Since intrapersonal conflicts cannot be avoided, it is necessary learn to create conditions preventing their negative consequences, using a variety of ways to prevent them and promptly resolving dysfunctional conflicts if they have already arisen. Today, conflictology has developed a whole system of methods and measures to prevent and resolve intrapersonal conflicts. It should be borne in mind that preventing a conflict is always easier than resolving it.

Methods and conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts

There are universal, or general social, conditions and methods for preventing intrapersonal conflicts. They 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 social system. An individual, to a certain extent, can, of course, influence the creation of such favorable macro-conditions, but if we keep in mind the “ordinary” individual, then his influence still cannot be significant. Such conditions are changed through the actions of large social groups, classes, social communities, associations and movements.

Therefore, in further consideration of intrapersonal conflict, we will talk about the conditions and methods of preventing conflicts, depending on the individual himself. Let us highlight the main ones.

Know yourself

The first and initial condition for the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts is expressed in the principle “Know yourself” (“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 the image" for only in this case will the person clearly understand which values ​​are the main, meaning-forming life values ​​for him, and which are secondary; which ones you should go to the fire for, and which ones you should pass by without noticing.

However, knowing yourself is not an easy task. Personality is constantly in the process of becoming; it is multifaceted and multi-quality. Therefore, one cannot count on quick success here. Bärbel and Heinz Schwalbe recommend several methods and techniques for better self-knowledge. Here are some of the key ones:

1 First of all, try to answer the following questions:

· Am I boring?

· Am I prone to rash criticism?

· Do I avoid talking about negative things?

· Am I talking too much about material things?

· Am I instinctive?

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

· Am I afraid, apprehensive, or constantly stressed?

· Do I often allow myself to express disapproval or pessimism?

· Do I use ambiguous phrases in conversation?

· Am I carrying around a vague feeling of guilt?

· Do I have a certain material life goal, to which my entire current way of life is subordinated?

· Do I often get sick, depressed or sad?

After answering these questions, you can say that you already know yourself better.

2 The next step is identifying talents and strengths of your 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 gain new information about your abilities. Add to this questions:

· In what area do your abilities manifest themselves: spiritual or physical?

· Do you have artistic, creativity?

· Are you inclined towards exact sciences?

· In what type of activity did you have the greatest results?

· Do you often formulate original ideas?

· What qualities help you consistently cope with your problems?

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

3 Identifying your mistakes and shortcomings obstacles within ourselves, that hinder the development of our abilities. To do this, you can use the analysis of the following limiting factors:

· We shift responsibility onto others instead of taking it ourselves.

· We trust others more than ourselves. because we ourselves don’t know what is important to us.

· Hypocrisy out of politeness 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 be drowned out. giving us independence and imagination.

· Inability to turn to what is important and with a light heart to abandon everything that is not essential, secondary.

For each of the identified shortcomings or for each error encountered every time, ask yourself three question:

1. Do the identified errors and shortcomings cause me great concern?

2. Do these mistakes and shortcomings really bother me?

3. Maybe I shouldn’t 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 begin to correct them. It should be borne in mind that the most significant shortcomings include those that were pointed out to us other, and that it is impossible to immediately take and remake yourself.

Introduction

Since intrapersonal conflicts cannot be avoided, one should learn to create conditions that prevent their negative consequences, use a variety of methods to prevent them, and promptly resolve dysfunctional conflicts if they have already arisen. Today, conflictology has developed a whole system of methods and measures to prevent and resolve intrapersonal conflicts. It should be borne in mind that preventing a conflict is always easier than resolving it,

Methods and conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts

There are general, 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 occurring at the macro level of the social system. An individual, to a certain extent, can, of course, influence the creation of such favorable macro-conditions, but if we mean an “ordinary” individual, then his influence still cannot be significant. Such conditions are changed through the actions of large social groups, classes, social communities, associations and movements.

