16. Personal Development

We are, to some extent, products of our genes and the social environment, but we also create ourselves – to a large degree, it is up to us what we will become and how far we will actualise our potential. This is what development refers to.

What personal development is

Remember the time when you were a kid. It is likely that you thought differently, liked doing different things or listened to different music. Perhaps you believed that you would stay the same forever, but these things changed – you developed.  This is not the same as ageing, though. Ageing is a natural process that is largely genetically determined; development, on the other hand, is a potential that depends on our efforts and intentions. So, while the body stops growing at some point, then stagnates, and finally starts to deteriorate, personal development does not have to. Our experience keeps accumulating, so your development never needs to stop – it is all up to you.

The prerequisites of personal development

You can develop in many ways on your own, but this process may be easier and quicker with some assistance (e.g. written materials, teachers or guides). After all, why not benefit from those who have already been on this journey? This does not mean indiscriminately accepting what others say – real development requires reflecting on what you absorb and ensuring that you are the one who determines your path. Ultimately, this is your journey! There are many routes to personal development, so assistance is beneficial only if it aligns with your choice. Development, though, is not completely effortless, so some level of self-discipline is essential – it will not happen if you give in to inertia. Let’s consider now the types of personal development.

Two types of development

Quantitative

This type refers to developing specific capacities or competences (e.g. skills) – you become better at something. It is indicated by increased complexity, integration, and so on. For example, if you keep practising an instrument, you may be able to play more complex pieces of music or play in an orchestra. Besides such specific skills, there are more generic ones. Positive psychologists call them strengths and suggest these ones: curiosity, diligence, open-mindedness, enthusiasm, reasoning, creativity, kindness, carefulness, self-control, appreciation of beauty, courage, communication skills, understanding, fairness, humour, stability, flexibility, determination, skilfulness, moderation, and patience.

What are your strengths? How can you use them in a novel way? Which ones would you like to develop further? How can you do it?

Qualitative

A number of scholars[i] have proposed that we not only develop particular skills or strengths, but also go through the qualitatively distinct stages of development. Distilling from many classifications, four such stages are proposed:

• The physical stage at which concrete thinking, bodily instincts and urges, and physical experiences dominate.
• The conventional stage adds to the above social norms and customs, as well as ‘social feelings’ (e.g. belonging, shame).
• The individual stage is characterised by the ability to reflect, self-determination, and personalised experiences.
• The transcendent stage involves an orientation beyond oneself (e.g. dedication to an ideal, spirituality, or others).

These stages should not be taken hierarchically: being at a further stage does not imply personal superiority[ii] (as we can’t say that a year three student is necessarily better than a year two student). Quantitative development matters too, so any aspect of a person can be well or poorly developed at any stage. Further stages do not make life easier either. People just face different challenges.

Some of the stages begin earlier than others, though: the physical stage starts at birth, and the social stage at about age two. The individual stage is usually reached (though not always) around adolescence, and the transcendent stage in adulthood (if at all). The subsequent stages build on the previous ones, which may be modified but not replaced. This means that we can fall back or let earlier stages dominate at any point in life.

Dimensions of qualitative development

The above stages can be applied to three dimensions (directions):

• Cognitive dimension (thinking): at the physical stage, thinking is concrete and usually concerns physical things. At the conventional stage, thinking relies on social constructs acquired through one’s family, culture, or religion. The individual stage involves reflection and self-reflection, examining one’s beliefs about the world and oneself. Thinking at the transcendent stage is more abstract and fluid; the focus shifts from objects to relationships and from personal to more universal principles and ideas.
• Dimension of experience: let’s take eating as an example: eating can be a purely physical experience, when the focus is solely on satisfying the physical need. At the conventional stage, cultural embodiment is also important (e.g. a particular setting or type of food, using a knife and fork or chopsticks). At the individual stage, personal taste matters, and the transcendent one can perhaps best be described as ‘mindful eating’, when eating becomes a form of meditation.
• Dimension of agency (will): at the physical stage, the person is mainly driven by their instincts and urges. At the conventional stage, the reference point for one’s actions is cultural norms. At the personal stage, personal norms, self-expression and autonomy matter, while the transcendent stage involves transcending the personal for the sake of something greater. The reference point is universal norms.

We can be at different stages in each of these three dimensions, which can create an imbalance. If this applies to you, it may be worth considering how to make your development more balanced.

Developmental challenges

Development is an intrinsic drive; it is well known that preventing or inhibiting personal growth causes distress. However, this process has certain challenges that are worth considering:

• Development requires moving beyond where you are, which can make you feel exposed, confused, and vulnerable. It is vital to recognise that these feelings may be a part of the process rather than a sign of something being wrong with you.
• Development is rarely a straight upward line. Periods of progress are often followed by periods of stagnation or even regression. To avoid frustration, it is important to understand and accept that this is normal. Too rapid development can result in weak integration, which, in turn, may lead to losing touch with everyday life and social isolation.
• Your development may create a conflict with others who are not on the same ‘wavelength’. It is important to recognise that you have the right to be different, but they have the right to be different too; different people can still live in harmony and enjoy each other’s company.
• If development is imbalanced, your more developed aspects may start dominating while others wither. So, you may excel in one area of life and remain immature in others.

Your direction

Having a developmental aim can be a guiding light that mitigates the above challenges. This exercise can help you clarify your aim:

Where do I want to be? Imagine yourself in five or ten years. What sort of person would you like to be then, what would you like to achieve in terms of your personal development? What do you need to do now to get there?

Bear in mind, though, that any aim is projected from where you are now and therefore, it may be at least partly coloured by your own present limitations. So, developmental aims should be only provisional and open to change over time.

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[i] See, for example, Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1992). Flow. London: Rider p.221 and p.278, and Bee, H.L. (1987) The Journey of Adulthood. New York: Macmillan (chapters 10 and 13).
[ii] See Haaften, W. van, Korthals, M., and Wren, T. (eds) (1997) Philosophy of Development. Dondrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, p.77.