All people strive for the progressive realization of their talents and skills. Psychologically, personal development includes a clear image of the individual abilities and character traits and their efficient improvements. The American psychologist Carl Rogers designed the fully functioning person theory, which addresses personal development as a central point of self-realization (Hanum et al., 2019). According to his theory, personal development is a critical factor in achieving the fully functioning state of the human body (Hanum et al., 2019). A fully functioning person should be able to accept critique and analyze the weak and strong character and behavioral traits rationally. By doing so, a person will be able to strive for progressive development.
However, when people only focus on others’ views and estimations, they lose the opportunity to analyze themselves. They only try to fit the criterion other people impose on them. As a result, the condition of worth may appear and become a substantial obstacle in achieving a fully functioning life. The condition of worth implies that the person comprehends self-value and estimates the character traits and achievements only by analyzing other people’s opinions (Hanum et al., 2019). On the contrary, fully-developed personalities should have an opinion about their self-worth.
Therefore, the condition of worth can negatively affect the self-identification process. Children start forming their ideal of personality basing on their interactions with parents. Sometimes parents praise children only when they are better than others, thereby diminishing the role of their identity (Hanum et al., 2019). As a result, the children start to identify themselves only in comparison with other people. For example, they recognize themselves as decent personalities only when they are good at a particular subject at school. This may be caused by parents praising them only for achievements in specific spheres compared to the other children. Greed and unhealthy competition can result from such a condition of worth. With the inability to estimate their skills and personal traits on their own, people lose the opportunity to develop progressively. Thus, the condition of worth impedes the process of becoming a fully functioning person.
Reference
Hanum, F., Partini, S., & Wiryosutomo, H. (2019). History of development and concept of person-centered counseling in cultural diversity. International Journal of Educational Research Review, 4(1), 56–64. Web.