Therefore, in further consideration of intrapersonal conflict, we will talk about the conditions and methods of preventing conflicts that depend on the individual himself. Let us highlight the main ones.

The first and initial condition for the prevention of intrapersonal conflicts is expressed in the principle “Know yourself” (“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-image”, because only in this case will a person clearly understand which values ​​are the main, meaning-forming life values ​​for him, and which are secondary; which ones you should go to the fire for, and which ones you should pass by without noticing.

However, knowing yourself is not an easy task. Personality is constantly in the process of becoming; it is multifaceted and multi-quality. Therefore, one cannot count on quick success here. Bärbel and Heinz Schwalbe recommend several methods and techniques for better self-knowledge. Here are some of the key ones:

• 1. First of all, try to answer the following questions:
  • *Am I boring?
  • * 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 words or annoying moments that make me immediately lose my temper?
  • * Am I afraid, apprehensive, or constantly stressed?
  • * Do I often allow myself to express disapproval or pessimism?
  • * Do I use ambiguous phrases in conversation?
  • * Do I carry around vague feelings of guilt?
  • * Do I have a specific material life goal to which my entire current lifestyle is subordinated?
  • * Do I often get sick, depressed or sad?

After answering these questions, you can say that you already know yourself better.

• 2. The next step is to identify the talents and strengths of your 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 gain new information about your abilities. Add to this questions:
  • * In what area do your abilities manifest themselves: spiritual or physical?
  • * Do you have artistic, creative abilities?
  • * Are you inclined towards exact sciences?
  • * In what type of activity did you have the greatest results?
  • * Do you often formulate original ideas?
  • * What qualities help you consistently cope with your problems?

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

• 3 Identifying our mistakes and shortcomings, those obstacles in ourselves that hinder the development of our abilities. To do this, you can use the analysis of the following limiting factors:
  • * We shift responsibility onto others instead of taking it ourselves.
  • * We trust others more than ourselves. because we ourselves don’t know what is important to us.
  • * Hypocrisy out of politeness 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 and imagination.
  • * Inability to turn to the important and with a light heart to abandon everything unimportant and secondary.

For each of the identified shortcomings or for each error you encounter, ask yourself three questions:

• 1. Do the identified errors and shortcomings cause me great concern?
• 2. Do these mistakes and shortcomings really bother me?
• 3. Maybe I shouldn’t 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 begin to correct them. It should be borne in mind that the most significant shortcomings are those that others have pointed out to us, and that it is impossible to immediately take and remake yourself.

Adequately evaluate yourself.

This condition for preventing intrapersonal conflict is directly adjacent to the previous one. Without adequate self-esteem, it is impossible to know oneself and avoid intrapersonal conflicts. But not only underestimated, but also overestimated assessments of one’s abilities and capabilities prevent the establishment of harmonious relationships with others and thereby contribute to the emergence of intrapersonal conflicts.

But the most important thing is that inadequate self-esteem, an incorrect image of one’s “I” hinder the realization and self-actualization of the individual. A person who misjudges himself will constantly “bump into” 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 is more likely to find his place in life.

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

A person’s self-esteem is directly related to the level of her aspirations, the degree of difficulty in achieving the goals that she sets for herself. The sharp discrepancy between claims and real opportunities personality, 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 capabilities and results of the activities of others. For example, if self-esteem is high, he tends to lower them, and if self-esteem is low, he tends to increase them.

Formulate meaning-forming life values.

After you have “dig into 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 affirm and which he considers as a calling. A. Maslow called them “existential values,” or ultimate values, above which a person no longer has anything. In other words, we're talking about not about values- means, and about values ​​- goals that form the highest meaning of human life.

The absence of such fundamental values ​​makes a person unfree and unstable, subject to situational and temporary influences. Without such values, as V. Frankl showed, personality 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 various kinds of intrapersonal conflicts, neuroses, and sometimes suicidal behavior.

Use yours life experience.

