead MoreThe Hunger Games, Catching Fire, And Mockingjay1271 Words   |  6 PagesPTSD, and it is even portrayed by some of the most beloved characters in pop culture today. One such character is Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games series. By taking the cognitive approach to examine this case, it is easy to diagnose and suggest possible treatments for the character. First of all, who is Katniss Everdeen? The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay is a trilogy of young adult novels that have been adapted into four major motion pictures. This insight into PTSD is goingRead MoreAncient Greece And The Hunger Games : Catching Fire2093 Words   |  9 Pagesstate or nationally. In ancient Greece, as well as in modern day America, the upper class holds power over the lower class by using oppressive and institutionalizing methods to control the lower class as can be seen in the Iliad and in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The ancient Greek education system acted as an institutionalized method to oppress the lower classes. Carr states, that â€Å"Any boy who was poor,even if he was free, also could not go to school: his family could not afford to pay the teacher†Read MoreMarx, Late Capitalism, And The Hunger Games1316 Words   |  6 PagesMarx, Late Capitalism, and the Hunger Games In his papers, Marx outlines his thoughts on communism and how it would work in a modern setting. Three main points that Marx presents in his papers are that: all value is labor, all value comes from exploitation, and eventually this exploitation will lead to a revolution. In Marxism, the end ideal is that the proletariat, the lower class, will revolt and overthrow the bourgeoisie, the upper class. This ideal is very similarly drawn out in the Suzanne CollinsRead MoreThe Hunger Games Trilogy1719 Words   |  7 PagesHannah Hirschhorn Essay 10/16/12 The trilogy of The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins, focuses on a country that is being controlled by an oppressive government and the people who are fighting against it for their freedom. Although the odds are against the rebels, they continue to combat tyranny at the risk of their own lives. The story takes place in the not too distant future in a country called Panem, which represents the United States. The Capitol, which is the center of the nationalRead MoreApplying Concepts from How To Read Literature Like a Professor to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins676 Words   |  3 Pageschoise novel I read Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. The main character Katniss Everdeen, was telling the story in a first person perspective. Catching Fire is the sequel to The Hunger Games. In this three book series all the people in the story are controlled by the capital. The citizens of the capital are divided into twelve districts and every year two people (one male and one female) are chosen to compete in a fight to the death. This competition is called the Hunger games. The winner gettingRead MoreSymbolism in The Hunger Games724 Words   |  3 PagesWhen reading The Hunger Games, one might not read and think deeply enough about something like symbolism. Looking into it, however, the characters in this novel by Suzanne Collins seem to be named after historical figures, words that are descriptive of their characters, and even plants. Realizing this really makes reading the novel much more interesting, because now the reader has something or someone to compare each of the main or supporting characters to. The Hunger Games makes relates many ofRead MoreSummary of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins1065 Words   |  5 PagesFor my book report I chose â€Å"Catching Fire† by Suzanne Collins. Catching Fire is set in a alternative universe that is set up in a way a monarchy would function there is the king or a president who is a cold hearted human being named President Snow. Then there are the nobles or in this situation the capital people, the capital people are wealthy and they dress outrageously just so people can distinguish them from non wealthy people. Lastly skipping the presents you have the slaves or the districtsRead MoreThe Fear of the Hunt The Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell644 Words   |  3 PagesThe Most Dangerous Game, by Richard Connell, explores the emotion of fear, by using two philosophies. The first, that there are only two groups of people in the world: the hunters and the hunted and the second being survival of the fittest. The underlying content of â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† relies on a sense of fear and a human’s reaction to a perilous situation. Fear can be defined as â€Å"response to physical and emotional danger† (Psychology Today). This instinctual reaction allows humans to protectRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Hunger Games 1250 Words   |  5 PagesRoman elements in the series of Hunger Games Rome, which was once the greatest power of the world, had tremendous impact on how we do things in different social aspects today: The Roman Republic is the origin of modern democratic system, and the Roman Law, which was seen as the foundation of modern legal system, is still a required course for law school students nowadays. However, Roman impacts on our modern society is not only within the conceptions of social systems, but in the aspect of culture

The White Underclass Free Essays

