To resolve intrapersonal conflicts, it is important to establish its very fact, determine the causes, and choose appropriate methods of resolution.

Intrapersonal conflict does not arise spontaneously. Man is a biosocial being. On the one hand, his life activity is carried out in a social environment. In addition to the fact that the human psyche itself is a rather contradictory phenomenon. Man is involved in various social relations. In terms of content, the social environment and social relations are rather contradictory and affect the individual in different directions and with different signs. Only in society can a person satisfy his needs, assert himself and fulfill himself. The individual becomes a person in society. He must, is obliged, forced to comply with the norms and rules of conduct that have developed in his social environment, both official (legally fixed) and unofficial. It is impossible to live in society and be free from it. On the other hand, a person strives for freedom, the preservation of his individuality, originality.

Thus, the relationship of a person with the social environment is of a contradictory nature, which also determines the inconsistency of the internal structure of the personality. According to Alexei Leontiev, “the diverse relationships that a person enters into are objectively contradictory; these contradictions give rise to conflicts, which, under certain conditions, are fixed and enter the structure of the personality.

When identifying the causes of intrapersonal conflict, it must be taken into account that the authors of each of the concepts distinguish their own groups. But the main reason that unites different approaches is the presence of contradictions. There are two groups of contradictions leading to the emergence of intrapersonal conflict.

Groups intrapersonal conflicts:
1st group: the transition of external contradictions, in relation to a person, into his inner world (adaptive, moral, etc.);
2nd group: contradictions of the inner world of the individual, reflecting his attitude to the social environment.

Along with groups of contradictions, their levels are distinguished:

1. Psychological balance of the inner world;
2. Intrapersonal conflict;
3. Life crisis.

The psychological balance of the inner world is characterized by the background level of the internal conflict situation, the ability of the individual to optimally resolve it.

The level of intrapersonal conflict is characterized by a violation of mental balance, complication, difficulty in the main activities, the transfer of mental discomfort to professional activity, interaction with the social environment.

The level of life crisis is characterized by the impossibility of implementing life plans and programs, even performing basic life functions until the contradiction is resolved.

The resolution of the contradiction is possible at any of these levels. This is primarily due to the ratio of the level of claims and the possibility of their satisfaction or the ability to reduce their level, or even refuse.

But for the transition from the first level to the next, it is necessary to have both personal and situational conditions.

Personal Conditions:

• Complex inner world, actualization;
• The ability of the individual to introspection.

Situational conditions:

• Internal;
• External.

According to V. Merlin, external conditions are associated with the satisfaction of any deep and active motives, needs and relationships of the individual (the struggle with nature, the satisfaction of some needs gives rise to others, more complex, still unsatisfied, social restriction of ways to satisfy motives and needs).

Internal conditions- contradictions between different sides of the personality. According to Kurt Lewin, these contradictions should be significant, approximately equal, and the person should be aware of the high level of difficulty in resolving the situation. Some authors, when considering the socio-psychological causes of intrapersonal conflict, distinguish three groups:

• Internal causes rooted in the contradiction of the personality psyche;
• External causes due to the position of the individual in the social group;
• External causes due to the position of the individual in society.

At the same time, it should be emphasized that all types of causes of the conflict are interconnected and interdependent, and their differentiation is rather conditional. In fact, we are talking about single, special and general causes, between which there is a corresponding dialectical relationship and interdependence. Concretizing the internal and external causes, it should be noted that they predetermine the type (kind) of intrapersonal conflict.

Internal causes rooted in the inconsistency of the personality psyche:

• Contradiction between need and social norm;
• Contradiction of social statuses and roles;
• Contradiction of social norms and values;
• Contradiction of motives of interests and needs.

A common symptom of the external causes of intrapersonal conflict, due to the position of the individual in the group, is the impossibility of satisfying the fundamental needs and motives that have a deep inner meaning and significance for the individual in this situation.

External causes, due to the position of the individual in the social group:

• Physical barriers that prevent the satisfaction of needs;
• Physiological restrictions that prevent the satisfaction of needs;
• The absence of an object necessary to satisfy the need;
• Social conditions that impede the satisfaction of needs.

Among the causes of intrapersonal conflict, due to the position of the individual in the group, it is necessary to single out a group of causes at the Level social organization(institute). At this level, the external causes of this conflict include:

• Mismatch of responsibility and rights;
• Non-compliance of working conditions with the requirements for its result;
• Inconsistency of personal norms and values ​​with organizational ones;
• Mismatch between social status and role;
• Lack of opportunities for self-realization, creativity;
• Mutually exclusive requirements, tasks.

In a market economy, the contradiction between the desire for profit and moral standards is singled out as the cause of intrapersonal conflict. However, in our opinion, this is more characteristic of the transitional stage of market relations, the stage of initial accumulation of capital.

External causes of intrapersonal conflict, due to the position of the individual in society, are associated with contradictions that arise at the level of the social macrosystem and are rooted in the character social order, social structure society, its political structure and economic life.

A significant contribution to the development of problems related to the causes of intrapersonal conflict in the conditions of market economic relations was made by Karen Horney, Erich Fromm, and others. In her works, Karen Horney identified a number of contradictions in market culture that underlie typical intrapersonal conflicts, leading even to neuroses.

In her opinion, in the conditions of competition inherent in market relations, a person is forced to constantly compete with his own kind, under these conditions, constant hostility to the social environment develops under certain conditions into hostility towards oneself, which ultimately leads to the emergence of an intrapersonal conflict. On the one hand, market relations require an appropriate level of aggressiveness from the individual, and on the other hand, society requires a certain altruism and philanthropy from business, considering them as appropriate social virtues. These circumstances act as an objective social basis for intrapersonal conflict under the dominance of market relations.

Causes intrapersonal conflict (K. Horney):

• Rivalry and success;
• Stimulation of needs;
• Proclaimed freedom and equality;
• Brotherly love and humanity;
• Obstacles to their achievement;
• their actual limitation.

Erich Fromm, studying the influence of market relations on intrapersonal conflict, calls modern society a “sick society”, the main disease of which is general competition and alienation, where there is a struggle for power, prestige and status. Alienation affects the very inner structure of the personality - there is a self-alienation of a person from his essence. There is a conflict between the essence and existence of the individual.

An individual in a marketplace feels that his self-respect depends on market conditions over which he has no control. He feels that his value does not depend on his human qualities, but on success in a competitive market. Both the losers and the wealthy live in fear and anxiety about the future. Therefore, they are forced to constantly fight for success, and any obstacle on this path poses a serious threat to the internal state and gives rise to an intrapersonal conflict.

It should be emphasized that in the conditions of a market culture, in combination with other factors of reforming social life, the likelihood of any kind of intrapersonal conflict turning into a neurotic form increases significantly. The risk group includes not only those who live at the subsistence level and below, but also representatives of the wealthy segments of the population, for whom business is a matter of life. In the event of a collapse of plans, bankruptcy, a person experiences severe stress. At the same time, it must be taken into account that the very way of life of such people is the existence in stressful situation: a constant state of anxiety, worries, overwork.

Thus, the personality is constantly under the influence of external and internal factors that cause confrontation and disagreement within it, and it depends only on the personality itself what consequences they will lead to.

Intrapersonal conflict in its consequences can be both constructive (functional, productive) and destructive.

The most severe destructive consequences of a timely unresolved intrapersonal conflict is that it can develop into a state of stress, frustration, neurosis, and lead to suicide.

It should be borne in mind that stress is very common in an intrapersonal conflict if it has gone far enough and the personality has not resolved it in time and constructively. At the same time, stress itself often provokes further development of the conflict or gives rise to a new one.

Frustration is also one of the forms of intrapersonal conflict. It is usually accompanied by pronounced negative emotions: anger, irritation, guilt, etc. The depth of frustration is the greater the stronger the intrapersonal conflict. The level of frustration tolerance is individual, on the basis of this, everyone has certain strengths to overcome the frustration reaction to an intrapersonal conflict.

At the heart of neuroses lies an unproductively resolved contradiction between the personality and the actual factors that are significant for it. The main reason for their occurrence is a deep intrapersonal conflict, which the person is not able to resolve positively and rationally. The impossibility of resolving the conflict is accompanied by the emergence of painful and painful experiences of failures, unsatisfied needs of the unattainability of life goals, loss of the meaning of life, etc. The appearance of neuroses indicates the transition of an intrapersonal conflict to a new level - a neurotic conflict.

Neurotic conflict as the highest stage in the development of intrapersonal conflict can occur at any age. There are three forms of neurosis: neurasthenia, hysteria and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Neurasthenia, as a rule, is characterized by increased irritability, fatigue, loss of the ability to prolonged mental and physical stress.

Hysteria most often occurs in individuals with great suggestibility and autosuggestibility. It is characterized by a disorder of the musculoskeletal system, paralysis, impaired coordination, speech disorders, etc.

obsessive-compulsive disorder- painful thoughts, ideas, memories, fears and urges to act, unexpectedly arising in a person against his will, irresistibly chaining all his "I".

A prolonged stay in a neurotic state leads to the formation of a neurotic type of personality, a personality characterized by internally contradictory tendencies that it is unable to resolve or reconcile.

A characteristic feature of the neurotic personality in relations with the social environment is the constant desire for rivalry in all situations. K. Horney identified a number of features of neurotic rivalry that distinguish it from the usual.

Features of neurotic rivalry:

• Hidden hostility;
• Striving to be unique and exceptional in everything;
• Constantly comparing yourself to others.

The negative consequences of an intrapersonal conflict concern not only the state of the personality itself, its internal structure, but also its interaction with the social environment.

An intrapersonal conflict can carry not only a negative charge, but also a positive one, i.e. perform a positive (constructive) function, positively influence the structure, dynamics and final result mental processes, states and personality traits It is one of the most important sources of self-improvement and self-affirmation of the personality. In this case, the conflict situation is resolved without the predominance of negative consequences, the general result of their resolution is the development of the personality.

Based on this, most theorists and researchers of intrapersonal conflict consider positive intrapersonal conflict as one of the main ways of personality development. It is through the struggle, resolution and overcoming of intrapersonal contradictions that the will is formed, the knowledge of the surrounding reality, the formation of character, in fact, all the main structural components of the personality psyche are formed and developed.

Design features intrapersonal conflict:

• Mobilization of the internal resources of the individual;
• Development of structural components of the personality psyche;
• A way of bringing together the "I" of the ideal and the "I" of the real;
• Activation of the processes of self-knowledge and self-esteem;
• A way of self-actualization, self-realization of the personality.

Thus, a positive intrapersonal conflict, on the one hand, complicates the mental life of a person, but on the other hand, it contributes to the transition to a new level of functioning, allows you to realize yourself as a full-fledged one, strong personality get the satisfaction of conquering your weaknesses.

