adaptation

On a scale of 1 (not at all similar) to 10 (very similar): How similar is your personality in your personal life and in the workplace? Is there a difference? or are you the same person? Adaptation is a perfectly natural process of adjusting, consciously or unconsciously, to both external circumstances (the outer world) and internal demands (inner world). Especially in organisational life, some adaptation is needed to avoid the pitfall of trying to solve an inner conflict in an outer reality situation i.e. work. Projection is a classic example of this type of situation. We are still some weeks from 'P' but you can still find the full A to Z of Analytical Psychology here https://lnkd.in/dTad8sXc. When we get to 'Projection', we will look at the psychological dynamics between individual projections and company grievance culture.

Successful adaptation is a delicate balancing act of one's own needs (from self and others) and societal or organisational norms and expectations while maintaining one's own integrity or sovereignty. Poor adaptation-in the inner world or outer world-as a consistent pattern may lead to neurosis: a term founded in psychoanalysis which refers to a state of disharmony (emotional distress) rooted in unresolved conflicts between inner and outer demands.

Many people seek therapy, coaching or analysis as a relief from 'neurosis': Understanding your adaptation strategies in your personal or work life helps to identify areas where you might be over-conforming to societal or organisational expectations or neglecting personal authenticity. Then the work begins to fine tune the balancing act and potentially, a transformation of the personality.