string(62) " New Immigrants were discriminated against \(Merritt, 2012\)\." The White Underclass A) What is the White Underclass, and what are the national economic changes and forces? The United States economy took a turn for the worse in 2008, and has been steadily declining ever since. The reason for the financial crisis began with the failing of the financial institutions, which threatened the global economy. The reason for the failing of the largest financial institutions can be debated, but many believe that it was due to the failure of accurately and safely evaluating the risks involved in their lending procedures. We will write a custom essay sample on The White Underclass or any similar topic only for you Order Now Whatever the reason, the recession had a massive impact on the country, and none were affected more than the Americans living at or below the poverty level. These people are known as the American underclass. What defines an underclass? It has been defined as the bottom of society, those who have become victims of a poverty trap. The underclass is largely made up of unemployed, young, single-parent families that are living in destitute stricken areas, areas in which the children lack educational qualifications, good role models, and social skills. This provides them little opportunity to escape the unfortunate situation in which they’ve been placed (www. BusinessDictionary. com/definition/underclass, 2012). The term â€Å"underclass† has been classified in two different ways, according to the article â€Å"The White Underclass† (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). The first, simply put, is classified as areas that contain the extremely poor. The second classification gives a more detailed look as to why they are extremely poor. The second classification is areas that contain a high number of single family households, usually with women at the head of the household, and often dependent on government support. Charles Murray, an American libertarian political scientist, wrote â€Å"illegitimacy is the single most important social problem of our time – more important than crime, drugs, poverty, illiteracy, welfare or homelessness, because it drives everything else. † (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994) These families are the victims of a vicious circle; the children of these families have a high dropout percentage, which often leads to having children out of wedlock. The absence of these fathers is usually due to crime, drugs, or just a lack of responsibility. Twenty-two percent of children born in 1991 were born out of wedlock, with that number increasing every year (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). Many of these unwed mothers are too young and inexperienced to be more than a burden on society, which doesn’t leave much hope for the children that they give birth to. Many of these young white women that are having children out of wedlock are not in the least ashamed at getting pregnant at such a young age and without being married. They believe that having children will â€Å"give them someone to love† (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). Unfortunately, as seen in the documentary â€Å"Culture of Hate†, our children are a reflection of what we are (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Financial obstacles are faced by almost everyone at some point in time, but with those that are part of the underclass, it is a way of life. It’s not poverty that is the issue, but rather the widening gap in economic classes. As learned in the most recent lecture, the median middle class makes between seventy-five thousand to one-hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year, whereas the underclass make on or under thirty thousand dollars a year, most often under (Merritt, 2012). This is quite a significant gap. The underclass is under educated, and under employed. Many people don’t think of whites when they think of those living in poverty, but the realization is that the whites are a growing group of those that are living in poverty. B) What is the White Underclass, and what are the regional (Lakeside, CA) economic changes and forces that account for its growth? Here in the county of San Diego, Lakeside California specifically, economic change is a leading factor to the growth of the white underclass. Change is inevitable in life, but that change is not always for the better. This is the case with the controversial East County city of Lakeside. Ranchers and farmers were the first inhabitants in the town of Lakeside, and the tight knit community was the proverbial picture of country living. Lakeside is a â€Å"place of many generations with deep roots, a place of hard working people with values† (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Many people want to hang onto the past, but things in Lakeside have changed dramatically. Dry riverbeds riddled with graffiti and litter has taken the place of where rivers once flowed. Sand mining operations have removed precious resources, only to replace them someone else’s trash. A town that was mostly rural, filled with farms and cowboys, has turned into an urban city with widened streets that are filled with strip malls and fast food restaurants. Economic hard times have hit the working class. With the changes that came to Lakeside, changes in employment opportunities have also been effected. The majority of employment available is in the service industry; low paying, dead-end jobs that have little to no hope of making enough money to help the underclass rise out of poverty. The rate of unemployment is high, currently national rate is 7. 8%. California is significantly higher than the national average at 10. 2% (www. bls. gov , 2012). With the loss of jobs, and the high unemployment rate that plagues the state, poverty is rising and in turn, so are the numbers of the white underclass. Until the economy changes for the better, there is little hope that the numbers of white underclass will decrease. What are some of the social issues and demographic changes facing the White Underclass? America is no stranger to struggling ethnic groups. Since the beginning of this country, others have strived to cast out groups of people that they didn’t consider equal. In the beginning, it was the Native Americans; next came the blacks. As time progressed on, white European immigrants known as the New Immigrants were discriminated against (Merritt, 2012). You read "The White Underclass" in category "Papers" Now, though ethnicity still plays an integral part, any group that is at or below the poverty level is subject to acquiring the underclass status. In the mid 90’s, the white underclass were less than 2% of all whites. Black ghettos contained three to four times as many