Paper 1
Semantics
Corcoran
Melany Fava
January 16, 2015
A 1 and 2. The normal definition of a well-adjusted person would be someone who does and thinks the same as everyone else around them does. “Such a view of adjustment would mean that in Rome you would not only do as the Romans do, but you would think and feel as the Romans do” (55). When in a society, if they are well-adjusted, one would think, feel and do as everyone around them did. A sane person differs from a well-adjusted person because they are in a society, but they are not taken over by the said society. “He is in and of society of which he is a member, but he is not a prisoner of that society” (55). While in Rome they may see how a Roman feels, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will start feeling that way too.
B 1 and 2. When a sane person is faced with a non-sane person, he won’t allow the non-sane person to stop them from doing what they feel they need to. “The self-actualizing person practically never allows convention to hamper him or inhibit him from doing anything that he considers very important and basic” (56). A sane person will always do what they feel is important and necessary regardless of what a non-sane person says or does. A person that is not sane may go shopping at Hollister when they are in need of new clothing, even though they know they can’t afford it. But to a non-sane person the symbolism of having a name brand Hollister shirt is more important than having enough money for their necessities later on. A sane person who needs new clothes and is on a tight budget would buy a shirt from Wal-Mart so that they could use their money later on necessities. This is because the sane person isn’t afraid of their social status, and is okay with being considered “low status” if that means they can afford their rent later. A non-sane person lives in a reality in which their social status, and what everyone around them thinks of them, is the most important thing. “The semantically well-oriented person is primarily concerned with the territory and not with the map, with the social reality rather than the social façade” (56). A sane person is not concerned with what they are wearing, but more how they act.
C. 1 2 3 4 5 and 6. A sane person differs from a non-sane person in the sense that a sane person is aware of their feelings, and can acknowledge them without necessarily having to act upon them. “He can fully live the experiences of his total organism, rather than shutting them out of his awareness” (59). A sane person may consider himself or herself to be happy, but can still feel upset, and experience all of their emotions. They are able to see things from another point of view, and admit when they may not be able to see all possible situations, and have a better sense of awareness of the world. This could enable them to be more honest because they are able to openly admit their feelings, and are aware that they are not able to feel all emotions. A non-sane person may consider himself or herself to be a grumpy person, and therefor never be happy because they feel they can only ever be grumpy. This may make them see things one-sided or not admit to certain things making them more dishonest. A psychologically healthy person knows that every map is off, even their own map of themselves. “They accept the unknown, they are comfortable with it, and often even attracted by it” (61). They know that they will never be completely aware of everything, which sets them up for accepting the unknown. They are also extensional, and are able to have their own experiences of things. While people say going to college is good, a sane person would go to college with an open mind and determine if they thought college was good or