Personal Development – Lesson 2: Developing the Whole Person

A set of flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, and examples from Personal Development Lesson 2: Developing the Whole Person.

What does self-development mean according to the lesson?

Knowing and accepting your responsibilities to yourself and to others.

What is the main goal of Lesson 2: “Developing the Whole Person”?

To understand how physiological, cognitive, psychological, social, and spiritual development interrelate, evaluate one’s own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and show their connections in real-life situations.

What is Descartes’ concept of mind–body dualism?

The view that mind and body are two distinct and separate substances.

How does Western thought traditionally view duality?

As rigid opposites that negate each other (e.g., good vs. bad, mind vs. body).

How does Eastern thought, symbolized by yin–yang, view duality?

As a continuous, dynamic, balanced interaction where opposites coexist and can transform into each other.

Who coined the academic term “holism,” and how did he define it?

General Jan C. Smuts; he defined holism as the tendency in nature to form wholes greater than the sum of their parts through creative evolution.

What is the gestalt principle introduced by Christian von Ehrenfels and later the Berlin School psychologists?

The idea that a whole is more or different than the mere sum of its parts, emphasizing overall patterns or configurations.

Give an everyday example that illustrates the principle of holism or gestalt.

A symphony or a car—individual notes or parts alone do not constitute the whole, but together they create something new and greater.

Name the five aspects considered in the holistic development of a person.

Physiological, cognitive, psychological, social, and spiritual.

Why should none of the five aspects be viewed in isolation when understanding a person?

Because any single aspect, such as behavior, can only be fully understood through its interaction with the other aspects of the whole person.

In psychology, what are basic drives?

Biologically rooted drives such as hunger and thirst.

What does the term “affect” refer to?

Emotional experiences including emotions, moods, and affective traits.

According to Paul Ekman, what are the six basic human emotions?

Happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust.

What did the 2014 University of Glasgow study conclude about basic emotions?

It proposed only four basic emotions: happy, sad, afraid/surprised, and angry/disgusted.

From the Latin verb “movere,” what does the term “emotion” denote?

Variations in arousal, mood, expressive movement, and attitudes that move or agitate the person.

List three physiological responses that accompany strong emotions.

Faster heartbeat, profuse sweating, dilated pupils, higher blood pressure, or muscular tremors.

According to Dr. António Damasio, how do feelings arise?

They are produced by the brain’s interpretation of bodily emotion signals triggered by external stimuli.

How are “values” defined in this lesson?

Ideals that give meaning and purpose to life and guide thinking and behavior; universal human values transcend culture and race.

List the five universal values cited by the United Nations.

Peace, freedom, social progress, equal rights, and human dignity.

What are Facebook’s five core corporate values?

Be bold; focus on impact; move fast; be open; build social value.

How does the Catechism of the Catholic Church define “virtue”?

A habitual and firm disposition to do good, enabling a person to give the best of himself or herself.

What are the four cardinal virtues in Catholic teaching?

Prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

How do values relate to virtues, according to the lesson?

Values identify what is important, while virtues are the habitual dispositions for acting on those values.

Give an example of how the value of integrity develops specific virtues.

The value of integrity can foster virtues such as honesty, trustworthiness, and responsibility.