An important way to prevent intrapersonal conflicts-- formation of a stable inner world and human character. To do this, you must constantly refer to your life experience and relate it to 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 in what 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 “you wanted the best, but it turned out as always” has nothing to do with you. Remember that a repeated mistake is experienced twice as hard and requires double payment. Meanwhile, it is better to pay for lessons only once and you should learn from the mistakes of others, not your own. Otherwise, it is difficult to avoid intrapersonal conflicts.

Be optimistic and focus on success.

By 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 intrapersonal conflict from the very beginning, or rather, before you even begin your activity. The mechanism by which intrapersonal conflict arises in people who are oriented towards failure is that they choose either an excessively high or a grossly underestimated level of demands. Declines in activity and retreats are typical for them. That. Those who set high goals for themselves condemn themselves to a constant struggle with failure.

Meanwhile, people who are success-oriented are usually guided by a realistic assessment of their chances of achieving a goal and therefore set themselves feasible, although perhaps moderate, goals. Therefore, when analyzing your experience, you should think about why you were successful and 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 everything that is nonessential-- “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, this leads to unprincipledness and destruction of internal stability. Ultimately, this can lead to personality degradation, loss of self-image, integrity, and identity. And from here it’s not far to intrapersonal conflicts. Fundamental demands on oneself not only in the big, but also in the “small” is a reliable counterbalance to the emergence 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 whether you have the following typical manifestations of self-doubt:

• * fear of trying - inaction, reluctance to achieve one’s goal for fear of failure, “losing one’s 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 make an impression better than it really is, to “show off”:
• * conformism - opportunism, the desire to be “like everyone else”, “keep your head down”, not take risks:
• * habit of buttoning up all the buttons. According to psychologists, the “man in a case” is afraid to show any of his feelings and is afraid of everything: diseases, people, responsibility. He is always unsure of himself and is 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 and in his abilities can sometimes afford not to button up everything.

If you have at least some of these qualities, you need to take measures 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 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 restrain your activity.
• * Think with your own head, although, of course, you should not neglect practical advice and others.
• * Know that you have many abilities and strengths sufficient to complete the tasks that you have set for yourself. There are abilities that a person does not even suspect about, and which are revealed only in specific life experiences.
• * Trust yourself more, do not destroy your own “I” by constantly listening to the opinions of others in everything.
• * Don’t forget, there is nothing worse for you than to abandon yourself, to live someone else’s life, someone else’s ideas and meanings. You are you and no one else will ever replace you. Give up the attitude “I am what you need” and be guided by the principle “I am what I am.” This awareness of your self-worth alone will strengthen your self-confidence.

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

Follow 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 affirms high ethical standards through his behavior, will never find himself in a situation for which he will have to worry, experience a feeling of guilt and remorse. Here are a number of rules of behavior that will help you feel confident in any situation and avoid many intrapersonal conflicts:

• * Treat people the way you would like to be treated. If you find it difficult how to behave in a given situation, put yourself in the shoes of the person you are communicating with.
• * Do not demand any special treatment or special privileges from another.
• * Try to achieve a clear division of rights and responsibilities in performing common work.
• * If your responsibilities overlap with your colleagues, this is a very dangerous situation. If the manager does not differentiate your duties and responsibilities from others, try to do it yourself.
• * Do not show bias towards people. As much as possible, discard prejudices and gossip when communicating with them.
• * Call your interlocutors by name and try to do this more often.
• * Smile, be friendly and use a variety of techniques and means to show your kind attitude towards your interlocutor. Remember, what goes around comes around.
• * Don't make promises you can't keep. Do not exaggerate your importance and business opportunities. If they don't come true, you will be uncomfortable, even if there were objective reasons for this.
• * Don't get into a person's soul. At work, it is not customary to ask about personal matters, much less problems.
• * Don't try to seem better, smarter, more interesting than you really are. Sooner or later, everything will come out and fall into place.
• * Send impulses of your sympathies. In a word, with a look, with a gesture, let the participant in the conversation understand that you are interested in him. Smile, look straight into the eyes.
• * Always view the other as a person to be respected in himself, and not as a means to achieve your own goals.

