5 ways our edu system would be different if adlerian psychology won
Our education system would be fundamentally different if we subscribed to Adlerian Psychology for these five reasons:
Reason 1: Deny Trauma for it Does Not Exist
Adlerian Psychology starts by denying trauma. Trauma only exists to the extent that we allow it to exist.
Before you come at me saying trauma does exist, van der Kolk and others subscribe to this theory as well SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach (page 8), even though they don’t describe it in the same blunt way that Adlerian psychology does. Bruce Perry and Bessel van der Kolk describe this as the three E’s
- Event(s)
- Experience Of Event(s),
- And Effect
They concede that different people have different resilience, tolerance, and perspectives. Imagine if we started teaching kids that no matter how bad their previous experiences were, they had power to determine what they meant to them. Instead, we are all too consumed with excusing bad behavior because of past trauma.
Reason 2: Three Social Ties to Living Effectively in Society.
Tasks of Work, Tasks of Friendship, Tasks of Love
All problems are interpersonal relationship problems. No matter what people are experiencing, their problems come from interpersonal relationships and how they respond to these three social ties. In schools, all three of these are on constant display, and as students progress through different tasks of friendship, work, or love, they evaluate and navigate the distance and depth required for each situation.
Reason 3: Whose Task is This?
When it comes to those tasks, it is important to ask, “Whose task is this?” Then clearly delineate where your task ends and theirs begins, and never take on someone else’s tasks. And never allow someone to encroach on your tasks. The power here is that if it is your task, it is yours alone, and if it someone else’s task, you need not worry about it at all. There are situations where we need to rely on others in various circumstances, but our tasks should be clearly delineated as well.
Taking this approach allows you to easily stop judging others’ behaviors.
Reason 4: Nobody Cares about You
Everyone is too concerned with what they personally are going through. When competition is in place, there are winners and losers, and that means that every situation will eventually lead you to see everyone else as your enemy and competitor.
You’re the only one who is worried about your appearance. Nobody else cares about what you do or say. Especially in schools, kids are so afraid that everyone will notice that some “thing” is wrong with them. When in reality, nobody cares!
Reason 5: The Individual is Whole Being
In Adlerian Psychology, the body and mind are not separated. One does not think of the conscious mind without considering the unconscious mind. One does separate reason from emotion. The mind and body are one.
This approach allows you to comprehend the multitude of parts that make up the whole person, rather than focus only on, for example, academic achievement. What good is academic achievement is the smart person is a terrible human being?
Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals. … We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character—that is the true goal of education.”
Talk about educating the whole child. While there is plenty of “talk” about the whole child, an Adlerian approach would put academic achievement on at least the same footing as character education.
There’s so much more that would impact how we educate kids if Adlerian psychology were the dominant force in education.