What children can do with the assistance of others might be in some sense even more indicative of their mental development than what they can do alone
Lev S. VygotskyRead
Psychology teaches us at every step that though two types of activity can have the same external manifestation, whether in origin or essence, their nature may differ most profoundly.
Interpretation
Activities might look similar on the surface, but their underlying nature can be vastly different.
Vygotsky's quote emphasizes the importance of understanding the intrinsic motivations and origins behind seemingly similar behaviors. It suggests that two actions that appear the same can arise from entirely different psychological processes, underscoring the complexity of human behavior and the need for deeper analysis in psychology to grasp these differences.
In practice
In a psychology class discussion about behavioral analysis.
What children can do with the assistance of others might be in some sense even more indicative of their mental development than what they can do alone
The child begins to perceive the world not only through his [or her] eyes but also through his [or her] speech
It may be said that the basic characteristic of human behavior in general is that humans personally influence their relations with the environment and through that environment personally change their behavior, subjugating it to their control.
Language is the tool of the tools
There is reason to believe that voluntary activity, more than highly developed intellect, distinguishes humans from the animals which stand closest to them.
Thought is not merely expressed in words, it comes into existence through them
I think the relationship between social-dominance orientation in people and the extent to which they're made uncomfortable by ambiguity and novelty is really important. Better a stable world that's familiar, in which I'm doing pretty poorly, than dealing with all the ambiguity of a changing world.
I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.
It's hard to penetrate characters who are very cut off and lack empathy and to do it with sympathy. It's so easy to make a damaged character repugnant.
Psychotherapy is a sanctuary; it is a battleground; it is a place I have been psychotic, neurotic, elated, confused, and despairing beyond belief.
Even when adults do feel their safety to be threatened, we may not be able to see this on the surface. Infants will react in a fashion as if they were endangered, if they are disturbed or dropped suddenly, startled by loud noises, flashing light
But in psychoanalysis there are no unimportant thoughts; there are only thoughts that pretend to be unimportant in order to not be told.
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