If you want to avoid intrapersonal conflicts caused by reasons rooted in business communication, then you should keep some important ethical rules and regulations in mind. If you are a manager, then you can use the following rules and principles:

• * Treat your subordinate the way you would like to be treated by your manager.
• * Strive to transform your organization into a cohesive team with high moral standards of communication. Involve employees in the organization's goals. A person will only feel morally and psychologically comfortable when he identifies with the collective. At the same time, everyone strives to remain an individual and wants to be respected for who they are.
• * If problems and difficulties arise related to dishonesty, the manager should find out its reasons. If we are talking about ignorance, then one should not endlessly reproach the subordinate with his weaknesses and shortcomings. Think about what you can do to help him overcome them. In doing so, rely on strengths his personality.
• * If an employee does not follow your instructions, you must let him know that you are aware of this, otherwise he may decide that he has tricked you. Moreover, if the manager has not made an appropriate remark to the subordinate, then he is simply not fulfilling his duties and is acting unethically.
• * A remark to an employee must comply with ethical standards. Collect all information about this case. Choose the right form of communication. First, ask the employee to explain the reason for not completing the task; perhaps he will give you facts that are unknown to you. Make your comments one on one. The dignity and feelings of a person must be respected.
• * Criticize actions and deeds, not the person’s personality.
• * When appropriate, use the "sandwich" technique - hide criticism between two compliments. End the conversation on a friendly note and take time to talk to the person soon to show them that you don't hold a grudge.
• * Never advise a subordinate on what to do in personal matters. If the advice helps, you probably won't be thanked. If it doesn’t help, all responsibility will fall on you.
• * Don't play favorites. Treat employees as equal members and treat everyone with the same standards.
• * Never give employees the opportunity to notice that you are not in control of the situation 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 extend to other members of the team.
• * Trust your employees and admit your own mistakes in your work. Team members will still 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 in kind.

If you are a subordinate, you can use the following ethical rules and principles:

• * Treat your manager the way you would like to be treated by your subordinates,
• * Try to help your manager create a friendly moral atmosphere in the team and strengthen fair relationships. Remember that your manager needs this first and foremost.
• * Do not try to impose your point of view on the manager or command him. Make your suggestions or comments tactfully and politely. You cannot directly order him to do anything, but you can say: “How would you feel if...?” or “Don't you think it would be a good idea if...?” etc.
• * If any joyful or, on the contrary, unpleasant event is approaching or has already happened in the team, then the manager must be informed about it. In case of trouble, try to help ease the way out of this situation and offer your solution.
• * Do not talk to your boss in a categorical tone, do not always say only “yes” or only “no”. An employee who always says yes becomes annoying and comes across as a flatterer. A 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.
• * You should not ask for help, advice, suggestions, etc. “over your head,” directly to your manager’s manager, except in emergency cases. Otherwise, your behavior may be regarded as a demonstration of disrespect or disregard for the opinion of your 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 question of your rights. Remember that responsibility cannot be realized without an appropriate degree of freedom of action.

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

• 1) Don’t strive to “embrace the immensity”; don’t take on everything at once. Know how to prioritize among all your motives and needs and focus on fulfilling them first.
• 2) Do not accumulate problems, eventually the situation will reach a level where you will no longer be able to cope with their solution, which will lead to intrapersonal conflict,
• 3) Learn to dominate yourself, control and correct your behavior and feelings. Know how to “pull yourself together” in time and subjugate the situation.
• 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 towards yourself, but also towards others. A lie may, of course, temporarily help you get out of a difficult situation, but it will not ease your soul. Sooner or later, everything secret becomes clear,
• 6) Lead healthy image life. Strengthen your soul and body. These are the necessary methods and conditions for preventing intrapersonal conflicts. Their observance and use can help avoid many internal turmoil, breakdowns and stress. But what to do if an intrapersonal conflict does occur? In this case, it is necessary to take measures to resolve it in a timely manner.

