life with CMT

[Guest guest]

This process of the good life is not, I am convinced, a life for the

faint-hearted. It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more

of one's potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching

oneself fully into the stream of life. by Carl

The Fully Functioning Person

the good life where the organism continually aims to fulfill their full

potential. He listed characteristics of a fully functioning person (

1961[9]):

A growing openness to experience ¡V they move away from defensiveness and have

no need for subception (a perceptual defense that involves unconsciously

applying strategies to prevent a troubling stimulus from entering

consciousness).

An increasingly existential lifestyle ¡V living each moment fully ¡V not

distorting the moment to fit personality or self concept but allowing

personality and self concept to emanate from the experience. This results in

excitement, daring, adaptability, tolerance, spontaneity, and a lack of rigidity

and suggests a foundation of trust. " To open one's spirit to what is going on

now, and discover in that present process whatever structure it appears to

have " ( 1961[9])

Increasing organismic trust ¡V they trust their own judgment and their ability

to choose behaviour that is appropriate for each moment. They do not rely on

existing codes and social norms but trust that as they are open to experiences

they will be able to trust their own sense of right and wrong.

Freedom of choice ¡V not being shackled by the restrictions that influence an

incongruent individual, they are able to make a wider range of choices more

fluently. They believe that they play a role in determining their own behaviour

and so feel responsible for their own behaviour.

Creativity ¡V it follows that they will feel more free to be creative. They will

also be more creative in the way they adapt to their own circumstances without

feeling a need to conform.

Reliability and constructiveness ¡V they can be trusted to act constructively.

An individual who is open to all their needs will be able to maintain a balance

between them. Even aggressive needs will be matched and balanced by intrinsic

goodness in congruent individuals.

A rich full life ¡V he describes the life of the fully functioning individual as

rich, full and exciting and suggests that they experience joy and pain, love and

heartbreak, fear and courage more intensely. ' description of the good

life:

¡§ This process of the good life is not, I am convinced, a life for the

faint-hearted. It involves the stretching and growing of becoming more and more

of one's potentialities. It involves the courage to be. It means launching

oneself fully into the stream of life. ( 1961[9]) ¡¨