Along with the causes and functions of intrapersonal conflict, it is necessary to determine its main forms. One of them, the most destructive and dangerous, we have considered, describing the negative functions of the conflict. But, along with it, there are other forms.

Rationalism- self-justification, inventing artificial justifying reasons for one's actions, actions to ensure a state of mental comfort. A protective mechanism for the subject to hide from his consciousness the reasons for his actions, actions in order to maintain self-esteem, the integrity of his Self, to prevent unwanted mental states (feelings of guilt, decline, etc.). Rationalism is aimed at hiding socially, personally unacceptable motives and needs.

Euphoria- a mental state characterized by an unreasonable, joyful, blissful mood, carelessness, serenity, which does not correspond to the objective position of a person.

Regression- a return to more primitive, often childish, types of behavior, a form of psychological defense, a return to that stage of personality development in which a feeling of pleasure was experienced.

Projection- the process and result of the comprehension and generation of meanings, which consists in the conscious or unconscious transfer by the subject of his own properties, states, experiences to external objects, other people (an unconscious attempt in a critical situation to find a "scapegoat"; interpretation of situations, events with giving them their own feelings, own experience; unconscious attribution to other people of their own morally disapproved, unwanted thoughts, feelings, actions, first expressed by 3igmundt Freud). In addition to comprehending and generating new meanings, the projection also performs the function of removing excessive internal moral conflicts from the personality by blaming others.

Nomadism- frequent change of place of residence, place of work, marital status.

Having determined the main causes, functions and forms of intrapersonal conflict, one should determine such categories as their prevention (prevention) and resolution (overcoming). It should be borne in mind that it is always easier to prevent a conflict than to resolve it.

Prevention of destructive intrapersonal conflict - the creation of appropriate prerequisites and conditions that prevent the emergence of acute forms of intrapersonal contradictions.

Resolution of intrapersonal conflict, according to A.Ya. Antsupov, is the restoration of the coherence of the inner world of the individual, the establishment of the unity of consciousness, the reduction of the sharpness of the contradictions of life relations, the achievement of a new quality of life.

Ways and conditions for overcoming intrapersonal conflict:

• General (general social);
• Personal.

General, or general social, conditions and methods for preventing intrapersonal conflict are associated with the establishment of a progressive social structure of society, civil society, rule of law and relate to changes occurring at the macro level of the social system.

General social conditions, to a lesser extent, depend on a particular individual. Therefore, we will consider in more detail the personal methods and conditions for overcoming an intrapersonal conflict.

There are a number of main ways to resolve intrapersonal conflict:

• Compromise - make a choice in favor of a particular option and proceed to implement it.;
• Care - refusal to solve the problem caused by intrapersonal contradictions;
• Reorientation - a change in claims in relation to the object that caused the internal problem;
• Idealization - dreams, fantasies, escape from reality, from intrapersonal contradictions .;
• Repression is a process, as a result of which thoughts and experiences that are not acceptable to the individual are transferred from the conscious sphere to the unconscious;
• Correction is a change in the self-concept in the direction of achieving an adequate self-image.

It should be emphasized that all of the listed methods of resolving a conflict of this type are quite effective and lead to a constructive resolution of the conflict.

A number of factors influence the effectiveness of an individual's activity in the constructive resolution of an intrapersonal conflict.

Along with the methods of resolution, there are also mechanisms for resolving intrapersonal conflicts (mechanisms of mental protection).

Mental protection- an unconscious, spontaneous regulatory mechanism for eliminating anxiety, unpleasant, traumatic experiences, emotions, any mental discomfort associated with the awareness of the conflict.

The function of mental protection is " fencing» spheres of consciousness from negative, traumatic experiences. As a rule, it leads to a specific change in the content of consciousness as a result of the functioning of a number of defense mechanisms.

The mechanism of psychological protection of the individual is a special regulatory system for stabilizing the psyche of the individual, aimed at eliminating or minimizing the feeling of anxiety or fear that accompanies an intrapersonal conflict.

Attention should be paid to the fact that a number of psychic defense mechanisms are simultaneously its form.

• Denial is the substitution of making a decision for ignoring it.
• Substitution is a protective mechanism against the threat of destruction, the integrity of the "I" of the individual, from mental overstrain, which consists in a spontaneous change in the object of the actualized need. For example, aggression, irritability towards the boss can be vented on family members. Or in modification, transformation of the need itself. For example, the motives for entering a technical university may be replaced after failure by the motives for entering a liberal arts university or for refusing to receive higher education at all. Substitution as a mechanism of psychic defense can manifest itself in a change in feelings, motives, attitudes of the individual to the opposite (unrequited love can turn into hatred; unsatisfied sexual need into aggression, etc.). During the operation of the substitution mechanism, transformation occurs, the transfer of activity, energy from one type of activity to another, accompanied by catharsis. Catharsis is the liberation of a person from traumatic emotions through a story, recollection.
• Suppression - containment of fear by forgetting its source, as well as the circumstances associated with it.
• Isolation is the perception or recollection of a traumatic situation without a sense of anxiety.
• Introjection is the appropriation of values ​​or character traits of other people in order to prevent a threat from them.
• Intellectualization is a way of analyzing the problems facing a person, which is characterized by the absolutization of the role of the mental component while completely ignoring its sensual elements. When using this protective mechanism, even very important events for the individual are considered neutrally, without the participation of emotions, which surprises ordinary people. For example, with intellectualization, a person who is hopelessly ill with cancer can calmly calculate how many days he has left, or enthusiastically engage in some business, not thinking at all about the impending death.
• Cancellation - behavior, thoughts that contribute to the symbolic nullification of the previous act or thought that caused great anxiety, guilt.
• Sublimation is a mechanism for substitution (switching) from a conflict situation to another
• Reactive formation - the development of the opposite installation.
• Compensation - hiding by a defect, through an exaggerated manifestation and development of other qualities.
• Identification
• fixture
• Isolation
• Imagination (fantasy).

The formation of a stable inner world is based on taking into account one's positive and negative life experiences.

Orientation to success, as a rule, implies that a person should be guided by a realistic assessment of his chances of achieving a goal and therefore should set feasible, although perhaps moderate, goals and objectives.

Principle in relation to oneself, not only in big things, but also in small things, reliably prevents the emergence of serious internal contradictions.

A morally mature person who asserts high ethical standards by his behavior will never find himself in a situation for which he will have to worry, feel guilty and remorse.

In order to adequately assess and rationally resolve intrapersonal conflict, it is necessary to observe a number of general principles.

Thus, intrapersonal conflict is a rather complex, diverse, multifunctional, both positive and negative phenomenon. Knowledge of its essence and content, main types, causes, principles, methods and techniques of its resolution, the operation of psychological defense mechanisms allows us to constructively approach this unique socio-psychological phenomenon, one of the main ways of developing the psyche and self-affirmation of the individual.

Human life is so arranged, that the probability of circumstances that threaten to disrupt the optimal process of development of the individual, his inner world, is great, and it is bad if a person is not prepared for them. It is difficult to imagine a person who does not have intrapersonal conflicts. However, it is necessary to avoid destructive internal conflicts, and if they arise, then resolve them with minimal health costs.
Knowing the causes and factors contributing to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts, the features of their experience, it is possible to substantiate the conditions for their prevention.
To preserve the inner world of the individual it is important to accept difficult life situations as a given of being, as they encourage activity, work on oneself, and often creativity.
Of great importance is the formation by each person of life values ​​and following them in their deeds and actions. Life principles help to avoid many situations associated with doubts about the truth of the cause that a person serves.
However, the persistence Loyalty to oneself under certain conditions manifests itself as inertia, conservatism, weakness, inability to adapt to changing requirements. If a person finds the strength in himself to break the habitual way of existence, convinced of its failure, then the way out of the intrapersonal contradiction will be productive. It is necessary to be flexible, plastic, adaptive, be able to realistically assess the situation and, if necessary, change.
Important, yielding in small things, don't turn it into a system. Constant instability, denial of stable attitudes and patterns of behavior will lead to intrapersonal conflicts.
We must hope for the best development of events, never lose hope that life's situation can always improve. An optimistic attitude towards life is an important indicator of a person's mental health.
Don't be a slave to your desires soberly assess their ability to meet their desires and needs. You need to learn to manage yourself, your psyche. This is especially true for the management emotional state.
development of the will, qualities largely contributes to the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts. It is the will, which is the achieved level of self-regulation of one's activity and behavior, which implies the ability to make a decision with knowledge of the matter, that should accompany all types of human life. The role of the will is great in an intrapersonal conflict, where only with its help a person can overcome the difficulties of the situation.
Constantly update and correct a hierarchy of roles for yourself. The desire to realize all the functions arising from a particular role, to take into account all the wishes of others will inevitably lead to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts.
Prevention of role intrapersonal conflicts contributes to a sufficiently high level of personal maturity. It involves going beyond purely role-playing behavior with its stereotyped reactions, with strict adherence to accepted standards. Genuine morality is not the blind fulfillment of generally accepted norms of morality, but the possibility of one's own moral creativity, "above-situational" activity" of the individual.
It is necessary to strive to so that a person's assessment of his "I" would correspond to his actual "I", that is, to ensure the adequacy of self-esteem. Low or high self-esteem is often associated with unwillingness or inability to admit to oneself something. It also happens that a person evaluates himself adequately to reality, but wants others to evaluate him differently. Such evaluative dissonance will sooner or later lead to an intrapersonal conflict.
Do not accumulate problems that require permission. Shifting the solution of problems “for later” or the position of an “ostrich with its head in the sand” is far from the best way to avoid difficulties, since in the end a person is forced (will make a choice, which is fraught with conflicts.
Don't take on everything at once don't try to do everything at the same time. The optimal way out is to create priorities in the programs being implemented and the tasks being performed. Complex problems are best solved piecemeal. Try not to lie. It can be argued that there are no people who would never lie to anyone. It really is. But there is always the possibility, in situations where it is impossible to tell the truth, to simply evade the answer: change the topic of conversation, remain silent, get rid of a joke, etc. Lies can create intrapersonal problems, unpleasant situations in communication that will lead to experiences, actualization of guilt.
Under the resolution (overcoming) of intrapersonal conflict is understood as the restoration of the consistency of the inner world of the individual, the establishment of the unity of consciousness, the reduction of the sharpness of the contradictions of life relations, the achievement of a new quality of life. The resolution of intrapersonal conflict can be constructive and destructive. With a constructive overcoming of an intrapersonal conflict, peace of mind, the understanding of life deepens, a new value consciousness arises. The resolution of an intrapersonal conflict is realized through: the absence of painful conditions associated with the existing conflict; reduction of manifestations of negative psychological and socio-psychological factors of intrapersonal conflict; improving the quality and efficiency of professional activities.
Factors of constructive resolution of intrapersonal conflicts. Depending on individual characteristics, people relate to internal contradictions in different ways, choose their strategies for getting out of conflict situations. Some are immersed in thoughts, others immediately begin to act, others plunge into overwhelming emotions. There is no single recipe for the correct attitude to intrapersonal conflicts. It is important that a person, being aware of his own individual characteristics, develops his own style of resolving internal contradictions, a constructive attitude towards them.
1. Overcoming an intrapersonal conflict depends on the deep ideological attitudes of the individual, the content of his faith, on the experience of overcoming himself.
2. The development of volitional qualities contributes to the successful overcoming of internal conflicts by a person. Will is the basis of the entire system of human self-regulation. In difficult situations, the will, as a rule, brings external demands and internal desires into line. If the will is not sufficiently developed, that which requires the least resistance wins, and this does not always lead to success.
3. Ways to resolve the conflict, the time spent on it in people with different types of temperament are different. Choleric solves everything quickly, preferring defeat to uncertainty. The melancholic thinks for a long time, weighs, estimates, not daring to take any action. However, such a painful reflexive process does not exclude the possibility of radically changing the current situation. The properties of temperament affect the dynamic side of solving intrapersonal contradictions: the speed of experiences, their stability, individual flow rhythm, intensity, outward or inward orientation.
4. The process of resolving intrapersonal contradictions is influenced by age and gender characteristics of the personality. With increasing age, intrapersonal contradictions acquire forms of resolution typical for a given individual. Periodically recalling the past, we return to the critical points that once violated the measured course of being, rethink them in a new way, more deeply and generally analyze ways to resolve conflicts, overcome what seemed insurmountable. Working on one's past, analyzing one's own biography is one of the ways to develop internal stability, integrity, and harmony.
Different ways to resolve conflicts in men and women. Men are more rational, with each new intrapersonal experience they enrich their set of means of resolving the situation. Every time women rejoice and suffer in a new way. They are more diverse in personal characteristics, and men - in role-playing ones. Women have more time to update and, as it were, re-edit their accumulated experience, men are less inclined to return to what they have experienced, but they know how to get out of the conflict in a timely manner.
Overcoming intrapersonal conflict provided by the formation and operation of psychological defense mechanisms. Psychological defense is a normal, everyday working mechanism of the psyche. It is a product of ontogenetic development and learning. Developing as a means of socio-psychological adaptation, psychological defense mechanisms are designed to control emotions in cases where experience signals a person about the negative consequences of their experience and expression.
Some researchers consider psychological defense as an unproductive means of resolving an internal conflict. They believe that protective mechanisms limit the development of the personality, its "own activity".