Chapter 10. Prevention and resolution of intrapersonal conflicts

Positive consequences of intrapersonal conflict

As noted, intrapersonal conflict can be not only destructive, but also constructive, those. positively influencing the structure, dynamics and effectiveness of intrapersonal processes and serving as a source of self-improvement and self-affirmation of the individual. In this case, intrapersonal contradictions are resolved without any particular negative consequences, and the overall result of their resolution is the development of personality. Therefore, many researchers of intrapersonal conflict quite rightly consider productive intrapersonal conflict as important way of personality development.

Indeed, it is through conflict, resolution and overcoming intrapersonal contradictions that the formation of character, will and the entire mental life of the individual occurs. Deprive a person of this internal work and fight and you will deprive him full life and development, for life itself is a constant resolution of contradictions. One of the authors modern psychology personality, who has already become a classic, - V. Frankl wrote:

I think it is a dangerous misconception to assume that the first thing a person needs is balance, or, as it is called in biology, “homeostasis.” In fact, a person does not require a state of balance, but rather a struggle for some goal. worthy of him.

If we consider the positive consequences of intrapersonal conflict more specifically, we can highlight the following:

1) conflicts contribute to the mobilization of the individual’s resources to overcome existing obstacles to its development;

2) conflicts help a person’s self-knowledge and the development of an adequate self-esteem;

3) intrapersonal conflict strengthens the will and strengthens the human psyche;

4) conflict is a means and method of self-development and self-actualization of the individual;

5) overcoming conflicts gives the individual a feeling of fullness of life, making it internally richer, brighter and more fulfilling. In this regard, intrapersonal conflicts give us the opportunity to enjoy victory over ourselves, when a person brings his real “I” at least a little closer to his ideal “I”.

Since intrapersonal conflicts cannot be avoided, it is necessary learn to create conditions preventing their negative consequences, using a variety of ways to prevent them and promptly resolving dysfunctional conflicts if they have already arisen. Today, conflictology has developed a whole system of methods and measures to prevent and resolve intrapersonal conflicts. It should be borne in mind that preventing a conflict is always easier than resolving it,

There are universal, or general social, conditions and methods for preventing 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 occurring at the macro level of the social system. An individual, to a certain extent, can, of course, influence the creation of such favorable macro-conditions, but if we mean an “ordinary” individual, then his influence still cannot be significant. Such conditions are changed through the actions of large social groups, classes, social communities, associations and movements.

Therefore, in further consideration of intrapersonal conflict, we will talk about the conditions and methods of preventing conflicts, depending on the individual himself. Let us highlight the main ones.

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 activities are carried out in a social environment. Besides the fact that the human psyche itself is a rather contradictory phenomenon. The person is involved in various public relations. In terms of their content, the social environment and social relations are quite contradictory and influence the individual in different directions and with different sign. Only in society can a person satisfy his needs, assert himself and realize himself. An individual becomes a person in society. He must, is obliged, forced to comply with the norms and rules of behavior that have developed in his social environment, both official (legally enshrined) and unofficial. It is impossible to live in society and be free from it. On the other hand, the individual strives for freedom, preservation of his individuality, uniqueness.

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

When identifying the causes of intrapersonal conflict, it is necessary to take into account that the authors of each concept identify their own groups. But the main reason that unites different approaches is the presence of contradictions. There are two groups of contradictions that lead 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 (adaptation, moral, etc.);
2nd group: contradictions in 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 and the individual’s ability to optimally resolve it.

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

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

Resolution of the contradiction is possible at any of these levels. This is due primarily to the relationship between the level of aspirations and the possibility of satisfying them or the ability to reduce their level, or even refuse.

