2. “It is not things in themselves that trouble us, but our opinions of things.”
“Change your thoughts and you change your world."
“I do not react to some absolute reality, but to my perception of this reality. It is this perception which for me is reality.”

3. Awareness is everything!
Conscious experience is all that matters
The past is only important if it affects your thoughts and feelings now
Even if “reality” exists, it doesn’t matter
Note how different from other approaches
Trait
Genetic
Psychodynamic

4. Humanistic Psychology
The study of the mind is different than any other science
The mind is aware!
The mind is attempting to understand the mind

5. Awareness Existentialism Phenomenological Humanistic
The cs mind has a sense of “existence”
Phenomenological
The “phenomenon” of experience
Humanistic
This phenomenon is uniquely human

6. Phenomenological, Humanistic, and Existentialism
Free will
Awareness
Meaning
Responsibilities of free will
The object of study are human beings

7. Free Will Previous approaches CS experience is personality
The UCS mind does not matter
The past does not matter
Only times these do matter is if you let them
Gordon Liddy example

8. Awareness What does it feel like to exist? Umwelt Mitwelt Eigenwelt
Senses you feel as a biological organism
Mitwelt
Feelings related to social experiences
Eigenwelt
Feelings when you think of your own existence

9. What would you have been like if you. . .
Were born to an extremely wealth family?
Were born to an extremely poor family?
Were born in North Dakota in 1952?
Were born in England in 1500?

10. Thrown-ness The circumstances into which you happened to be born
What time period do you think it is most difficult to find a sense of meaning?

11. Meaning Modern times Why are you here? What should you be doing? Angst
Existential anxiety

12. What to do?
“Lucky mud”
Free choice – must not “blow” your chance to find “meaning”
Not a “true” meaning, but a personal “meaning”

13. Authentic Existence Come to terms with your existence
Life is shot
You will die
You are in control of your choices – find meaning
Still not a “happy” existence
Your will die
Meaning is only an illusion

14. Bad Faith
Avoid Angst
Stop worrying about the problems of existence

15. Bad Faith Problems 1) Living a lie 2) Still will not be happy
Might as well just be the “unlucky mud”
2) Still will not be happy
3) Still making a choice
Chosen not to chose is a choice
“Man is condemned to freedom”

17. Abraham Maslow

18. Abraham Maslow
“She kissed back and then life began.”

19. Self-Actualizing Tendency
Innate motive toward fulfillment of our potentials
Environment can cause problems

20. Needs Can be biological or instinctive
A state of affairs which, if present, would improve the well being of the person
Example: food

21. Needs
An unsatisfied need will dominate an individual's thoughts and behaviors
Once a need is satisfied it no longer has as much influence on a person

22. Thoughts and Fantasies
Example
Think about food, fantasizing about a big meal
Thoughts and Fantasies
Have not eaten
Need for food
Hunger
Deficit
Need
Motive
Behaviors
Go to store, buy food, bring it home, cook it

23. Thoughts and Fantasies
Group Activity
Thoughts and Fantasies
Deficit
Need
Motive
Behaviors