Prevention and resolution of intrapersonal conflicts

Questions:

1 . Ways and conditions of warning

intrapersonal conflicts

2. Ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts

Literature:

1. Antsupov A. Ya., Shipilov A. I. Conflictology: Textbook for universities. - M.: UNITI, 1999. - 308-316.
2. Grishina N.V. Psychology of conflict - St. Petersburg: "Publishing house" "Peter", 2000.- 464 p.
3. Emelyanov S. M. Workshop on conflictology - St. Petersburg: Publishing house "Piter", 2000.- 368s.
4. Ratnikov V.P. Conflictology. M.2001 Textbook for universities.
5. Kovalenko BV Conflicts: psychological analysis, diagnostics and resolution M. 2001, MOSU.

Since it is impossible to avoid intrapersonal conflicts, one should learn to create conditions that prevent their negative consequences, use a variety of ways to prevent them and resolve dysfunctional conflicts in time if they have already arisen.

1. Methods and conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts

Exist universal, or general social, conditions and ways to prevent intrapersonal conflicts. They are associated with the establishment of a progressive social structure of society, civil society, the rule of law and relate to changes taking place at the macro level of the social system. The hotel personality, to a certain extent, of course, can influence the creation of such favorable macro conditions, but if we mean the "ordinary" personality, then its influence still cannot be significant. Such conditions change through the actions of large social groups, classes, social communities, associations and movements.

Therefore, in further consideration of the intrapersonal conflict, we will focus on the conditions and methods for preventing conflicts, dependent on the individual. Let's highlight the main ones.

Know yourself

The first and initial condition for the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts is expressed in the principle “Know thyself” (“Nosce te ipsum”). This saying was carved on a pillar at the entrance to the temple of Apollo in the ancient Greek city of Delphi as a call to everyone who entered. And it is no coincidence that this principle occupies a leading place in the philosophy of Socrates. Indeed, in order not to find yourself in a situation of intrapersonal conflict, you must first of all realize “Who am I?”, “Why did I come into this world?”, “What is the meaning of my life?” etc. That is, it is necessary first of all to create the correct " I am an image for only in this case the person will clearly realize which values ​​for her are the main, meaning-forming life values, and which ones are secondary; for which you should go to the fire, and by which you should pass without noticing. However, knowing oneself is not an easy task. Personality is constantly in the process of becoming, it is multifaceted and multi-qualitative. Therefore, one cannot count on quick success here. Berbel and Heinz Schwalbe recommend several ways and techniques for better self-knowledge. Here are some key ones:

1 First try to answer the following questions:

● Am I a bore?

● Am I prone to rash criticism?

● Do I avoid talking about negative things?

● Am I talking too much about material things?

● Do I have instinctive behavior?

● Are there any words or annoying moments that make me lose my temper immediately?

● Do I feel fear, apprehension, or constant stress?

● Do I often allow myself to be disapproving or pessimistic?

● Do I use ambiguous phrases in conversation?

● Do I carry vague feelings of guilt?

● Do I have a certain material life goal, which is subject to my entire current lifestyle?

● Do I often get sick, depressed or sad?

After answering these questions, it can be argued that you already know yourself better.

The next step is to identify talents and strengths of his personality. Analyze when, under what circumstances and how did you manage to overcome yourself, your inertia and achieve success? By answering this question, you will receive new information about your abilities. Add questions to this:

● In what area are your abilities manifested: spiritual or physical?

● Do you have artistic, creativity?

● Are you inclined towards the exact sciences?

● In what type of activity did you have the best results?

● Do you often come up with original ideas?

● What qualities help you consistently deal with your problems?

Compiling classification your abilities, all your strengths, answer the question, what qualities of your personality should you “pull up” or develop more intensively? But at the same time, it should be borne in mind that each person, in addition to the abilities already manifested and known to him, also has hidden abilities that may manifest themselves in the future.

3 Identification of their mistakes and shortcomings, those obstacles within ourselves that hinder the development of our abilities. To do this, you can use the analysis of the following constraining factors:

● We shift responsibility to others instead of bearing it ourselves.

● We trust others more than ourselves, because we ourselves do not know what is important for us.

● Hypocrisy out of courtesy and for any reason leads to the degradation of our feelings.

● We lack the willingness to defend our right to happiness and fulfillment.

● We allow ourselves to drown out the power that gives us independence, fantasy.

● Inability to turn to the important and with a light heart to give up everything insignificant, secondary.

For each of the identified shortcomings or for each error that occurs, ask yourself three question:

1. Do the identified bugs and shortcomings cause me a lot of anxiety?
2. Do I really care about these errors and shortcomings?
3. Maybe I should not worry about these errors and shortcomings at all?

If it turns out that certain errors and shortcomings give cause for concern, then you should immediately start correcting them. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the most significant shortcomings are those that were pointed out to us by other, and that it is impossible to immediately take and remake yourself.

Assess yourself appropriately

This condition for preventing intrapersonal conflict is directly adjacent to the previous one. Without adequate self-esteem, one cannot know oneself and avoid intrapersonal conflicts. But not only an underestimated, but also an overestimation of one's abilities and capabilities prevent the establishment of harmonious relations with others and thereby contribute to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts.

But the most important thing is that inadequate self-esteem, the wrong image of one's "I" impede realization and self-actualization of personality. A person who incorrectly evaluates himself will constantly “stumble” on misunderstanding from others. It will seem to him that he is not understood, when in reality he does not understand himself. Therefore, the one who knows himself better will find his place in life sooner.

The attitude of the individual to his successes and shortcomings, his self-criticism also depend on self-esteem. Therefore, it directly affects the effectiveness of the activity and the development of the individual. One can imagine a person who believes that he has great abilities in mathematics, but took one of the last places in the Olympiad in this subject. In this situation, firstly, intrapersonal conflict, stress cannot be avoided, and, secondly, it can give rise to complete disappointment in one's abilities and forever discourage one from engaging in this type of activity.

Personal self-esteem is directly related to her level of ambition the degree of difficulty in achieving the goals that it sets for itself. A sharp discrepancy between the claims and the real possibilities of the individual, when the former are much overestimated, can lead to emotional breakdowns, increased anxiety, fear and other manifestations of intrapersonal conflict.

Self-esteem receives its objective expression in how a person evaluates the possibilities and results of the activities of others. For example, with an overestimated self-esteem, he seeks to lower them, with an underestimated one, he seeks to increase them.

Formulate meaningful life values

After you have “dug in yourself” and adequately assessed yourself, try to formulate and adopt fundamental life values. These are the values ​​for which it is worth living (and maybe even dying), the values ​​to which a person devotes his life to the establishment and which he considers as a vocation. And Maslow called them " life values, or ultimate values, above which a person has nothing. In other words, it's not about values ​​- means, and about values purposes, forming the highest meaning of human life.

The absence of such fundamental values ​​makes a person unfree and unstable, subject to situational and temporal influences. Without such values, as V. Frankl showed, a person cannot develop normally. A person experiences a state of "existential vacuum" and boredom, and his behavior often becomes deviant (alcoholism, crime, drug addiction). All this leads to the emergence of various kinds of intrapersonal conflicts, neuroses, and sometimes suicidal behavior.

Use your life experience

An important way to prevent intrapersonal conflicts is the formation of a stable inner world and character of a person. To do this, you should constantly refer to your life experience and correlate it with the experience of others and social reality. It is necessary to note as often as possible: what, when, under what circumstances and how we succeeded, and where we failed. It is also recommended to record observations and conclusions and analyze them in detail.

The purpose of this complex and painstaking work is to draw conclusions for the future, so that the expression “I wanted the best, but it turned out as always” had nothing to do with you. Remember that the repeated mistake is experienced twice as hard and requires double the cost. Meanwhile, it is better to pay for lessons only once and learn from the mistakes of others, not your own. Otherwise, it is difficult to avoid intrapersonal conflicts.

Be optimistic, focus on success

Analyzing your life experience and drawing conclusions for the future, focus on success. If you are constantly accompanied by a feeling of fear of failure, then you should not start any business at all. In this case, you are doomed to failure and to an intrapersonal conflict from the very beginning, or rather, without even starting an activity. The mechanism for the emergence of intrapersonal conflict in people who are focused on failure is that they

choose either an exorbitantly overestimated or greatly underestimated level of requirements. They are characterized by declines in activity, retreats. Those who set themselves inflated goals doom themselves to a constant struggle.