But to move from the first level to subsequent ones, the presence of both personal and situational conditions is necessary.

Personal conditions:

• Complex inner world, actualization;
• The individual's ability to self-analysis.

Situational conditions:

• Internal;
• External.

External conditions, according to V. Merlin, are associated with the satisfaction of any deep and active motives, needs and relationships of the individual (the fight against nature, the satisfaction of some needs gives rise to others, more complex, still unsatisfied, social restrictions on ways to satisfy motives and needs).

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

• Internal reasons rooted in the contradiction of the individual’s psyche;
• External reasons due to the position of the individual in a social group;
• External reasons due to the position of the individual in society.

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

Internal reasons rooted in the inconsistency of the individual psyche:

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

A common feature of the external causes of intrapersonal conflict, determined by 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 a given situation.

External reasons, determined by the position of the individual in the social group:

• Physical barriers that prevent needs from being met;
• Physiological restrictions that prevent the satisfaction of needs;
• Lack of an object necessary to satisfy the need;
• Social conditions that prevent the satisfaction of needs.

Among the causes of intrapersonal conflict, conditioned by the position of the individual in the group, a group of reasons should be identified at the Level of social organization (institution). At this level, the external causes causing this conflict include:

• Inconsistency between responsibilities and rights;
• Inconsistency of working conditions with the requirements for its results;
• Inconsistency of personal norms and values ​​with organizational ones;
• Discrepancy between social status and role;
• Lack of opportunities for self-realization and creativity;
• Mutually exclusive requirements and tasks.

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

External causes of intrapersonal conflict, determined by 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 nature of the social system, the social structure of society, its political structure and economic life.

Significant contributions to the development of problems related to the causes of intrapersonal conflict in market economic relations were 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, an individual is forced to constantly compete with his own kind; under these conditions, constant hostility towards the social environment develops under certain conditions into hostility towards oneself, which ultimately leads to the emergence of intrapersonal conflict. On the one hand, market relations require an appropriate level of aggressiveness from the individual, and on the other, society requires a certain altruism and philanthropy from business, considering them as corresponding social virtues. These circumstances act as the objective social basis of intrapersonal conflict under the dominance of market relations.

Reasons intrapersonal conflict (K. Horney):

• Competition and success;
• Stimulation of needs;
• Proclaimed freedom and equality;
• Brotherly love and humanity;
• Obstacles to achieving them;
• 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 internal structure of the personality - a person’s self-alienation from his essence occurs. A conflict arises between the essence and existence of the individual.

An individual in a market environment feels that his self-esteem depends on market conditions that he cannot control. He feels that his worth does not depend on his human qualities, but on his success in a competitive market. Both losers and wealthy people live in conditions of fear and anxiety about the future. Therefore, they are forced to continuously struggle for success, and any obstacle on this path poses a serious threat to the internal state and gives rise to 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 type of intrapersonal conflict transitioning 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 wealthy segments of the population, for whom business is their life’s work. In case of collapse of plans, bankruptcy, a person experiences extreme stress. It is necessary to take into account that the very way of life of such people is an existence in stressful situation: a constant state of anxiety, worry, overwork.

Thus, a person is constantly under the influence of external and internal factors that cause confrontation and disagreement within him, and it depends only on the person himself 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 must be taken into account that stress is a very common cause of intrapersonal conflict if it has gone far enough and the person has not resolved it in a timely and constructive manner. At the same time, stress itself often provokes further development of the conflict or gives rise to a new one.

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

The basis of neuroses is an unproductively resolved contradiction between the personality and the actual factors that are significant to it. The main reason for their occurrence is a deep intrapersonal conflict, which the individual 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 failure, unsatisfied needs of unattainability of life goals, loss of meaning in life, etc. The appearance of neuroses indicates the transition of intrapersonal conflict to a new level - neurotic conflict.