residents as the white slums (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). The numbers remained constant from the 1980’s through the 1990’s. The ghettos of the blacks and whites were found to be very similar in percentages. Both had a high number of men that abandoned the work force and children that dropped out of school, however, the black underclass had a slightly higher percentage of female-headed households than the white underclass. The white underclass, however, had a higher percentage of children who dropped out of school (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). The demographics are changing in the Grossmont school district as well. It has gone from having 95% white in the district, to 65% in the 2000’s (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). This has brought on racial issues to the area that once gave little reason to worry about. There are a lot of similarities between the ghettos of different ethnic groups, but there are still very distinct differences among them. Though the conditions of the white ghettos are bad, they are still not as bad as those of the Hispanics and blacks. They tend to experience less poverty than the others, and the crimes being committed in their neighborhoods, albeit violent, are far less in numbers to that of other ethnic groups. The main substance abuse in the black ghettos is crack cocaine, whereas the drug of choice for the whites is alcohol, with methamphetamines and heroine on the rise. This is a factor that heavily contributes to the number of violent crimes and domestic abuse cases that plague the white underclass. Poor whites do not tend to face as many problems as poor blacks, and this is because discrimination has caused the blacks to be more likely to live in extreme poverty than whites. In 1990, a census showed that 30% of blacks lived in extreme poverty areas, whereas the white percentage was only 7% (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). Not only are the numbers of white underclass fewer than that of the blacks, but the white underclass are also more likely to leave the slums behind. The white underclass is a growing concern. The numbers are continually raising in the white underclass neighborhoods with no sign of improving. The effects of living in these neighborhoods have ruined the lives of so many. The only hope for the underclass lies with the state of the economy. How does â€Å"White Power† affiliation address the issue of identity for the â€Å"White Power† youth in Lakeside, California? What do the signs and symbols of their affiliation represent, and what do they mean to the â€Å"White Power† youth? We’ve seen the many hardships that are faced by the children of the white underclass. We’ve seen what happens to the youth that grow up in these areas. We’ve seen them set up for failure from the moment that their parents conceive them, whether it be on purpose or on accident. We’ve seen the life choices that most of them are forced to make due to the lack of opportunity, but we’ve yet to take a look at how these young men and women choose to affiliate themselves. In the case of the youth in Lakeside, California, the youth of the white underclass have a large affiliation with â€Å"White Power†. They have â€Å"no place to belong, except in a world of outcasts† (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). The children of the white underclass struggle with an ethnic identity. What does it mean to be white? According to Randy Blazak in the documentary â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, he believes that these youth have no ethnic identity and struggle because there is no real distinction to being white (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). â€Å"White Power† group members seem to follow a pattern. They come from broken homes, filled with violence and drugs. They have nobody to show them what it is to be a productive member of society. This fits perfectly in line with the patterns of the white underclass found in Lakeside. The symbols of â€Å"White Power† represent a symbol of belonging to these kids that had none before (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Symbols like the swastika, whose meaning has been poisoned from what it once symbolized to a symbol of evil, a symbol of the desire to create a superior race of whites. Other symbols that have a closer regional significance are the Dago bolts, which are the symbol of the local San Diego chapter of the Hell’s Angels. The Dago bolts are said to be mirrored after the SS bolts of Nazi soldiers, which ties directly to the same lineage as the swastika. The final predominant symbol that can be found â€Å"all around the edges of everyday life†, is the 4:20 symbol, which is widely known as a symbol for marijuana, but is also a reference to Adolf Hitler’s birthday (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). To the â€Å"White Power† youth of Lakeside, these symbols represent a sense of belonging, even if they aren’t really sure why. In the documentary â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, a young boy talks about a time that he shaved a swastika into the back of his girlfriends head. When he was asked why a swastika, he answered â€Å"Why? Because. Why not? † The girl quickly responded with â€Å"Nothing else to draw. It was the first thing that popped into our heads. † (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Many of these youth were students in the Grossmont school district, but were kicked out due to incidents where â€Å"White Power† symbols were involved. These students were expelled from school due to a â€Å"Zero Tolerance† position that the district took, which only made matters worse by pushing these kids closer toward the only identity that they knew (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Disintegration of the traditional family, lack of boundaries, lack of guidance, and an unlimited amount of anger drives these kids toward a life of hate. When combined with drugs and alcohol, as it so often happens with the children of the white underclass, the perfect storm is created. Children learn from their parents, parents who choose not to invest in their futures. These fate of these white underclass children have been set, their lives have been set up for failure before they ever even began. How to cite The White Underclass, Papers

