Psychology as ReligionThe Cult of Self-Worship by Paul C. Vitz

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Vitz states that self-esteem need to be understood as an emotional response and never a cause. He says it is a reaction to what we have performed and what others have performed to us. High self-esteem is a desirable feeling to have (like happiness), but the feeling itself isnt the explanation for the remainder. In trying to acquire one way of self-esteem, the just a success way is to do valid to others or accomplish something. In so doing, youll get all the self-esteem you desire. However, the downside is folks initiate to pursue happiness as a much greater goal than the goal of obtaining personal holiness.

Not solely is selfism a self-defeating goal for the Christian, Vitz goes directly to make the case that it also is merely bad science and a warped philosophy. The little medical evidence that does exist is principally in accordance to empirical observations and doesnt stand the test of forged scientific problem solving. He exposes flaws in each step of the procedure, from mentioning the matter, forming and sorting out the hypothesis, to sorting out the conclusion. He also identifies several philosophical contradictions and in some situations, accurate misrepresentations. The spread of this bad science and defective philosophy is believed as a result of the author to have contributed to the destruction of families. Additionally, the entire recovery group mentality convinces the character with low self-esteem that their ills are brought about as a result of trauma inflicted on them long ago. Recovery group therapy strokes the patient with self-pity thereby convincing the clients are victims. Once labeled, the victim now assumes the point of view of victimhood.

Values clarification has turned into the producer taught in schools and starts off with the assumption that man is naturally valid. Since the builders of values clarification reject moral teachings, Vitz claims that if responsible adults, i.e., teachers, dont promote valid values then somebody else will. Providing a permissive surroundings supposedly nourishes the little one as a result of granting satisfaction for the childs desires and interests. However, this philosophy is bankrupt because children will assume the values of irresponsible sources in lieu of responsible ones. This mixed with the aforementioned teachings has produced a society of victims where individuals are pointing responsible somebody else for their misfortunes.

Vitz quickly transitions into explaining the thought of self-esteem which he promotes as the midsection of the entire selfism movement. This grew to changed into meaningful to me because it seems no matter where you turn, a lack of or poor self-esteem seems to be the explanation for every ill known to mankind. For a movement to be so widespread to the factor where psychology has been woven into the gospel message, Vitz says that the self-esteem concept has no smooth intellectual origins. Thats a shocking claim taking into consideration the impact selfism has had on academia and the stick with of counseling.

Overall, Vitz's ebook uses a cerebral approach in attempting to prove that self-worship is merely a faith. Biblical counselors attempting to discover subject matter to help their counselees break away of a selfish worldview of life will be disillusioned. Then again, Vitz failed to write his ebook for that purpose. Moreover, he gives a wealth of information and a refreshing argument against folks that say, "You cannot instruct religion in public schools." This leaves the reader with a sarcasm: it is not a subject of need to we or need to we not instruct religion in public schools, but as an chance, what religion can we instruct; selfism or Christianity?

Paul Vitz in his ebook Psychology as Religion attempts to expose psychology for what it in reality is, i.e., religion. He starts off as a result of giving the reader a brief biography on the fathers of the neatly-liked psychology movement in conjunction with a number of their theories. The establishing chapter was dry reading but I suppose mandatory as a historical backdrop. My interest peaked when I immediately diagnosed Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow since I was forced to analyze them for 26 years whilst in the military. Vitz also discusses Carl Jung, Erich Fromn, and Rollo May as being acceptable sized members to the movement.

Vitz takes 3 chapters to current a Christian diagnosis and criticism of humanistic self-theories. He gives the credit to our academic machine for the transformation of our society into a culture of pure selfism. He notes that the New Age movement has many founders, but Abraham Maslows theories have been the principle influential. Vitz argues his Christian critique inside a historical framework and the impact it has had on the evolution of our society. Unfortunately he gives scant cognizance to biblical references for his place, but does show how the selfism heresy affects teachings on depression, idolatry, and suffering. He closes his work with the observation, "never have so many father and mother been so self-acutely mindful, so acutely mindful about the self as something to be expressed...., the self has turned into an object to itself." (I think this may increasingly make the case that self-esteem has turned into a new barometric indicator to the question everyone asks, "How are you doing today?")

It seems everyone you meet lately is a self-proclaimed psychologist. From radio discuss shows, television interviews, romance novels, weekly magazines, to cliques at work; everybody has an opinion on the most recent mental illness. I was first added to functional psychology when I joined the usa Air Force in 1970. It was expected that Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) would turned into counselors to their subordinates. Profession military education devoted whole chapters and lectures on non-directive or eclectic counseling programs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs was drilled into our heads. We were sternly warned to circumvent any mention of faith, but as an chance to make adequate use of psychological programs.