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

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

Hysteria most often occurs in individuals with high suggestibility and self-hypnosis. Characterized by musculoskeletal disorders, paralysis, impaired coordination, speech disorders, etc.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder- painful thoughts, ideas, memories, fears and urges to action that suddenly arise in a person against his will, irresistibly chaining his entire “I” to itself.

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

A characteristic feature of a neurotic personality in relationships with the social environment is a constant desire to compete in any situation. K. Horney identified a number of features of neurotic rivalry that distinguish it from ordinary competition.

Features of neurotic rivalry:

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

The negative consequences of intrapersonal conflict concern not only the state of the individual himself, his internal structure, but also his 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 of mental processes, states and personality traits. It is one of the most important sources of self-improvement and self-affirmation of the individual. In this case, the conflict situation is resolved without the predominance of negative consequences; the overall result of their resolution is the development of the individual.

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, knowledge of the surrounding reality, character development occurs, and in fact, all the main structural components of the individual’s psyche are formed and developed.

Design features intrapersonal conflict:

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

Thus, a positive intrapersonal conflict, on the one hand, complicates a person’s mental life, but on the other hand, it contributes to the transition to a new level of functioning, allows one to realize oneself as a full-fledged, strong person, and gain satisfaction from defeating one’s weaknesses.

Along with the causes and functions of intrapersonal conflict, one should also determine its main forms. We examined one of them, the most destructive and dangerous, by describing the negative functions of conflict. But, along with pei, other forms are also distinguished.

Rationalism- self-justification, inventing artificial justifications for one’s actions and 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 preserve self-esteem, the integrity of his Self, and prevent unwanted mental states (feelings of guilt, decline, etc.). Rationalism is aimed at hiding socially and personally unacceptable motives and needs.

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

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

Projection- the process and result of 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, giving them own feelings, own experience; unconscious attribution to other people of one's own morally disapproved, unwanted thoughts, feelings, actions, first expressed by Sigmundt Freud). In addition to comprehending and generating new meanings, projection also performs the function of removing excessive internal moral conflicts from the individual by blaming others.

Nomadism- frequent changes in place of residence, place of work, marital status.

Having decided on the main causes, functions and forms of intrapersonal conflict, one should decide on such categories as their prevention (prevention) and resolution (overcoming). It should be borne in mind that preventing a conflict is always easier than resolving it.

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

Resolving intrapersonal conflict, according to A.Ya. Antsupov, is the restoration of the coherence of the inner world of the individual, the establishment of unity of consciousness, reducing the severity of the contradictions in life relationships, and achieving a new quality of life.

Methods 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, the rule of law and relate to changes occurring at the macro level of the social system.

General social conditions are less dependent on the individual. Therefore, we will consider in more detail the personal methods and conditions for overcoming intrapersonal conflict.

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

• A compromise is to make a choice in favor of a specific option and begin to implement it.;
• Withdrawal is a refusal to solve a problem caused by intrapersonal contradictions;
• Reorientation is a change in claims regarding 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 unacceptable to the individual are transferred from the conscious sphere to the unconscious;
• Correction is a change in self-concept in the direction of achieving an adequate idea of ​​oneself.

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

The effectiveness of an individual’s activities in constructively resolving intrapersonal conflict is influenced by a number of factors.

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

Psychic protection- an unconscious, spontaneous regulatory mechanism for eliminating anxiety, unpleasant, traumatic experiences, emotions, and any mental discomfort associated with 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 defense of the individual is a special regulatory system for stabilizing the individual’s psyche, aimed at eliminating or minimizing the feelings of anxiety or fear that accompany intrapersonal conflict.