Meanwhile, people who are oriented towards success, as a rule, are guided by a realistic assessment of their chances of achieving the goal and therefore set themselves feasible, although perhaps moderate, goals. Therefore, analyzing your experience, you should think about why you were successful and what is the reason for your failures. This will help you avoid many internal conflicts and headaches.

Be principled

Do not give up with a light heart all the minor "trifles", "little things", etc. Sometimes this has to be done in the name of a more significant goal or task. But if a person does this constantly, it leads to unscrupulousness, the destruction of internal stability. Ultimately, this can lead to the degradation of the personality, the loss of the image of "I", one's integrity, identity. And from here close to intrapersonal conflicts. The fundamental exactingness to oneself, not only in the big, but also in the "small" is a reliable opposite to the appearance of internal friction. In addition, it will protect you from such a vice, which also leads to the degradation of our feelings, like sycophancy.

Be confident

A person who is not confident in his abilities, at the same time always feels restless. Sooner or later, he will face an intrapersonal conflict, because uncertainty gives rise to doubt, which is adjacent to fear. Therefore, before you take on any serious business, check if you have the following typical manifestations of self-doubt:

● fear of trying - inaction, unwillingness to achieve one's own out of fear of being defeated, "one's own face";

● fussiness - fear of not keeping up with others, anxiety, causing discomfort, anxiety and fear;

● envy and self-humiliation - constant comparison of oneself with others, dissatisfaction with oneself, self-humiliation and humiliation of others;

● bravado and deceit - the desire to impress better than it actually is, "splurge";

● conformism - opportunism, the desire to be "like everyone else", "not stick out", not to take risks;

● the habit of fastening with all buttons. According to psychologists, a “man in a case” is afraid to show any of his feelings and is afraid of everything: diseases, people, responsibility. He is always insecure, in a bad mood. For him, clothing is a protective shell, in which there should be no gap. On the contrary, a person who is confident in himself, in his abilities, can sometimes afford not to fasten all the buttons.

If you have at least some of these qualities, you need to take steps to get rid of them. In this case, you can use the following recommendations:

● A self-confident person does not seek to assert himself at the expense of others, humiliating others. He tries to become better than he himself is, and not to become better than others always and in everything, as a neurotic does.

● Do not succumb to the pressure of behavioral stereotypes, do not hold back your activity

● Think "your" head, although, of course, you should not neglect the practical advice of others.

● Know that you have many abilities and strengths sufficient to fulfill the tasks that you have set for yourself. There are abilities that a person does not even suspect, and which are found only in a specific experience of life.

● Trust yourself more, do not destroy your own "I", constantly and in everything listening to the opinions of others.

● Do not forget, there is nothing worse for you than to give up on yourself, to live someone else's life, other people's ideas and meanings. You are you and no one else will ever replace you. Drop the install “I am what you need” and be guided by the principle “I am what I am”. This realization of your self-worth alone will strengthen your self-confidence.

The call to the need to be self-confident does not mean, of course, that a person should not doubt anything or not be critical of his past experience. This means that if, after analyzing your strengths, you come to the conclusion that you are able to complete any task, then feel free to get down to business.

Comply with ethical standards and rules of communication

This will help you avoid many conflicts both in relationships with other people and intrapersonal. Strive for moral self-education and self-affirmation. A morally mature person who asserts high ethical standards by his behavior will never find himself in a situation for which he will have to worry, feel guilty and remorse. Here are a number of rules of conduct that will help you feel confident in any situation and avoid many intrapersonal conflicts:

● Treat people the way you would like them to treat you. If you find it difficult how to behave in this or that situation, put yourself in the place of the one with whom you communicate.

● Don't demand any special treatment or special privileges from another.

● Try to achieve a clear division of rights and responsibilities in doing common work.

● If your responsibilities overlap with those of your colleagues, this is a very dangerous situation. In the event that the manager does not distinguish between your duties and responsibilities from others, try to do it yourself.

● Don't be prejudiced against people. As much as possible, discard prejudices and gossip in dealing with them.

● Call your interlocutors by name and try to do it more often.

● Smile, be friendly, and use a variety of techniques and tools to show your kindness to the interlocutor. Remember, what you sow is what you reap.

● Don't make promises you can't keep. Do not exaggerate your importance and business opportunities. If they are not justified, you will be uncomfortable, even if there were objective reasons for this.

● Do not get into a person's soul. At work, it is customary to ask about personal matters, and even more so problems.

● Do not try to seem better, smarter, more interesting than you really are. Sooner or later everything will come out anyway and fall into place.

● Send impulses of your likes. With a word, a look, a gesture, let the participant in the conversation understand that he is interested in you. Smile, look straight into your eyes.

● Consider the other always as a person who should be respected for himself, and not as a means to achieve your own goals.

If you want to avoid intrapersonal conflicts caused by causes rooted in in business communication then you should remember some important ethical norms and rules. If you supervisor, then the following rules and principles can be used:

● Treat your subordinate the way you would like your manager to treat you.

● Strive to transform your organization into a cohesive team with high moral standards communication. Involve employees in the goals of the organization. A person will only feel morally and psychologically comfortable when his identification with the collective occurs. At the same time, everyone strives to remain an individual and wants to be respected the way he is.

● If there are problems and difficulties associated with bad faith, the manager should find out its causes. If we are talking about ignorance, then one should not endlessly reproach the subordinate for his weaknesses and shortcomings. Think about what you can do to help him overcome them. At the same time, rely on the strengths of his personality.

● If the employee did not follow your instructions, you must let him know that you are aware of this, otherwise he may think that he tricked you. Moreover, if the manager did not make a corresponding remark to the subordinate, then he simply does not fulfill his duties and acts unethically.

● Remarks to an employee must comply with ethical standards. Gather all the information on this case. Choose the right form of communication. First, ask the employee himself to explain the reason for not completing the task, perhaps he will give you facts that you do not know. Make your comments one on one. Human dignity and feelings must be respected.

● Criticize actions and deeds, not the person's personality.

● Then, when appropriate, use the "sandwich" technique - hide criticism between two compliments. End the conversation on a friendly note and soon find time to talk to the person to show him that you are not holding a grudge.

● Never advise a subordinate on how to handle personal matters. If advice helps, you most likely will not be thanked. If it doesn't help, you will be held responsible.

● Do not overgrow with pets. Treat employees as equal members and all with the same standards.

● Never give employees the opportunity to notice that you are not in control if you want to maintain their respect.

● Observe the principle of distributive justice: the greater the merit, the greater the reward should be.

● Encourage your team even if success is achieved mainly due to the success of the leader himself.

● The privileges you give yourself should be extended to other members of the team.

● Trust employees and encourage your own mistakes at work. The members of the collective will find out about them one way or another. But concealing mistakes is a manifestation of weakness and dishonesty.

● Protect your subordinates and be loyal to them. They will answer you the same.

If you subordinate, then the following ethical rules and principles can be used:

● Treat your supervisor the way you would like to be treated by your subordinates.

● Try to help the leader in creating a benevolent moral atmosphere in the team, strengthening fair relations. Remember that your supervisor needs it first.

● Don't try to impose your point of view on the manager or command them. Express your suggestions or comments with tact and courtesy. You can’t directly order him something, but you can say: “How would you feel if ...?” or “Don’t you think it was a good idea if…?” etc.

● If any joyful or, on the contrary, unpleasant event is approaching or has already happened in the team, then this must be reported to the manager. In case of trouble, try to help facilitate the way out of this situation, offer your own solution.

● Do not talk to the boss in a categorical tone, do not always say only “yes” or only “no”. An employee who always agrees is annoying and gives the impression of a flatterer. The person who always says no is a constant irritant.

● Be loyal and reliable, but don't be a sycophant. Have your own character and principles. A person who does not have a stable character and firm principles cannot be relied upon, his actions cannot be foreseen.

● Don't ask for help, advice, suggestions, etc. "over the head", directly to your leader's supervisor, except in an emergency. Otherwise, your behavior may be regarded as a demonstration of disrespect or disregard for the opinion of the boss, or as an indicator of doubt in his competence. In any case, your immediate supervisor in this case loses authority and dignity.

● If you have been given responsibility, gently raise the issue of your rights. Remember that responsibility cannot be exercised without an appropriate degree of discretion.

Other ways to prevent intrapersonal conflicts

In addition to the above methods of preventing intrapersonal conflicts, modern conflictology highlights others. Here are some of the most significant:

1) Do not strive to "embrace the immensity", do not take on all things at once. Know how to prioritize all your motives and needs and focus on fulfilling them first.

2) Do not accumulate problems. In the end, the situation will reach the point where you can no longer cope with their decision, which will lead to intrapersonal conflict.

3) Learn to dominate yourself, control and correct your behavior and feelings. Know how to “pull yourself together” and subjugate the situation in time.

4) Notice the reaction of others to your behavior and individual actions. Pay attention to the behavior of others. Remember that the more we know about others, the more we know ourselves.

5) Try to be sincere not only in relation to yourself, but also to others. Lies can, of course, temporarily help you out of a difficult situation, but they will not ease your soul. Sooner or later, everything secret becomes clear.

6) Lead a healthy lifestyle. Strengthen your soul and body. These are the necessary methods and conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts. Their observance and use can help to avoid many internal shocks, breakdowns and stresses. But what to do if an intrapersonal conflict nevertheless occurred? In this case, it is necessary to take measures to resolve it in a timely manner.

2. Ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts

Permission (or overcoming) an intrapersonal conflict is the removal of the internal tension of the personality, overcoming the contradictions between the various elements of its internal structure and achieving a state of internal balance, stability and harmony.

The resolution of the conflict is positive and leads to the development of the personality, to its self-improvement. First of all, it should be noted that any intrapersonal conflict is always individual, has a personal character. Therefore, its resolution depends on such personality factors as age, gender, character, temperament, social status, values, etc. This leads to the fact that there are no universal ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts that are equally suitable for all people and situations. To establish the internal balance of a child, it is enough to give him a candy; to overcome the intrapersonal conflict of the Russian “Homo novus”, an entire confectionery factory may not be enough. Ways to resolve an internal conflict that are suitable for men may not always be suitable for women, and so on.

Typical principles and methods for resolving intrapersonal conflicts

However, despite the need for an individual approach to overcoming intrapersonal conflicts, it is possible to formulate the most general and typical principles and ways to resolve them, which, taking into account individual specifics, can be used by everyone. We list the most important of them. So, if you find yourself in a situation of intrapersonal conflict, then it is recommended to do the following:

Realize the existential meaning of the conflict. Analyze the degree of its importance for you, evaluate its consequences in terms of its place and role in your life. It may turn out that the cause that caused the conflict should immediately be relegated to the background in your value system or completely forgotten.

