Humanistic Theories free essay sample

Humanistic theories of personality and ‘The Matrix’; a critical evaluation of characters This essay aims to apply the humanistic theories in a practical way by examining them in terms of the first film in ‘The matrix’ series. Relevant themes throughout the film, interaction between the main characters and their personality development will be described in regards to Abraham Maslow’s, Carl Rogers’ and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s theories of personality. Personalities in the film are analysed from different perspectives, such as hierarchical needs theory, person-centred theory and lastly, the theory of flow. The aim is not just to capture the character’s personality but also to critically evaluate personality theories that have emerged from humanistic perspectives and explain about Neo’s journey of becoming ‘The One’ as reflected in self-actualization. The Matrix uncovers a secret which is that the lives of human beings are not real. Computer-generated programs guide their sensations creating an imaginary world – a matrix – while millions of humans are in fact floating in liquid, each of them having their own tanks connected to machines. It seems that artificial intelligence has taken over and enslaved humans to supply the energy needed for the function of machines. Throughout the film there is an emphasis on the characters having choice, for example, taking the blue or red pill. Similarly, the Oracle talks about Neo having to make a choice between Morpheus’ life and his own. This reflects the humanist approach of people having subjective influence on their lives rather than behaviour being determinist (Glassman, 2002). This can be further shown by Neo saying he doesn’t believe in fate because he doesn’t like not being in control of his life. There is a small group of rebels who are hiding in sewage canals left over by the ruined cities, on a ship called Nebuchadnezzar and who are not dependent on the matrix. In such harsh conditions, where free will is deprived, it can be observed how personality defines behaviour and how characters evolve as they interact in different situations. In the film there is an on-going battle between the crew and ‘the enemy’, represented mostly by ‘the agents’. This exposes the rebels to a lot of psychological pressure and distress. Thomas Anderson (Neo), a computer programmer (but hacker in his free time) has a regular job at a company when he realizes that something is wrong with the world surrounding him. Eager to find out the truth, Neo begins to search after a dangerous terrorist called Morpheus. After Neo has met Trinity in a night club, he is interrogated by the police. The Police ask him to collaborate but he refuses. Neo risks everything without knowing what to expect. According to Maslow and Rogers, people have instinctual tendencies towards healthy growth; human nature is positively based on free will and is able to feel subconsciously what is right (J. Maltby, 2010). So Neo is motivated to oppose authority and not show obedience because he does not trust the police and senses that helping them is the wrong choice. In a study investigating groups of infants’ prior language formation and cultural influence, P. Bloom and K. Wynn (2011) observed that toddlers had a sense of morality. They could clearly distinguish figures of a puppet-show acting ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Indeed, humans are born inheritably good with a sense of morality. After an adventurous journey, Neo meets Morpheus and his crew on the Nebuchadnezzar. Neo finds out what the matrix is and, as he starts to interact with the rest of the crew, different characters make their appearance. Morpheus becomes a real mentor, teaching Neo every single trick on how to combat the enemy. Neo is also told about the prophecy as he is predicted to be the saviour of human beings. It seems that this belief motivates Neo to train harder, surprising the others. He quickly acquires new combat skills, becoming faster and stronger. As Rogers explains, environment plays an important role in motivation (extrinsic motivation) but does not suggest why Neo is so willing to learn that skill (Feist amp; Feist, 2009). Behind perseverance there should be a satisfaction which guides behaviour to a certain goal. Csikszentmihalyi explains that a person who fully merges in a challenging activity will experience ‘flow’ if he/she is intrinsically motivated (Csikszentmihalyi amp; Lefevre, 1989). A person like Neo, when focusing on a task (an activity which is rewarding), will manage to extricate himself from worries and after successful completion, will feel energised and strengthened. In contrast, Maslow said that dissatisfaction will take over the personality and will cause depression (Feist amp; Feist, 2009). However, relative satisfaction allows the organism to be prepared for the higher level of needs. Trinity displays affection towards Neo, which creates a conflict with Cypher (one of the operators). In a scene where Trinity brings food to Neo while he is sleeping, Cypher waits for her outside the chamber making remarks. Was he jealous or