Copyrights to a Native Language Essay Example For Students

Copyrights to a Native Language Essay Is there a language called American English? In my opinion no! Why? English is the native language of England and not America. So English not spoken the way the natives of England speak is English spoken with a different accent or dialect. If you say that everyone in the United States of America speaks American English, then everyone in India speaks Indian English and the number of Indians speaking English is more than the total population of USA. Further if you pursue this line of thought, then very soon we will have another language called Chinese English, the English spoken mainland China. One may argue that there are spellings and pronunciation differences between American and British English, but that is no reason to change the identity of a language. The inability of the users is not the fault of the language. Its like removing the Chinese characters from Mandarin and exclusive using the Chinese phonetic writing system Pinyin and calling it American Chinese. Now that will be the biggest joke in the world making 1.3 billion people laugh. Each language comes with a long history and the culture of that native land. The English language was not developed in 200 years like the history of the country of America. The English language has a history that goes back more than 1000 years. So adding a new identity to a language with history and culture is disrespect to the native land of that language. The bottom line is this: English is the native language of England and it should be spoken like the natives of England. Any other form of English is not a new language, but a variation of English and it should be referred to as English with a different accent or dialect. English spoken in America should be referred to as English with American accent like English spoken in India, which is referred to as English with an Indian accent. Lets not adulterate a language and own it by giving it a new identity. Learn it the way it is supposed to be used and if you cannot learn it, deal with it but dont destroy it.

3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers

3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers 3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers 3 More Cases of Dangling Modifiers By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, the subject of the main clause is not logically associated with the subordinate clause, so the former must be recast to begin with the noun or pronoun in the sentence that the latter applies to, or the sentence must be revised so that a subject that pertains to the additional information provided at the head of the sentence replaces the inapt noun or pronoun. Discussion following each example explains the unsuitably of the existing subject, and revisions demonstrate how the sentences can be repaired. 1. Broken by unresolved trauma, the apocalypse is slowly wearing her down. The person referred to, not the apocalypse, is broken by unresolved trauma, so she must be the subject of the main clause: â€Å"Broken by unresolved trauma, she is slowly being worn down by the apocalypse.† 2. As a valued customer of World Wide Wickets, we would like to extend an invitation to you to view some exclusive deals on our products. Because we is the first word that follows the subordinate clause, the erroneous implication is that the entity self-described as â€Å"we† is a valued customer of the company, so the sentence must be recast to place the entity â€Å"you† in that role; the â€Å"we† can safely be omitted: â€Å"As a valued customer of World Wide Wickets, you are cordially invited to view some exclusive deals on our products.† 3. Appearing on the cover of Time magazine in 1994, tales of his exploits on the job turned him into a local legend. This sentence implies that tales of a person’s exploits appeared on the cover of the magazine, but it was he himself who appeared on the cover, and the role of the tales in turning him into a local legend is a separate matter: â€Å"He appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1994, and tales of his exploits on the job turned him into a local legend.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†The Parts of a Word7 Sound Techniques for Effective Writing

Human Freedom in Relation to Society

Human Freedom in Relation to Society Introduction The nature of human freedom entails the totality of man’s whole life. Human freedom has to do with the freedom of one’s will, which is the freedom of man to choose and act by following his path through life freely by exercising his ‘freedom’) (Morrison, 1997). But this perspective has not been without much debate and controversy by both philosophers and theologians.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Freedom in Relation to Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The purpose of this paper intends to look at the concept of human freedom in relation to the society. In this regard, this paper seeks to investigate how society defines human freedom? What other social categories are affected (directly or indirectly) by human freedom? How society has evolved in regard to human freedom? And what can be done to improve human freedom? Human freedom has largely been defined in terms of the absence of external factors that may limit a person’s free will such as deportations and dictatorships by rulers among other factors. But it is also thought that human freedom does not necessarily rely on external constraints, for instance some philosophers have argued against the concept of ‘free will’, by saying that man is only a victim of ‘his own being’ (Morrison, 1997)). In other words, that the very nature of man, his instincts, for instance, limits his ‘freedom’; that every now and then he has to answer to his nature. But Rousseau refutes the argument