When Dr. Eric Berne, a psychoanalyst meets with his patients for the first time, he neither smiles nor shakes their hand in greeting. He believes that when you first meet a patient, you do not know his state of mind and well being good enough for you to empathize and offer him a smile. He could be suffering, from pain or depression, and that smile you offer him might make him think you have no sensitivity about his feelings, especially if he is dysthymic. And he justifies the handshake as an act of intimacy, and intimacy can only be developed between individuals who are connected to each other.
On the contrary, Dr. Berne ends his sessions with a smile and a handshake. He justified, by then, you understand the person enough through your clerking for you to establish an understanding of his current situation, and this mutual understanding allows space for intimacy to develop, thus a handshake is appropriate.
Psychology is an interesting field. There is no right, or wrong.
Dr. Berne thinks his method is in accordance to his understanding.
I on the other hand disagree.
A smile is the prologue to all conversations. A depressed patient, presenting with lowered mood and unhedonia might find it a challenge to his already low self appraisal if you do not appear to appreciate his presence. Therefore a smile and the beginning of a session does not necessarily mean you do not feel his pain. It just means that "Hey, lets work to make things better."
Touch is crucial in the establishment of trust and sincerity. From this deep trust, intimacy ensues. Being intimate, is a state of pure sincerity and honesty. Therefore, it stands to reason that when you are completely open with your patient, he feels a need to comply to that openness, thus enabling you to dissect his soul to the core, finding the roots of his problems and helping him escape the suffering.
The only reason I'm bulls*itting psychology here is, Dr. Tulpin, my psychiatry teacher, is a MASTER in the art of manipulating minds, I tell you. So as it is, one he makes his mind on what is right and what is wrong, he definitely tries and succeeds in making our opinions falter. Sometimes I think he's a genius. And all geniuses are weird, secluded and maybe a bit egoistic.
But he's an excellent teacher all the same. =)
Arguments VS Fights
These two words aren't the same, are they? Just because you argue,doesn't necessarily mean that you are scratching the face of the other person, or pulling at his hair, or even knocking the air out of him, does it?
An argument is an intelligent clash of ideas, in which two parties strive to prove the truth in their beliefs. However, intelligence comes with the ability to reason, and with that comprehension follows. And when the right reasons are brought forward, even the strongest ideas can collapse, but a sound mind will be able to accept it all the same.
As the Russian saying goes,
All truth is derived from arguments.
A saying is not a saying for nothing, you know.
Wrapping up my temporary vent-out session, psychology aids in understanding people, that I agree, but human beings are too complex for you to structure them, they way Freud did. That is his assumption, and in my opinion a mirror of his sexual desires.
Humans are also too diverse for you to group their needs like Maslow and Jung.
Yes, I agree, that these borders make Psychology and Psychiatry seem more like science rather than philosophy, but lets not forget that, every person is unique and reacts in their own unique way. Lets not compartmentize people, coz face it, if we do, we are using an immature defense mechanism, compartmentalization.
The world is in a myriad of colours, lets not look at things in black and white. =)
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