The Only psychology book I’ll ever need— almost
The 20th century started off with Dr. Freud, an uptight Viennese physician with mostly upper middle class neurotic female patients. From this small non-typical group of patients he generalized his findings, and projected them onto the rest of the human race, including the naked residents of the Amazon forest. It’s true that there may be use somewhere in thinking in terms of ids and egos and superegos, but they do not give us all that many useful ‘tools’ to actually understand ourselves and others.
Many other types of psychologies have sprung up after Freud, but if we look at the world today, can we say that all those theories have made the human world any easier to predict, saner or even easier to understand?
One book did help me understand people so that I do not want to wring everyone’s neck twice a day. The name of this book: Who Are You Really by Gary Null.
What makes this book different from every other psychology book that I have ever read is that this book actually explains human behavior, in a simple organized pattern. After reading this one book, you can have a very good idea why Aunt Sally drives you insane every time she visits, or why your best friend is the one guy or gal in town who can understand you.
Gary Null came to write this book after some sort of revelation. For years he was lecturing to faithful and enthusiastic audiences about how to live a healthy lifestyle (he is a bit extreme: a vegan and an exercise nut, but it certainly works for him) But he found time and again that his fans did not follow his advice to change their eating or exercise habits, and when they inevitably became ill, they ran to the doctors for a wonder pill, had an operation, a heart attack or stroke, and came back to the lecture hall, maybe leaning on a walker or leaning on an aide, to continue to hear his lectures.
So he did this meditation thing, an almost Amerindian dream quest thing out under the stars, to ask why people were not acting on his advice and well documented information. And he was given an understanding of the basic seven energy types that most humans more or less fall into very neatly. These energy types unbeknownst to him, at least at the time of this revelation, fit into known Kabalistic categories: the Ten Sephirot (attributes of G-d).
These categories explain why Bobby is ambitious and Larry is laid back, why Susie is creative and Eleanor feels responsible for the whole neighborhood, and why you would not want to buy a used car from Jack.
Although Mr. Null’s ego often approaches the proportions of his intellect, and I sometimes find some of his views obnoxious (anti-Israel), I still recommend this book to everyone I care about because it gives us a handle on why and how we tick and why we sometimes tick each other off unwittingly.
Now the widest category of people, what Gary Null calls the "adaptive supportive" and in Kabalistic terms would be Yesod or Basis, covers about 90% of the human race. These are the salt-of-the-earth working people who don’t mind taking orders from the boss as long as the weekly or monthly pay check keeps coming. They take real pride in their work and do it well. They care very much about their families and their homes and in general are really nice caring people.
The trouble is that they are easily manipulated by authority figures (or by the media or advertising) and can be turned into crazy mob by a demagogue. On the other hand they are very resistant to real healthy change and won’t usually rebel even against a terrible system, nor can they change their own lifestyles without the orders of an authority figure even when they intellectually know that it would be a good idea to make the change.
Most bloggers would probably fit into another energy type “Creative Assertives”. In Kabalistic terms this is three categories rolled into one, Chochma—or the original pinpoint of inspiration, Beena—the expanding of the original inspiration into definite thoughts, and Da'at, the final product of the inspiration, expanded, tested and reviewed (third draft).
Gary Null, defines a creative assertive person this way: “…when a person creates simply because he or she has to, because it's in that person to paint, write, act, dance or make music, and he needs to do so practically as much as he needs to breathe, then that individual is a Creative Assertive”. He goes on to say that “Creative Assertives are the artists who interpret life for the rest of us.”
He also credits the creatives as embodying the conscience of the human race. “As philosophers, artists, writers and the like, they look at society and make a statement about the human condition through their artistic expressions.”
On the other hand, Gary Null being another type of energy, a Dynamic who employs lots of creatives, doesn’t mince words about some of the downsides of this energy: “…their sense of self can be precarious.” “Creative Assertives can be so busy searching, analyzing and seeking themselves that they miss the opportunity to live in the moment.” “Creative Assertives can break easily. They hurt when they feel unappreciated…” “On their down side Creative Assertives may work obsessively and ignore the need to do other things.” “Their mind never shuts off…” “Creative Assertives aren’t necessarily the best choice for on going long term jobs because they tend to be inconsistent." “…they tend to procrastinate.” “Their sensitivity can make them quite defensive. Therefore those who interact with Creative Assertives must be constantly aware of little emotional minefields they have planted all around them.”
Okay, the question is: Are you possibly a creative assertive?