Locate the cause of the conflict. Reveal its very essence, discarding all minor points and accompanying circumstances.

Show courage in root cause analysis intrapersonal conflict. Know how to face the truth, even if it is not very pleasant for you. Throw away all extenuating circumstances and ruthlessly consider the cause of your anxiety.

"Let off steam." Release pent-up anger, emotions, or anxiety. To do this, you can use both physical exercises and creative activities. Go to the cinema, theater, take your favorite book. They treat intrapersonal conflicts. It is better to experience shock on stage, screen, in your imagination than in life. It is no coincidence, by the way, that the crime chronicle, according to sociological surveys, is one of the most popular television programs - a large spread of stress and frustration requires constant antidepressant therapy.

Engage in relaxation training. Today there are many publications on specific methods and mechanisms of psychological training, choose the most appropriate for you personally.

Change the conditions and/or style of your work. This should be done in the event that an intrapersonal conflict arises constantly due to unfavorable conditions of activity.

Think about the possibility of reducing the level of your claims. Maybe your abilities and / or opportunities do not match your aspirations and requests.

Dare to forgive. And not only others, but also yourself. In the end, all people are “not without sin” and we are no exception.

Cry to your health. The American biochemist W. Frey, who was specially engaged in the study of tears, found that in the case when they are caused by negative emotions, they contain a substance that acts like morphine and has calming properties. In his opinion, tears are a protective reaction to stress. Crying with tears serves as a signal for the brain to ease emotional tension. But apart from scientific research almost everyone knows from their own experience that tears bring emotional release and relief.

Psychological protection of the individual

In addition to the above methods of intrapersonal conflicts, modern conflictology and psychology also formulate a number of mechanisms psychological protection of the individual. It is a special regulatory system for stabilizing the personality, aimed at eliminating or minimizing the feelings of anxiety or fear that accompany intrapersonal conflict. The essence and function of psychological defense is to protect the consciousness of the individual from negative experiences. In a general sense, the term "psychological defense" is used today to refer to any behavior that eliminates psychological discomfort.

The phenomenon of psychological defense and its various manifestations, long before its scientific explanation, were repeatedly described in philosophical (Socrates, Epicurus, Augustine Aurelius, Kant, Vl. Solovyov, Berdyaev and many other thoughts) and fiction.

So, a typical example intellectualization as one of the main mechanisms of psychological defense - the behavior of Socrates before death, described by Plato in the essay "Phaedo". The essence of this mechanism of psychological defense lies in the fact that a person considers even very important events neutrally, moving away from emotions, which is surprising to ordinary people. It is this case that is described by Plato, when, before his death, Socrates thinks not about death at all, not about how to bury him, and not even about himself at all, but about other people.

Well, it’s time for me to bathe, ”Socrates says to those who see him off on his last journey,“ I think it’s better to drink poison after washing and save women from unnecessary trouble - there will be no need to wash a dead body.

A vivid example of psychological defense is also in Epicurus's discussion of life and death: Therefore, the most terrible of evils, death, has nothing to do with us; when we are, then death is not yet, and when death comes, then we are no more.

No less striking examples of various psychological defense mechanisms can be found in fiction (Proust, Flaubert, Zweig, Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and many others). The value of these examples lies in the fact that literary characters are portrayed as integral personalities in real life. Therefore, here various methods of psychological defense are shown in interconnection with each other, and not separately from each other, as in a scientific study.

For example, the Miserly Knight's love for neighbors and warm relations with friends was replaced by a slavish love for gold, in which he saw an almighty master and whom he served as "an Algerian slave, like a chain dog." It combines several protection mechanisms at once: compensation, replacement and peculiar sublimation, which lead the hero to a state of inner peace and even bliss, when he once again bends over the chest of gold.

We find similar mechanisms of psychological defense in another famous literary hero - Akaky Akakievich. His life splits into two and takes on a transformed form to such an extent that its end and means are reversed. On the one hand, real life, service in the department, where everyone "offended" him, "ridiculed him and did not even notice at all." This social side of life for our hero passed unnoticed, ordinary and was insignificant in its meaning.

But the other side of life, connected with the rewriting of papers - this for another person is a routine clerical work, for Akaky Akakievich is the true life. It is filled with deep meaning and all its attributes: love, pleasure, emotions and passions. It even had its own “favorites”, which were some letters, “to which, if he got there, he was not himself, and laughed, and winked, and helped with his lips.”

Personal psychological defense mechanisms

Scientific analysis of psychological defense began at the end of the nineteenth century. from work Z. Freud, who explained this phenomenon based on the priority of the unconscious instinctive principle (mainly sexual), which undergoes various transformations (repression, sublimation, and others) as a result of its collision with the conscious "I" (internal "censorship"). modern science identifies a number of mechanisms of psychological protection of the individual. Among them, the main ones are the following.

1 Crowding out - the process, as a result of which thoughts, memories, experiences that are not acceptable to the individual are “expelled” from consciousness and transferred to the sphere of the unconscious, just as an undisciplined student who interferes with a lecture can be “forced out” from the audience out the door.

2 Sublimation - transformation of instinctive forms of the psyche (energy or aggression) into forms more acceptable to the individual and society. In a broader sense, sublimation refers to the switching of an individual's activity to a higher level. These forms can be of various types. creative activity and a variety of hobbies.

3 Regression(from lat. regressio - backward movement) - the return of the individual to early childhood forms of behavior, the transition to previous levels mental development. Regression involves a departure from reality and a return to the stage of personality development in which the feeling of pleasure was experienced. When in a state of intrapersonal conflict people "fall into childhood", then this is a deeply functional behavior. A person in a difficult situation often takes anything in his mouth - a finger, a pen, a shackle of glasses. The meaning and meaning of these actions and gestures is a return to the comfortable cloudless situation of infancy, when the child sucked the mother's breast.

4 Rationalization- hiding from oneself true, but not acceptable motives for actions and thoughts. At the same time, there is a search for plausible reasons to justify actions caused by unacceptable feelings and motives in order to ensure internal comfort and get rid of intrapersonal conflict. Rationalization is connected with the explanation of one's actions by the need to assert self-esteem and self-respect.

5 Projection- conscious or unconscious transfer of one's own properties, feelings and states that are not acceptable for the individual to external objects. Thus, a person shifts “guilt” to an external object, which is a source of difficulties, ascribes negative qualities to him and at the same time removes it from himself. Here we have a technique that is clearly visible in the expression "you yourself are a fool."

substitution- It has two manifestation forms:

1) object substitution- the transfer of negative feelings and actions from one object that caused them to another object that has nothing to do with them. This happens when a person cannot express his thoughts, show feelings or perform certain actions in relation to the direct culprit of his resentment, fear or anger for social or physical reasons. For example, if there is no way to offend the boss with whom you are dissatisfied with something, you can kick his stuffed animal or slam the door;

2) substitution of feeling- this form is characterized by the fact that the object that caused the discontent of the individual remains the same, and the feeling towards it changes to the opposite. An assistant professor who gives a student an “unsatisfactory” mark on an exam can instantly turn from witty into “stupid”. An example of the replacement of feelings is described in the fable of I.A. Krylov "The Fox and the Grapes" Unable to get to the seductive bunches of grapes, the fox reassures himself that "It looks good, // Yes, it's green - the berries are not ripe: // You will immediately set your teeth on edge."

Intellectualization- a way of analyzing the problems facing a person, which is characterized by the absolutization of the role of the mental component while completely ignoring sensory analysis. When using this protective mechanism, even very important events for the individual are considered neutrally, without the participation of emotions, which is surprising to ordinary people. For example, with intellectualization, a person hopelessly ill with cancer or irradiated can calmly calculate how many days he has left to live or do mathematical calculations. An example of this psychological mechanism was cited in the case of Socrates.

Identification- the process of identifying the subject with another person or group, through which he learns patterns of behavior of "significant others", forms his consciousness and takes on a particular role. As a defense mechanism, identification helps to cope with anxiety and insecurity, provides a mutual connection between members of the group and creates a sense of appreciation. e jealousy in yourself.

Isolation- refusal to think about the possible negative consequences of future events and actions. It is usually expressed with the words “come what may”, “maybe it will blow over”, etc.

Imagination (fantasy)- creation of a program of behavior when a problem situation that gives rise to an intrapersonal conflict is uncertain. Imagination consists in creating images or behaviors that replace actual activity. Often the imagination is associated with the creation of an image of the desired future, in which a person who is in a state of intrapersonal conflict wants to convince.

These are the main mechanisms of psychological defense against intrapersonal conflict. To this it should be added that in itself it can be both successful and unsuccessful. In the first case, the impulses and actions of those factors that caused the conflict cease, the state of anxiety, fear, neurosis disappears. With unsuccessful psychological defense, nothing of the kind happens. Thus, the aforementioned Miserly Knight and Akaky Akakievich, if they ever had inner anxiety and anxiety about their real life discomfort, they were successfully overcome. But the self-consciousness of many heroes of F.M. Dostoevsky continues to live by his restlessness and is characterized by the unresolved internal problems. And this is the essence of the drama of their existence.

Review questions:

1. What are the general or general social conditions and ways to prevent intrapersonal conflicts?
2. What are the ways to prevent intrapersonal conflicts, depending on the individual.
3. What are the techniques and ways for a deeper knowledge of oneself?
4. Explain why:

2) the presence of meaningful life values ​​contributes to the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts;

3) self-confidence contributes to the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts.

1. What are the typical manifestations of self-doubt?
2. What are the ethical norms and rules of communication that contribute to the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts.
3. List the main ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts.
4. Explain why lowering the level of claims can lead to the resolution of intrapersonal conflict?
5. What are the mechanisms of psychological protection of the individual? When do they apply?
6. Give examples of psychological defense from philosophical and fiction.
7. When did the scientific analysis of the mechanisms of psychological defense of the individual begin?
8. Explain the following mechanisms of psychological defense of the individual: 1) crowding out, 2) sublimation, 3) regression. Give examples.
9. Explain the concepts of "rationalization", "projection", "substitution". Give examples.
10. Give examples of the following psychological defense mechanisms: 1) intellectualization, 2) identification, 3) separation, 4) imagination.

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Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

National Academy of Environmental and Resort Construction

Faculty of Economics and Management

Department of Management

in the discipline "Conflictology"

"Intrapersonal Conflicts"

Simferopol - 2010

1. general characteristics intrapersonal conflict

1.1 Approaches to understanding intrapersonal conflict

1.2 The main types of intrapersonal conflict

2. Psychological conditions for the prevention and resolution of intrapersonal conflicts

2.1 Conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts

2.2 Factors and mechanisms for resolving intrapersonal conflicts

1. General characteristics of intrapersonal conflict

1. 1 Approaches to understanding intrapersonal conflict

The problem of intrapersonal conflict is being actively developed in foreign psychology. The peculiarity of foreign studies is that the intrapersonal conflict is considered based on the understanding of the personality, which has developed within a certain psychological school.