that man unreservedly answers to his instincts as he argues that unlike animals, man can override his instincts (Morrison, 1997). For example, one may forgo a meal while playing a video game in spite of being hungry. This is an appendage of a philosophical debate as to whether individual ‘freedom’ really exist pe se. The argument is that one’s choices affect the people in the world in which he lives as much as the behaviors of those around him affect him/her. Thus, no person can claim ‘freedom’ that is free of the society in which they live given that the society defines and influences to an extent man’s freedom and the scope of that freedom. How society defines human freedom The term ‘society’ already implies a group of people, in this case, it refers to people including organizations living under mutual agreement: explicit (such as legal law) or implicit (such as ethical moral law) (Fermi, 2004). Each of these members of society is obliged to live by the components of that mutual agreement.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Society, therefore, is bigger than the individual as it overrides the instinctual response of the individual, who is then expected to practice a certain degree of rese rvation in meeting his/her needs in such a way that one is able to abide by the acceptable standards of the society. So far the United Nations has attempted to create a set of laws that can be used to govern the whole human society although the micro-societies (states, for instance) play the main role in defining the scope of human freedom. The definition of human freedom varies depending on the defining culture and political ideology such as Nazism, Socialism, fascism, Communism and Conservatism (Fermi, 2004). Unfortunately, it is not possible to say which one of these variants of human freedom is the right one (Fermi, 2004) as they all work in their own respective ways to define the concept of freedom. But this is not to say that, in a society, the individual ceases to exist. The individual is still protected under the natural law, which champions the individual’s basic human rights and liberty; this in fact, forms the core of democracy in the world today. Limitless freedom , it is argued, is untenable in a society that is peaceful and orderly, still when it comes to the law, some of the democratic rights are limited. Liberty, in its entirety (civil, natural, personal, and political liberties) when defined under the law carries with it certain limits. That as much as an individual has these rights and liberties, one can only go as far as the law permits, and since the law is defined by the political nature of a specific society, it can be argued that the law while it champions human freedom, equally restricts it as well. The other social categories that may be affected by human freedom Human freedom seems to be the central social issue and the other social aspects are either a reflection or an extension of human freedom. As we have seen so far, human freedom is defined by the prevailing political circumstances which further define the legal framework that is adopted.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Human Freedom in Relation to Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Depending on the relationship between state and religion (for instance, the unification of religion and the state as in Iran and separation of the two as was the case in Ibrahim’s Tunisia) individual’s freedom is affected in one way or another. Hinduism, for instance through its belief in the caste system, would seek to justify poverty for certain people and thereby hinder social mobility. Additionally, societies in which women are seen as nothing more than caretakers of families would hinder their access to formal education which impacts on their freedom. How society has changed in regard to human freedom Like any other social aspect, how human freedom is regarded in any society has evolved. It can largely be argued that struggle for human freedom has changed from an individual’s materialistic wishes to a more global approach to freedom for minority groups. For example, feminism is fighting for women’s rights of choice, formal education, job opportunities, from domestic violence and female genital mutilation among other rights. Currently, there is an increasing recognition and empowerment of disabled people; these, among other activities are a reflection of the global call for democracy which requires the acknowledgement and respect of all humans and their fundamental rights. This is attributed to technological changes, group behavior, social conflict, social trade-offs and global interdependence among others. All these have contributed to the globalization of the world which has increased the call for a certain degree of homogeneity in social behavior as the culture of nations has come to mean transformation of other nations as well in regard to human freedom. Conclusion; how society can improve human freedom There is need for further research on how to improve human freedom; in this regard motivational psychologists can help by diagnosing problems , setting moderate goals and applying the relevant behavioral technology to promote and research the concept of human freedom further. This has worked in certain places for instance, there’s evidence that motivational technology has helped control certain serious diseases, facilitate compensatory education, provide channels for assessing the benefits of higher education, facilitates effective management of complex initiatives and has contributed in raising the living standards of the poor (McClelland, 1978). Besides these, there are also other means of improving human freedom which can be implemented.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Fermi, F. (2004). Freedom and the Human Being. Retrieved from https://www.monografias.com/trabajos26/freedom/freedom.shtml McClelland, D., (1978). Managing Motivation to Expand Human Freedom.  American Psychologist, 33 (3), pp. 201-210. Morrison, J., (1997). What is Human Freedom. Retrieved from jasonmorrison.net/content/1997/what-is-human-freedom/