Hi @Jynx
I agree with your observations and theories about the different parts of the whole that make up our psyches. And I particularly like your recommendation to "make peace" with them by trying to understand and affirm those pieces. Those internal conflicts between the pieces that don't naturally fit together do pose some strategic challenges about how to integrate these fractions. But as you said, they are all part of us and we need them to work together.
I was wondering how you and other people would solve the problem of fitting together 'voices' or different facets of our psyches that don't necessarily fit together?
If I may, I'd like to start us off with a couple of ideas that may work for some, but I'd genuinely love to hear of other people's experiences and ideas, or if someone has investigated established theoretical studies/has been counselled on other methods?
Firstly, I think that there is possibly a social pressure to this challenge which is really an external issue. I think we naturally internalise these external social pressures and take responsibility to solve issues that were not ours to solve. It is probably very challenging if you are conscious of this at an early age in life where one doesn't have much agency. Additionally, and not to labour the following point, but if deliberate grooming is involved then there is a real issue of having a psychological battle with someone more older with malicious intent. But, even without that additional burden, just the social pressures of sexism, ageism, racism, etc.. all just distort our internal voices and we can demonise ones that are inherently blameless.
Secondly, I think that it is a human condition that we naturally rebel against authority. I maybe wrong and need someone to correct me, but I think that the anthropologists call this phenomenon "resistance". However, as anyone familiar with looking after children knows, as youngsters, we have little consideration of the problems and internal pressures of our adult social group members. And so, often it is just the nature of doing what we have the time and energy as parents, whilst also being wage earners and partners, that we are fallible creatures. In addition to that, they too have their own internal issues to deal with, along with the first point that I made: they too live in a world that is unjust, etc.. Most of these problems just cannot be fathomed by us as children.
So my theory on how to integrate these competing parts is that if we come to know the history, the time and place that we live, perhaps we may change and have a greater depth and perspective to make those alien parts of our psyches much more relatable?
And to reiterate what I said, I'd be very keen to know other people's theories on this challenge.
Regards
J.