In the concept of intrapersonal conflict within the framework of the psychoanalytic direction, the emphasis is on its biopsychological interpretation.

A person in a state of intrapersonal conflict has a clash of desires, part of the personality defends certain desires, the other rejects them (3. Freud).

In the theory of C. Jung, an intrapersonal conflict is a regression to a lower level of the psyche, that is, it occurs in the sphere of the unconscious.

K. Horney analyzes intrapersonal conflict from two positions: as a clash of desires for satisfaction of desires and security, and as a contradiction of “neurotic needs”, the satisfaction of which entails the frustration of others.

Within the framework of humanistic psychology, another theory of intrapersonal conflict is proposed.

According to Rogers, the conflict is based on the contradiction that arises in a person between conscious, but false self-assessments that a person acquires during his life, and self-esteem at an unconscious level.

Another representative of this trend, A. Maslow, considers the essence of intrapersonal conflict as an unfulfilled human need for self-actualization.

According to K. Levin, an intrapersonal conflict is a situation in which oppositely directed forces of approximately the same magnitude act simultaneously on the subject, and the subject is forced to make a choice: between positive and negative trends; between positive and positive trends; between negative and negative trends.

The essence of intrapersonal conflict, according to the founder of logotherapy V. Frankl, is the loss of the meaning of life.

Cognitive psychology considers intrapersonal conflict through cognitive dissonance (L. Festinger). Dissonance is a negative state that occurs when there is a discrepancy between knowledge and behavior, or a discrepancy between two knowledge. Subjectively, cognitive dissonance is experienced as discomfort. Therefore, the person seeks to eliminate it.

Within the framework of behaviorism, intrapersonal conflict is interpreted as a bad habit, the result of erroneous upbringing (D. Skinner).

In the works of neobehaviorists (N. Miller, J. Dollard), conflict is defined as frustration, that is, a reaction to an obstacle.

Interactionism in the analysis of intrapersonal conflict comes from understanding it as a conflict of roles (A. Goldner).

The founder of the concept of psychosynthesis R. Assagioli sees the essence of intrapersonal conflict in the presence of sharp contradictions within the personality, reducing the integrity of the "I".

In most foreign theories of intrapersonal conflict, developed by foreign psychologists, the basis is the category of contradiction, internal struggle and the concept of psychological protection (conflict overcoming). The course of intrapersonal conflict is associated with negative experiences.

Among domestic psychologists, A. Luria was one of the first to study internal conflicts. By intrapersonal conflict, he understood a situation where two strong, but oppositely directed tendencies collide in an individual's behavior.

A significant contribution to the development of the theory of intrapersonal conflict was made by psychologists V. Merlin, V. Myasishchev, N. Levitov, L. Slavina. V. Merlin considered intrapersonal conflict as "the result of an acute dissatisfaction with deep and actual motives and personality relationships." If in the process of activity a state of long-term disintegration of the personality arises, which is expressed in the aggravation of contradictions between the various sides, properties, relationships and actions of the personality, then such a mental state is an intrapersonal conflict.

“The duration and intensity of the conflict depend on the place occupied by the disturbed antagonistic relations in the entire system of human relations. When central relations collide, the conflict takes on global dimensions, captures the entire personality. It is, as it were, internally split, and this internal conflict can develop into a neurosis.

According to N. Levitov, an internal conflict is a struggle of motives, which is perceived as an experience of mental discord.

In recent years, intrapersonal conflict has been actively studied by F. Vasilyuk, T. Titarenko, Yu. Yurlov. F. Vasilyuk considers internal conflict as one of the types of critical life situations (along with stress, frustration and crisis). The conflict arises as a result of the collision of two internal motives, reflected in consciousness in the form of independent values. The internal conflict proceeds in the form of a special "value experience". An indicator of intrapersonal conflict is a doubt about the true value of the motives and principles that guided the subject in life.

Thus, an intrapersonal conflict can be defined as an acute negative experience caused by a protracted struggle between the structures of the inner world of a person, reflecting contradictory connections with social environment and delayed decision making.

In psychology, indicators of intrapersonal conflict are distinguished.

Cognitive sphere:

the inconsistency of the "image of I";

decrease in self-esteem;

awareness of one's condition as a psychological impasse, delay in making a decision;

subjective recognition of the existence of a problem of value choice, doubt about the truth of the motives and principles that the subject was previously guided by.

Emotional sphere:

psycho-emotional stress;

significant negative experiences.

Behavioral area:

decrease in the quality and intensity of activities;

decrease in job satisfaction;

negative emotional background of communication.

Integral indicators:

violation of the normal adaptation mechanism;

increased psychological stress.

1.2 The main types of intrapersonal conflict

Most theoretical concepts present one or more types of intrapersonal conflicts. In psychoanalysis, conflicts between the needs of the individual, as well as between needs and social norms, occupy a central place. In interactionism, role conflicts are analyzed. However, in real life there are many other intrapersonal conflicts. In order to build their unified typology, a foundation is needed, according to which this variety of internal conflicts can be combined into a system. Such a basis is the value-motivational sphere of personality. This most important area of ​​the human psyche is associated with its internal conflict, since it reflects the various connections and relationships of the individual with the outside world.

Based on this, the following main structures of the inner world of the individual that come into conflict are distinguished (A. Shipilov).

* Motives that reflect the aspirations of a person of various levels (needs, interests, desires, inclinations, etc.). They can be expressed by the concept of "I want" ("I want").

* Values ​​that embody social norms and, thanks to this, act as standards of due. We mean personal values, that is, those accepted by the individual, as well as those that are not accepted by him, but due to their social or other significance, the individual is forced to follow them. Therefore, they are designated as "must" ("I must").

* Self-esteem, defined as self-worth for oneself, an assessment by a person of his capabilities, qualities and place among other people. Being an expression of the level of a person's claims, self-esteem acts as a kind of stimulus for its activity and behavior. Expressed as "can" or "can't" ("I am").

Depending on which sides of the inner world of a person enter into an internal conflict, six main types of intrapersonal conflict are distinguished (Table 1).

1. Motivational conflict. One of the frequently studied types of intrapersonal conflict, in particular, in the psychoanalytic direction. There are conflicts between unconscious strivings (3. Freud), between strivings for possession and security (K. Horney), between two positive tendencies - the classic dilemma of the “buridan donkey” (K. Levin), or as a clash of various motives.

2. moral conflict. In ethical teachings, it is often called a moral or normative conflict (V. Bakshtanovskiy, I. Arnitsane, D. Fedorina). It is considered as a conflict between desire and duty, between moral principles and personal attachments (V. Myasishchev). A. Spivakovskaya highlights the conflict between the desire to act in accordance with the desire and requirements of adults or society. Sometimes it is seen as a conflict between duty and doubt about the need to follow it (F. Vasilyuk, V. Frankl).

The conflict of unfulfilled desire or inferiority complex (Yu. Yurlov). This is a conflict between desires and reality, which blocks their satisfaction. Sometimes it is interpreted as a conflict between “I want to be like them” (reference group) and the inability to realize this (A. Zakharov). A conflict can arise not only when reality blocks the realization of a desire, but also as a result of a person’s physical impossibility to realize it. These are conflicts arising from dissatisfaction with their appearance, physical data and abilities. This type also includes intrapersonal conflicts, which are based on sexual pathologies (S. Kratokhvil, A. Svyadoshch, A. Kharitonov).

Table 1 Main types of intrapersonal conflicts

The structures of the inner world of a person in conflict	Type of intrapersonal conflict
"I want" ("I want")	"must" ("I must")	"can" ("I am")
	Motivational conflict (between "want" and "want")
	Moral conflict (between "want" and "should")
	The conflict of unfulfilled desire (between "want" and "can")
	Role conflict (between "should" and "should")
	Adaptation conflict (between "should" and "can")
	Conflict of inadequate self-esteem (between "can" and "can")

Role conflict is expressed in experiences associated with the impossibility of simultaneously fulfilling several roles (inter-role intrapersonal conflict), as well as in connection with a different understanding of the requirements that the person himself imposes on the performance of one role (intra-role conflict). This type includes intrapersonal conflicts between two values, strategies or meanings of life.

5. Adaptation conflict is understood as in a broad sense, i.e. as arising on the basis of an imbalance between the subject and environment, and in the narrow sense - in violation of the process of social or professional adaptation. This is a conflict between the requirements of reality and human capabilities - professional, physical, psychological. The discrepancy between the capabilities of the individual and the requirements of the environment or activity can be considered as a temporary unavailability or inability to fulfill the requirements.

6. Conflict of inadequate self-esteem. The adequacy of a person's self-esteem depends on its criticality, exactingness towards itself, attitude to successes and failures. The discrepancy between the claims and the assessment of one's capabilities leads to the fact that a person has increased anxiety, emotional breakdowns, etc.

Among the conflicts of inadequate self-esteem are:

conflicts between inflated self-esteem and the desire to realistically assess their capabilities,

between low self-esteem and awareness of the objective achievements of a person,

between striving to raise claims in order to achieve maximum success and lower claims in order to avoid failure.

7. Neurotic conflict. It is the result of a long persisting "simple" intrapersonal conflict.

2. Psychological conditions for the prevention and resolution of intrapersonal conflicts

2.1 Conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts

Knowing the causes and factors that contribute to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts, the features of their experience, it is possible to substantiate the conditions for their prevention.

1) Accept difficult life situations as a reality of being

To preserve the inner world of the individual, it is important to accept difficult life situations as a given of being, as they encourage activity, work on oneself, and often creativity.

2) Build Life Values ​​and Follow Them

Of great importance is the formation, by each person, of life values ​​and following them in their deeds and actions. Life principles help to avoid many situations associated with doubts about the truth of the cause that a person serves. We must try not to be a “weather vane” person.

3) Be flexible, adaptive

However, constancy, loyalty to oneself under certain conditions manifest themselves as inertia, conservatism, weakness, inability to adapt to changing requirements. If a person finds the strength in himself to break the habitual way of existence, convinced of its failure, then the way out of the intrapersonal contradiction will be productive. It is necessary to be flexible, plastic, adaptive, be able to realistically assess the situation and, if necessary, change.

4) Give in on the little things, don't turn it into a system

It is important, yielding in small things, not to turn it into a system. Constant instability, denial of stable attitudes and patterns of behavior will lead to intrapersonal conflicts.

