Love is generally confused with dependence; but in point of fact, you can love only in proportion to your capacity for independence.
Rollo MayRead
A historical perspective can also help free us from the ever-present danger -- especially at danger in the social sciences -- of absolutizing a theory or method which is actually relative to the fact that we live at a given moment in time in the development of our particular culture.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding history allows us to recognize that theories are not absolute but are instead shaped by cultural context and time.
Rollo May emphasizes the importance of adopting a historical perspective when evaluating theories and methods within the social sciences. He warns against the danger of treating these frameworks as absolute truths, as they are inherently tied to the specific cultural and temporal context in which they were developed. By acknowledging this relativity, we can better appreciate the evolution of ideas and avoid rigid thinking.
Themes
HistoryTheoryCulturePerspectiveRelativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on social science, one might quote Rollo May to illustrate the importance of historical context in understanding theories.
More from Rollo May
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Humor is the healthy way of feeling "distance" between one's self and the problem, a way of standing off and looking at one's problem with perspective.
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Beauty is the experience that gives us a sense of joy and a sense of peace simultaneously.
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The poet, like the lover, is a menace on the assembly line.
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