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Individual and group dynamics
By coach | April 8, 2007
Students of human behavior have long sought to understand the links between individual human behavior and group dynamics or group behavior. This posting will just begin to touch on the topic. It is one that is very important to people with disabilities, it is important because often there is a disconnect or poor communication between disabled persons, within their own particular disability (for example, cerebral palsy, quadraplegia, amputations). Often, the poor communication is even greater if we examine it across disabilities. The term disconnect is a relatively new one and originates from computer terminology. Our individual and human behavioral understanding utilizes this very descriptive term when it it tries to understand how we get along, or, more specifically, how we do not seem to get along, or communicate very very well with one another.
Freud felt that when people meet, they seem to emphasize their differences rather than their similarities. We seem to look for ways that we are different than for the ways we we may be similar. If that is so, one can see how this process of disconnecting begins virtually from the start of a new interaction. Perhaps, this is a reflexive process that begins very early. Obviously, it is not the only process operating in initial or subsequent contacts, because if that were so, we would have few connects, little in the way of similar beliefs,attitudes and feelings, and thereby few friendships, liasons, and lasting connections and relationships. These phenomena suggest we might want to examine those early reflexive reactions that we are disposed to in the early going, both the extremely positive ones and surely, the extremely negative ones.
How might any of this be important to people with disabilities? As stated in other postings, disabled persons, for very complex reasons, often have negative views of themselves. Many views that they did not originate and maintain, some views of themselves where they did maintain their own self negativity. Now, let us assume that it would be an extremely positive thing for people who do not value themselves as individuals to acquire the processes and ability to do do so. Furthermore, it would also be an extremely positive thing for people who do not value themselves as a group to in turn learn to value themselves as a group. Why? Because it feels better, works better and accomplishes more. We have seen this process work time and time again with other minorities. And, here is the largest minority in our country, 56 million people with disabilities, and we have been unable to engage in the same process of personal and group elevation of spirit and power.
I would ask that all of us begin a very easy exercise and one that might yield some interesting results. When out and about, or television watching, or newspaper reading, or in the business of looking out the window of your home, when looking at people you regard as unlike you, see if you can imagine similarities where you feel there are none. And, where you spot or imagine some similarities, see if you can imagine even more by just using your imagination and creativity. We shall use follow ups of this exercise in later postings. Creativity and imagination can inspire and extend thinking and believing, for the individual and common good.
Kevin
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April 21st, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Бомба смотреть всем!…
Рекрутер Students of human behavior have long sought to understand the links between individual human behavior and group dynamics or group behavior…..