5) Hope for the best developments

It is necessary to hope for a better development of events, never lose hope that the situation in life can always improve. An optimistic attitude towards life is an important indicator of a person's mental health.

6) Don't be a slave to your desires

Do not be a slave to your desires, soberly assess your ability to meet your needs. Socrates said: "In order to be happy, it is necessary not to strive to satisfy all your needs, but to reduce them."

7) Learn to manage yourself

You need to learn to manage yourself, your psyche. This is especially true for emotional state management. As the classic of ancient medicine Claudius Galen noted, “in the struggle for health, in the first plan is the ability to control one’s passions.”

8) Develop strong-willed qualities

The development of volitional qualities largely contributes to the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts. It is the will, which is the achieved level of self-regulation of one's activity and behavior, which implies the ability to make a decision with knowledge of the matter, that should accompany all types of human life. The role of the will is great in an intrapersonal conflict, where only with its help a person can overcome the difficulties of the situation.

9) Adjust the hierarchy of roles for yourself

Constantly clarify and adjust the hierarchy of roles for yourself. The desire to realize all the functions arising from a particular role, to take into account all the wishes of others will inevitably lead to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts.

10) Strive for a high level of personal maturity

A fairly high level of personal maturity contributes to the prevention of role-playing intrapersonal conflicts. It involves going beyond purely role-playing behavior with its stereotyped reactions, with strict adherence to accepted standards. Genuine morality is not the blind fulfillment of generally accepted norms of morality, but the possibility of one's own moral creativity, "above-situational activity" of the individual.

11) Ensure the adequacy of self-assessment

It is necessary to strive to ensure that a person's assessment of his "I" would correspond to his actual "I", that is, to ensure the adequacy of self-esteem. Low or high self-esteem is often associated with unwillingness or inability to admit to oneself something. It also happens that a person evaluates himself adequately to reality, but wants others to evaluate him differently. Such evaluative dissonance will sooner or later lead to an intrapersonal conflict.

12) Do not accumulate problems

Do not accumulate problems that require resolution. Shifting the solution of problems “for later” or the position of an “ostrich with its head in the sand” is far from the best way to avoid difficulties, since in the end a person will be forced to make a choice, which is fraught with conflicts.

13) Don't take on everything at once

You should not take on everything at once, you should not strive to implement everything at the same time.

The optimal way out is to create priorities in the programs being implemented and the tasks being performed. Complex problems are best solved piecemeal.

14) Don't lie

Try not to lie. It can be argued that there are no people who would never lie to anyone. It really is. But there is always the possibility, in situations where it is impossible to tell the truth, to simply evade the answer: change the topic of conversation, remain silent, get rid of a joke, etc. Lies can create intrapersonal problems, unpleasant situations in communication that will lead to experiences, actualization of guilt.

15) Don't Panic

Try to be philosophical about the vicissitudes of fate, do not panic if luck changes you. In this regard, the instruction on using luck, proposed, with a certain amount of humor, by psychologist V. Levy, is appropriate:

do not want (because you will scare away);

do not hope (otherwise it will hurt if it does not work out);

do not look twice in one place (luck is not dumber than you);

search silently;

do not grab with dirty hands;

release on time.

2.2 Factors and mechanismsresolution of intrapersonal conflicts

The resolution (overcoming) of an intrapersonal conflict is understood as the restoration of the coherence of the inner world of the individual, the establishment of the unity of consciousness, the reduction of the sharpness of the contradictions of life relations, the achievement of a new quality of life.

The resolution of intrapersonal conflict can be constructive and destructive.

With a constructive overcoming of the intrapersonal conflict, peace of mind is achieved, the understanding of life deepens, and a new value consciousness arises. The resolution of intrapersonal conflict is realized through:

the absence of painful conditions associated with the existing conflict;

reduction of manifestations of negative psychological and socio-psychological factors of intrapersonal conflict;

improving the quality and efficiency of professional activities.

Factors of constructive resolution of intrapersonal conflicts.

Depending on individual characteristics, people relate to internal contradictions in different ways, choose their strategies for getting out of conflict situations. Some are immersed in thoughts, others immediately begin to act, others plunge into overwhelming emotions. There is no single recipe for the correct attitude to intrapersonal conflicts. It is important that a person, being aware of his own individual characteristics, develops his own style of resolving internal contradictions, a constructive attitude towards them.

Overcoming an intrapersonal conflict depends on the deep ideological attitudes of the individual, the content of his faith, on the experience of overcoming himself.

The development of volitional qualities contributes to the successful overcoming of internal conflicts by a person. Will is the basis of the entire system of human self-regulation. In difficult situations, the will, as a rule, brings external demands and internal desires into line. If the will is not sufficiently developed, that which requires the least resistance wins, and this does not always lead to success.

3. Ways to resolve the conflict, the time spent on it in people with different types of temperament are different. Choleric solves everything quickly, preferring defeat to uncertainty. The melancholic thinks for a long time, weighs, estimates, not daring to take any action. However, such a painful reflexive process does not exclude the possibility of radically changing the current situation. The properties of temperament affect the dynamic side of solving intrapersonal contradictions: the speed of experiences, their stability, individual flow rhythm, intensity, outward or inward orientation.

4. The process of resolving intrapersonal contradictions is called the influence of gender and age characteristics of the personality. With increasing age, intrapersonal contradictions acquire forms of resolution typical for a given individual. Periodically recalling the past, we return to the critical points that once violated the measured course of being, rethink them in a new way, more deeply and generally analyze ways to resolve conflicts, overcome what seemed insurmountable. Working on one's past, analyzing one's own biography is one of the ways to develop internal stability, integrity, and harmony.

There are different ways of getting out of conflicts for men and women. Men are more rational, with each new intrapersonal experience they enrich their set of means of resolving the situation. Every time women rejoice and suffer in a new way. They are more diverse in personal characteristics, and men - in role-playing ones. Women have more time to update and, as it were, re-edit their accumulated experience, men are less inclined to return to what they have experienced, but they know how to get out of the conflict in a timely manner.

Mechanisms and ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts

Overcoming an intrapersonal conflict is ensured by the formation and operation of psychological defense mechanisms (3. Freud, F. Bassin, B. Zeigarnik, A. Nalchadzhyan, E. Sokolova). Psychological protection is a normal, everyday working mechanism of the psyche. It is a product of ontogenetic development and learning. Developing as a means of socio-psychological adaptation, psychological defense mechanisms are designed to control emotions in cases where experience signals a person about the negative consequences of their experience and expression.

Some researchers (F. Vasilyuk, E. Kirshbaum, V. Rottenberg, I. Stoikov) consider psychological defense to be an unproductive means of resolving an internal conflict. They believe that protective mechanisms limit the development of the personality, its "own activity".

Consider the mechanisms of psychological defense in more detail.

1) "Don't notice it"

Denial is one of the ontogenetically early and simplest defense mechanisms. Denial develops in order to contain negative emotions caused by a person getting into a difficult situation. Denial implies an infantile substitution of decision-making for actions in accordance with new circumstances, ignoring them.

2) Blame It

The projection develops relatively early in ontogeny to contain the feeling of rejection of oneself due to the inability to cope with difficulties.

The projection involves attributing various negative qualities to the source of difficulties, as a rational basis for its rejection and self-acceptance against this background.

3) "Cry about it"

Regression develops in early childhood to curb the feelings of self-doubt and fear of failure associated with taking the initiative. Regression involves a return to a situation of internal conflict to children's stereotypes of behavior.

4) "Attack something that replaces it"

Substitution develops to contain the emotion of anger towards a stronger or more significant subject in order to avoid retaliatory aggression or rejection. The individual relieves tension by turning aggression on a weaker object or on himself. Substitution has active and passive forms and can be used by individuals regardless of their type of conflict response.

5) "Don't Remember It"

Suppression develops to contain fear, the manifestations of which are unacceptable for positive self-perception and threaten to fall into direct dependence on the aggressor. Fear is blocked by forgetting its source, as well as the circumstances associated with it. Suppression includes mechanisms of isolation and introjection close to it.

6) "Don't Feel It"

Isolation is the perception of traumatic situations or the memory of them without feeling anxious.

7) "Don't know where it's from"

Introspection is the appropriation of values ​​or character traits of other people in order to prevent threats from them.

8) "Rethink It"

Intellectualization develops at an early age adolescence. It involves an arbitrary interpretation of events to develop a sense of subjective control over the situation. The following methods are used:

Comparison of opposing tendencies;

Leaving a list of "+" and "--" of each of the trends and their analysis;

Scaling each "+" and "--" in each of the trends and summing them.

9) "Cancel It"

This also includes the mechanisms of cancellation, sublimation and rationalization.

"Cancel It"

Cancellation - behavior or thoughts that contribute to the symbolic nullification of the previous act or thought that caused severe anxiety, guilt.

"Transform It"

Sublimation is the satisfaction of a repressed unacceptable feeling (sexual or aggressive) by the implementation of socially approved alternatives. Methods: switching to another type of activity; performing attractive, socially significant acts.

"Find an excuse"

Rationalization - finding plausible reasons to justify actions caused by repressed, unacceptable feelings. Implemented methods:

discrediting the goal (elementary depreciation of the unattainable);

discrediting a significant other who refuses attention;

exaggeration of the role of circumstances, fate;

approval of harm for good;

reassessment of values, the entire motivational system;

self-discredit (redemption).

10) "Reverse It"

Reactive formation involves the development and emphasis in the behavior of the opposite attitude.

11) "Purchase it"

Compensation is ontogenetically the latest and most complex defense mechanism that is developed and used, as a rule, consciously. Designed to contain feelings of sadness, grief over real or imaginary loss, loss, lack, inferiority. It includes the mechanisms of identification and fantasy.

12) "Be like it so you don't lose it"

Identification is modeling the behavior of another person as a way to increase self-worth or cope with feelings in connection with possible separation or loss.

13) "Dream it"

Fantasy is an escape into the imagination in order to avoid real problems related to the resolution of an intrapersonal conflict.

Defense mechanisms that develop in ontogenesis as a means of adaptation and conflict resolution can, under certain conditions, cause opposite states of maladaptation and permanent conflict. According to E.S. Romanova and L.P. Grebennikov, this ambiguity is based on the fact that defense mechanisms are in their majority products of conflicts of early ontogenesis.

Bibliography

1. Antsupov L.Ya., Shipilov A.I. Conflictology. - M.: UNITI, 1999.

2. Latynov B.V. Conflict: course, methods of resolution, behavior of the conflicting parties // Foreign. psychology. - 1993. Vol. 1. - No. 2.

3. Lebedeva M.M. You have negotiations. - M.: Economics, 1993. - 156 p.

4. Nergesh Ya. The battlefield is the negotiating table. - M.: International relations, 1989. - 264 p.

5. Robert M.A., Tilman F. Psychology of an individual and a group. -- M.: Progress, 1988 - 365 p.

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The resolution (or overcoming) of an intrapersonal conflict is the removal of the internal tension of the personality, overcoming the contradictions between the various elements of its internal structure and achieving a state of internal balance, stability and harmony.