envious? This, however, cannot be concluded for sure. From Maslow’s point of view, on one hand Cypher needs love and affection and because he did not meet his need this may have generated Cypher’s anger. On the other hand, he was expecting to be treated the same as Neo by Trinity (or the crew). This need has been identified by Maslow as esteem needs. Indeed, Cypher is not content, and he might regret his decision because in the other scene where he is having a conversation with Neo, he reveals that he cannot understand why he has chosen to take the red pill. When he took the pill he knew that there was no turning back, but who knows what is in his mind. Maslow noticed that whether people feel motivated or not, they have to meet certain needs in order to survive and grow. Because some needs have to be met before others, he established a hierarchical order; from lower needs at the base towards higher needs at the top as follows: deficiency needs Biological needs, safety needs (security, order, law, stability), a sense of belongingness and love; growth needs Esteem needs, self-actualization needs and at the top of the pyramid transcendence (Feist amp; Feist, 2009). Maslow’s hierarchical need theory was derived originally from the drive reduction theory of Clark Hull (around the 1940s). Hull believed that behaviour occurs in response to drives. All drives emerge from biological needs and create internal tensions which need to be reduced. Maslow observed that this theory was able only to explain behaviours motivated by physiological needs and called these needs deficiency needs and explained that these must be fulfilled; otherwise they will generate negative emotions. In order to be able to focus on higher level needs practically, the body has to meet all its requirements to function properly. When Neo arrives in the real world and meets the crew, he is exhausted and suffers from shock. In order to function properly, Neo needs time for physical recovery and to clear his mind. He also finds it difficult to adjust to the real world from the Matrix (this could be reflected in Rogers’ theory). Rogers mostly agreed with Maslow that all humans are motivated to act towards fulfilment (known as actualizing tendency) but he believed in universal laws. He assumed that organisms have a tendency to be organised from simple into more complex forms (formative tendency). In his theory, he considered that the perception of ‘the self’ is the result of a subjective experience of reality. The self-image of a person is in continuous change and has to fit into reality otherwise it will be unrealistic and the person becomes confused (Feist amp; Feist, 2009). So Neo finds it difficult to adjust as there is a contrast between the self and the ideal self, resulting in incongruence. This incongruence also could explain why Cypher betrays the team, which will be explored later. Smith talks about billions of people living out their lives in the Matrix – but doing so they never reach self-actualization. One could say that that there is an analogy between the situation created by the machines and dictatorial regimes. In both cases, they play by the same rules, deceiving and depriving people and they commit anything just to get the system working. From a humanist perspective, it could be argued that these societies do not always encourage individuals to develop their full potential. However, it is possible that deprivation of liberty will elicit resistance, motivating humans to act with regard to their needs, as per Maslow’s teachings. The control of the matrix could also be paralleled with Roger’s conditional positive regard with leads to incongruence. At several points in the film we see the crew hiding from the sentinel robots. Safety needs are at the second level (from the base) of the pyramid. These needs are also essential for survival. As soon as deficiency needs are met, motivation ceases. If we think that an animal act instinctively when looks for shelter and once settled is prepared to protect it; this has a similarity with human behaviour. However , Maslow considered that, â€Å"†¦animal instincts cannot be used as a model for human behaviour. † (Feist amp; Feist, 2009, p. 293). This is arguable because humans, the same as animals, do not think much when they have basic needs and could be guided by similar instincts for survival. Evidence to this comes from the instinct theory of motivation which says that we behave in a certain way because we are evolutionarily programed to do so. Whereas Hull (1943) believed that needs are of a physiological nature, McClellend (1965) theorized that needs are learned as people feel a need to achieve things (a distinct human motive) which he labelled as a need for achievement. Maslow’s theory comprises both concepts, is widely accepted and has practical application but it seems that it is not supported by enough empirical evidence. In a scene where the crew sits in the kitchen and are having lunch, Mouse, a developer of training programs, talks about the fundamental needs of humans. He thinks that needs make us to behave as humans, to live as humans. Mouse says â€Å"To deny our impulses are to deny