QUESTION 1:
Dear Prof. Von Glasersfeld,
i'm interested in Psychology, but in a chaotic way, as i haven't
studied it by regular courses. This is not my job. I started
casually, exploring some Carl Gustav Jung. In the last three
years, i have gone up the river (so it seems to me), from
Bandler/Grinder to Watzlawick, then Viktor Frankl and Gregory
Bateson... and now i meet You. I'm interested in problems about
self, manipulation, self-acceptation, communication, group
influences on individuals, and so on; and hope to be aware of
limits of my amateur vision.
I thank You if You will pay attention to my personal request of
hints, originating from recent personal events.
I work with a friend affected by bipolar cyclotimia and
passive-aggressive behaviour. She's on therapy. More than the
diagnosis or causes of her disorders, i ask You: what about
feelings and possible approaches of persons who compares with
this disorders?
I think this may be a more than personal question, as, today,
many "healthy" people too, behaviour in a suspicial setting of
generic fear, compulsive manipulation, short term attention.
Best regards,
D.M.
- ANSWER 1:
-
- Dear Mr. Michi,
I am not a clinical psychologist or psychotherapist
and cannot give you advice about what to do with your
friend. Gregory Bateson and Paul Watzlawick are the
best sources I know. I would agree with you that there
is an epidemic of short term attention in the general
public. It has been fostered by TV here in the U.S.
and in the next generation it will be a real disaster.
- Best wishes,
Ernst von Glasersfeld
-
-
QUESTION 2:
Dear Prof von Glasersfeld:
I'm a postgraduate student of the University of Malaya Malaysia.
Currently I'm using radical constructivism as my research
theoretical framework. 'Understanding' of lower secondary
students is main aim of this research. I wonder if you could
help me to answer these questions:
1) In radical constructivism, what is the relationship between
knowledge and understanding?
2) Can you please suggest any authors I should read?
Thank you.
Best regards.
Patrick Fan
Dear Mr. Fan,
1) I would say that "knowledge" covers
everything from the capacity to re-present past experiences to
oneself all the way to possessing viable "explanatory" models
for things, events, and situations.
2) For the theoretical framework of RC there are two books of
mine:
Radical constructivism: A way of knowing and learning. (213
pages). London: Falmer Press/Routledge, 1995
Key Works in Radical Constructivism (ed. By M.Larochelle)
Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. 2008
Best wishes,
Ernst von Glasersfeld