The resolution of the conflict is positive and leads to the development of the personality, to its self-improvement.

First of all, it should be noted that any intrapersonal conflict is always individual, has a personal character. Therefore, its resolution depends on such personality factors as age, gender, character, temperament, social status, values, etc. This leads to the fact that there are no universal ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts that are equally suitable for all people and situations. To establish the internal balance of a child, it is enough to give him a candy; to overcome the intrapersonal conflict of the Russian “Homo novus”, an entire confectionery factory may not be enough. Ways to resolve an internal conflict that are suitable for men may not always be suitable for women, and so on.

Typical principles and methods for resolving intrapersonal conflicts

However, despite the need for an individual approach to overcoming intrapersonal conflicts, it is possible to formulate the most general and typical principles and ways to resolve them, which, taking into account individual specifics, can be used by everyone. We list the most important of them. So, if you find yourself in a situation of intrapersonal conflict, then it is recommended to do the following:

2 Realize existential meaning conflict. Consider how important it is to you. assess its consequences in terms of place and role in your life. It may turn out that the cause that caused the conflict should immediately be relegated to the background in your value system or completely forgotten.

3 Locate the cause of the conflict. Reveal its very essence, discarding all minor points and accompanying circumstances.

4 Show courage in the analysis of the causes of intrapersonal conflict. Know how to face the truth, even if it is not very pleasant for you. Throw away all extenuating circumstances and ruthlessly consider the cause of your anxiety.

5 "Let off steam." Release pent-up anger, emotions, or anxiety. This can be used as exercise. as well as creative pursuits. Go to the cinema, theater, take your favorite book. They treat intrapersonal conflicts. It is better to experience shock on stage, screen, in your imagination than in life. It is no coincidence, by the way, that the crime chronicle, according to sociological surveys, is one of the most popular television shows - a large spread of stress and frustration requires constant antidepressant therapy.

6 Engage in relaxation training. Today there are many publications on specific methods and mechanisms of psychological training, choose the most appropriate for you personally.

7 Change the conditions and/or style of your work. This should be done in the event that an intrapersonal conflict arises constantly due to unfavorable conditions of activity.

8 Think of Had as an opportunity to reduce the level of your claims. Maybe your abilities and / or opportunities do not match your aspirations and requests.

9 Dare to forgive. And not only others, but also yourself. In the end, all people are “not without sin” and we are no exception.

10 Cry to your health. The American biochemist W. Frey, who was specially engaged in the study of tears, found that in the case when they are caused by negative emotions, they contain a substance that acts like morphine and has calming properties. In his opinion, tears are a protective reaction to stress. Crying with tears serves as a signal for the brain to ease emotional tension. But apart from scientific research, almost everyone knows from their own experience that tears bring emotional release and relief.

Psychological protection of the individual

In addition to the above methods of resolving intrapersonal conflicts, modern conflictology and psychology also formulate a number of mechanisms. psychological protection of the individual. It is a special regulatory system for stabilizing the personality, aimed at eliminating or minimizing the feelings of anxiety or fear that accompany intrapersonal conflict. The essence and function of psychological defense is to protect the consciousness of the individual from negative experiences. In a general sense, the term "psychological protection" is used today to refer to any behavior that eliminates psychological discomfort.

The phenomenon of psychological defense and its various manifestations, long before its scientific explanation, were repeatedly described in philosophical (Socrates, Plato, Epicurus, Augustine Aurelius, Kant, Vl. Solovyov, Berdyaev and many other thinkers) and fiction.

So, a typical example intellectualization as one of the main mechanisms of psychological defense - the behavior of Socrates before death, described by Plato in the essay "Phaedo". The essence of this mechanism of psychological defense lies in the fact that a person considers even very important events neutrally, moving away from emotions, which is surprising to ordinary people. It is this case that is described by Plato, when, before his death, Socrates thinks not about death at all, not about how to bury him, and not even about himself at all, but about other people.

Well, it’s time for me to wash, - says Socrates, who escorted him on his last journey, - I think it’s better to drink poison after washing and save women from unnecessary trouble - there will be no need to wash the dead body.

A vivid example of psychological defense is also in Epicurus's reasoning about life and death:

Therefore, the most terrible of evils, death, has nothing to do with us: when we exist, then there is no death yet, and when death comes, then we no longer exist.

No less striking examples of various psychological defense mechanisms can be found in fiction (Proust, Flaubert, Zweig, Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and many others). The value of these examples lies in the fact that literary characters are portrayed as integral personalities in real life. Therefore, here various methods of psychological defense are shown in interconnection with each other, and not separately from each other, as in a scientific study.

For example, in the Miserly Knight, love for neighbors and warm relations with friends was replaced by a slavish love for gold, in which he saw an almighty master and whom he served as “an Algerian slave, like a chain dog.” It combines several protection mechanisms at once: compensation, replacement and peculiar sublimation, which lead the hero to a state of inner peace and even bliss, when he once again bends over the chest of gold.

We also find similar mechanisms of psychological protection in another famous literary hero - Akaky Akakievich. His life splits into two and takes on a transformed form to such an extent that its end and means are reversed. On the one hand, real life, service in the department, where everyone “offended” him, “ridiculed him and didn’t even notice at all.” This social side of life for our hero passed unnoticed, ordinary and was insignificant in its meaning.

Diogenes Laertes. ABOUT life, teachings and sayings of famous philosophers.- M .: Thought, 1986.- S. 403.

But the other side of life, connected with the rewriting of papers - this routine office work for another person, for Akaky Akakievich is true life. It is filled with deep meaning and all its attributes: love, pleasure, emotions and passions. It even had its own “favorites”, which were some letters, “to which, if he got there, he was not himself, and laughed, and winked, and helped with his lips.”

Personal psychological defense mechanisms

The scientific analysis of the psychological defense of the individual began at the end of the 19th century. from work 3. Freud, who explained this phenomenon based on the priority of the unconscious instinctive principle (mainly sexual), which undergoes various transformations (repression, sublimation, and others) as a result of its collision with the conscious “I” (internal “censorship”).

Modern science identifies a number of mechanisms of psychological protection of the individual. Among them, the main ones are the following.

1 crowding out- a process as a result of which thoughts, memories, experiences that are not acceptable to the individual are “expelled” from consciousness and transferred to the unconscious, just as an undisciplined student who interferes with a lecture can be “forced out” from the audience out the door.

2 Sublimation - transformation of instinctive forms of the psyche (energy or aggression) into forms more acceptable to the individual and society. In a broader sense, sublimation refers to the switching of an individual's activity to a higher level. Such forms can be various types of creative activity and diverse hobbies.

3 Regression(from lat. regressio - backward movement) - the return of the individual to early childhood forms of behavior, the transition to previous levels of mental development. Regression involves a departure from reality and a return to the stage of personality development in which the feeling of pleasure was experienced. When in a state of intrapersonal conflict people "fall into childhood", then this is a deeply functional behavior. A person in a difficult situation often takes anything in his mouth - a finger, a pen, a shackle of glasses. The meaning and meaning of these actions and gestures is a return to the comfortable cloudless situation of infancy, when the child suckled the mother's breast.

Cm.: Protection psychological // Psychology: Dictionary. - M.: Politizdat. 1990. - S. 121-122.

4 Rationalization- hiding from oneself true, but not acceptable motives for actions and thoughts. At the same time, there is a search for plausible reasons to justify actions caused by unacceptable feelings and motives in order to ensure internal comfort and get rid of intrapersonal conflict. Rationalization is connected with the explanation of one's actions by the need to assert self-esteem and self-respect.

5 Projection - conscious or unconscious transfer of one's own properties, feelings and states that are not acceptable for the individual to external objects. Thus, a person shifts “guilt” to an external object, which is a source of difficulties, ascribes negative qualities to him and at the same time removes it from himself. Here we have a technique that is clearly visible in the expression "you yourself are a fool."

6 Substitution - It has two manifestation forms:

1) object replacement ~ the transfer of negative feelings and actions from one object that caused them to another object that has nothing to do with them. This happens when a person cannot express his thoughts, show feelings or perform certain actions in relation to the direct culprit of his resentment, fear or anger for social or physical reasons. For example, if there is no way to offend the boss with whom you are dissatisfied with something, you can kick his stuffed animal or slam the door;

2) substitution of feeling this form is characterized by the fact that the object that caused the individual's displeasure remains the same, and the feeling towards it changes to the opposite. An associate professor who gives a student an “unsatisfactory” mark on an exam can instantly turn from witty into “stupid”. An example of the substitution of feelings is described in the fable by I. A. Krylov “The Fox and the Grapes”. Unable to get to the seductive bunches of grapes, the fox reassures himself that “It looks good, // Yes, it’s green - the berries are not ripe: // You’ll set your teeth on edge right away.”

7 Intellectualization - a method of analyzing the problems facing a person, which is characterized by the absolutization of the role of the mental component while completely ignoring the sensory elements of analysis. When using this protective mechanism, even very important events for the individual are considered neutrally, without the participation of emotions, which is surprising to ordinary people. For example, with intellectualization, a person hopelessly ill with cancer or irradiated can calmly calculate how many Days he has left to live or do mathematical calculations. An example of precisely this psychological mechanism was given in the case of Socrates.

8 Identification - the process of identifying the subject with another person or group, through which he learns patterns of behavior of "significant others", forms his consciousness and takes on a particular role. As a defense mechanism, identification helps to cope with anxiety and insecurity, provides a mutual connection between group members and builds a sense of self-confidence.

9 Isolation - refusal to think about the possible negative consequences of future events and actions. It is usually expressed with the words “come what may”, “maybe it will blow over”, etc.

10 Imagination (fantasy) - creation of a program of behavior when the problem situation that gives rise to an intrapersonal conflict is uncertain. Imagination consists in creating images or behaviors that replace actual activity. Often the imagination is associated with the creation of an image of the desired future, in which a person who is in a state of intrapersonal conflict wants to escape.

These are the main mechanisms of psychological defense against intrapersonal conflict. To this it should be added that in itself it can be both successful and unsuccessful. In the first case, the impulses and actions of those factors that caused the conflict cease, the state of anxiety, fear, neurosis disappears. With unsuccessful psychological defense, nothing of the kind happens. Thus, the aforementioned Miserly Knight and Akaky Akakievich, if they ever had inner anxiety and anxiety about their real life discomfort, they were successfully overcome. But the self-consciousness of many heroes of F.M. Dostoevsky continues to live by his restlessness and is characterized by the unresolved internal problems. And this is the essence of the drama of their existence.