the very thing that makes us human. † Unlike deficiency motives, growth needs rely on motives which confer positive satisfaction to a developing individual. These needs are to fulfil individual potential such as a thirst for knowledge, giving and accepting unconditional love. Maslow explains that if the needs of love and belongingness are satisfied, this almost spontaneously triggers the activation of esteem needs (e. g. self-esteem, personal worth). It is evident that Neo has all these qualities, best illustrated in some of the last scenes at the end of the film. He is ready to sacrifices himself in order to save Morpheus; he feels strongly attached to the rebels because they accept and trust him; he manages to trust his senses and makes the impossible become possible. Helped by Trinity, he saves Morpheus and learns how to consciously control the matrix. He is on the way to becoming self-actualized. One of the major themes of the film is about Neo being ‘The One’ and this fits in with Maslow’s self-actualisation concept. Human beings have a desire to fully develop their potential towards happiness and well-being. Our actualizing potential, according to Rogers is crucial for psychological health and if this potential is blocked then psychological problems appear (Glassman, 2002). When Maslow noticed that not all people reach self-actualization, he started collecting characteristics of self-actualizing people. While he observed that these people fulfilled their needs to grow and they are not dependent on them, he also found that these people are motivated by what he called ‘eternal verities’ and described as B values. He managed to define 15 qualities (e. g. more efficient perception of reality) of these people (Feist amp; Feist, 2009). From the very beginning Neo had all these characteristics but he did not have a chance to discover them. He was motivated by B values, values of human virtue. Maslow also discovered that these people had ‘peak’ experiences (meaning: loss of fear, conflict, more active and more self-determined). Peak experiences could happen to anybody but not as frequently and intensively as to self-actualized people. Csikszentmihalyi’s (1999) findings were similar to what Maslow found but the peak experience he defined as optimal experience. The scene where The Oracle says â€Å"Being yourself is like being in love† could be linked with peak experiences because what she is saying supports the idea of individuals experiencing self-actualization through peak experiences and being in love could be described as one. Csikszentmihalyi also believed that the more satisfied a person is the more often she or he will experience happiness. He thought that people engage in activities because this involvement creates satisfaction (positive emotions), therefor seeking satisfaction they are motivated to do so (Bose, 2008). Maslow acknowledged that behaviour can have various aspects resulting from a multitude of motives or behaviours which lack motivation, like expressive behaviours. Cypher had various motives for betraying the crew. He did not follow Morpheus’ beliefs and secondly, he was dissatisfied with his situation, like always fighting for survival. Cypher’s personality was negative because he may have experienced a potential threat in his childhood. Studies proved that there is an interplay between nature and nurture in term of anti-social behaviour; if children inherit aggressiveness or grow up in an endangered environment, they are likely to engage in anti-social behaviours (Viding, 2004). In addition, Cypher’s self-image did not fit into reality and contradicted what the other members believed which created further conflicts. Therefore, he collaborated with agents asking them a small favour and to plug back into the matrix. In his case it can be observed how external forces controlled his feelings and judgements or could be described by the cognitive approach of motivation. Cypher attempts to achieve some personal goals and has to make a series of decisions. From his point of view, he made rational choices and planned each step of his action. According to Heylinghen (1992) cognitive incompetence inhibits self-actualization, which can be traced back in childhood. He said that cognitive development needs to have a stable foundation with flexible and adaptive characteristics. If these requirements are not met in childhood then this will have consequences later on. In parallel, Maslow recognised that people have a desire to know. If this need of cognition is blocked then the person will not be able to satisfy any hierarchical needs properly (satisfaction of needs require cognitive potential). In conclusion, personality is complex and that cannot be captured by only one theory. Whether it is studied in a social context or from cognitive perspectives, it is important to see and understand how ndividuals are motivated, how they perceive and interact with each other; if motives are identified then prediction on behaviour can be made. In addition, motives do not always guide behaviour and apart from Carl Rogers, humanistic theories do not capture as much on individual differences as trait theory does.