There's no single way to achieve a well adjusted life. However, there are at least three different, but equally effective paths that lead to psychological maturity, according to a 39 - year study of women who were first contacted as college seniors.
The study, in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, traced psychological development in 111 graduates of a private women's college. Participants completed questionnaires at five points between ages 21 and 60. Their psychological maturity was rated on a variety of scales.
Some women, dubbed conservers by the researchers, successfully sought the security of marriage, family life, and traditionally female occupations. Conservers reported dealing well with daily situations and with other people, said psychologist Ravenna Helson and graduate student Sanjay Srivastava, both of the University of California, Berkeley. Conservers muted both their positive and negative feelings. They were mostly satisfied with their lives and had little desire to pursue novel challenges.
A second group, call achieves, cherished social recognition and career advancement. Achievers reported a sense of mastery of everyday challenges. Over time, they underwent considerable personal growth and developed insight into fulfilling tasks at work. At the same time, achievers intimate relationships sometimes suffered as are result of their emphasis on professional goals.
One achiever, Andrea, went from collage to graduate school to professional career. She overcame an addiction while ascending the corporate ladder. She married at age 40, when she felt she had her life under control. Andrea and her husband had no children but satisfying careers. Andrea now says she's overcome feeling of worthlessness that began in childhood.
The third group of well-adjusted women, dubbed seekers, valued unconventional pursuits, creativity, and self-discovery. According to the researchers, seekers developed progressively more independence and wisdom in thinking about various life matters. They experienced a lot of emotional highs and lows. A desire to find or accomplish a true calling was uppermost in their minds and often outweighed concerns with daily affairs.
For example, Sara interacted awkwardly with others but shined academically in graduate school. She dropped out and got married after unexpectedly becoming pregnant. Later, she resumed schooling and tried to become more sociable. Sarah wants to leave her current nine-to-five job, which she finds unchallenging, so that she can write " the great American novel."
A roughly equal number of women fell within each category of healthy development. " There are different ways to lead a good life, and each comes with its own trade-offs, Helson remarked.
By Advance Reading Power
No comments:
Post a Comment