Rollo May is one of the highly proclaimed American Psychologist. May’s perceptions about love are important. In fact, they are still widely observed within the present society. In his book “Love and Will,” May provides a philosophical critique into the concept of love. He applies the “daimon” to explain the various trends notable in human relationships.
According to May, the “daimonic possession” within individuals dictates their level of reliance on others (Schultz & Schultz, 2009). People intend to engage in evil whenever there is a distortion in the balance of the daimon. Rollo May highlights other significant components of humanity that have the capacity to dictate love.
In his works, May identifies “eros” as one of the fundamental daimons. He differentiates eros from sex. Principally, eros does not mean sex. However, it stands for love. The psychologist associates eros with a youthful god. This emerges with the consideration of the Greek culture.
The symbolic view transforms with time. This transformation indicates the likelihood of disappearance of love or eros in man. Therefore, his basic understanding of love is evident. May defines love as the longing that humans posses to “become one” with the next individual (Schultz & Schultz, 2009).
In his explanation of love, May draws an analogy from the Aristophanes. The basic lesson put forward by May is the goodness of love. However, he indicates that it turns bitter when it takes charge of one’s personality. People are more likely to be obsessed with love.
How Personality Shape View of Love
Personality has significant influence on an individual’s perception of love. Weak personalities negatively influence personal views of love. An individual with a stronger personality is more competent to love. As a person, one has to accept himself or herself first. This is important in many ways. For instance, it enables other individuals to be able to appreciate and respect.
Consequently, a person also becomes able to accept the feelings of love from others (Schultz & Schultz, 2009). The scripture also emphasizes that one should “Love Their Neighbor as themselves.” This explains that for an individual to have positive perceptions about love, they need to first love themselves.
Therefore, most people with negative perceptions on love suffer from poor personality. Strong personality is vital for harmony and love. Low self-esteem is an indicator of weak personality. It also negatively affects an individuals’ perception towards love.
How Personality Impact People I am in Relationships With
Weak personalities have negative influence on the lives of people within relationships. There are constant quarrels and conflicts. Disagreements arise due to lack of adequate coherence and adherence with each other. However, constructive and strong personalities provide basic springboard for the development of effective relationships (Schultz & Schultz, 2009).
Relationships built on strong personality characteristics enhance successful interactions. There is also a high level of respect and mutual understanding amongst the persons involved. These provide a critical opportunity for effective development.
A Reflection of Myers-Briggs Results
Personally, my results from the “Myers-Briggs” indicator test were astonishing. The results indicated that I had the ENTJ (Extroverting, Intuiting Perception, Thinking Judgments, and Judging) qualities (Schultz & Schultz, 2009). As an individual, I believe these qualities often vary and none remains permanent. However, it is obvious that these qualities portray potential leadership competencies. Therefore, it is important to improve one’s leadership capacities.
References
Schultz, P. & Schultz, E (2009). Theories of personality. Australia: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.