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

• Denial is the replacement of decision-making by ignoring it.
• Substitution is a protective mechanism against the threat of destruction, the integrity of the “I” of the individual, and from mental overstrain, consisting in a spontaneous change in the object of the actualized need. For example, aggression and irritability towards the boss can be taken out on family members. Or in modification, transformation of the need itself. For example, the motives for entering technical university may be replaced after failure by the motives for entering a humanitarian university or by refusing to receive higher education at all. Substitution as a mechanism of mental defense can manifest itself in a change in feelings, motives, and personal relationships to the opposite (unrequited love can turn into hatred; unsatisfied sexual need into aggression, etc.). During the action of the replacement mechanism, a transformation occurs, a transfer of activity and energy from one type of activity to another, accompanied by catharsis. Catharsis is the liberation of a person from traumatic emotions through storytelling and remembering.
• Suppression is the containment of fear by forgetting its source, as well as the circumstances associated with it.
• Isolation is the perception or memory of a traumatic situation without feelings of anxiety.
• Introjection is the appropriation of values ​​or character traits of other people 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 sensory elements. When using this defense mechanism, even very important events for the individual are viewed neutrally, without the participation of emotions, which causes surprise ordinary people. For example, with intellectualization, a person hopelessly ill with cancer can serenely calculate how many days he has left, or be enthusiastically engaged in some activity, without thinking at all about his impending death.
• Nullification is behavior and thoughts that contribute to the symbolic nullification of a previous act or thought that caused severe anxiety and guilt.
• Sublimation is a mechanism of substitution (switching) from a conflict situation to another
• Reactive education is the development of an opposite attitude.
• Compensation is hiding a defect through exaggerated manifestation and development of other qualities.
• Identification
• Device
• Separation
• 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, assumes that an individual should be guided by a realistic assessment of his chances of achieving a goal and therefore should set himself feasible, although perhaps moderate, goals and objectives.

Being principled towards oneself, not only in big things, but also in small things, reliably prevents the emergence of serious internal contradictions.

A morally mature person, who affirms high ethical standards through his behavior, will never find himself in a situation for which he will have to worry, experience a feeling of guilt 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 quite complex, diverse, multifunctional, both positive and negative phenomenon. Knowledge of its essence and content, the main types, causes of its occurrence, 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.

A person’s life is structured in such a way that the likelihood of circumstances threatening to disrupt the optimal process of personal development, his inner world, is great, and it’s bad if a person is not prepared for them.

No one is immune from intrapersonal conflicts. Their arsenal is truly inexhaustible. The ironic formula indicates the conditions necessary to prevent intrapersonal conflict:

not to desire (as you will scare away); don’t hope (otherwise it will hurt if it doesn’t work out); don't look twice for the same thing. place (luck is no stupider than you); search silently; not enough dirty. hands; release on time.

Factors and mechanisms for resolving intrapersonal conflicts

By resolving (overcoming) an intrapersonal conflict is meant restoring the coherence of the individual’s inner world, establishing the unity of consciousness, reducing the severity of the contradictions in life relationships, and achieving a new quality of life. Resolution of intrapersonal conflict can be constructive and destructive. By constructively overcoming intrapersonal conflict, one achieves peace of mind, understanding of life deepens, a new value consciousness arises. The resolution of intrapersonal conflict is realized through: the absence of painful conditions associated with the existing conflict; reducing the manifestations of negative psychological and socio-psychological factors of intrapersonal conflict; improving the quality and efficiency of professional activities.

Depending on individual characteristics, people relate to internal contradictions differently and choose their own strategies for getting out of conflict situations. Some are immersed in thoughts, others immediately begin to act, and others plunge into the emotions overwhelming them. It is important that a person, being aware of his own individual characteristics, developed his own style of resolving internal contradictions and a constructive attitude towards them. The methods of conflict resolution and the time spent on this are different for people with different types of temperament. The choleric person decides everything quickly, preferring defeat to uncertainty. The melancholic person 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 influence the dynamic side of resolving intrapersonal contradictions: the speed of experiences, their stability, individual rhythm of flow, intensity, direction outward or inward.

The process of resolving intrapersonal contradictions is influenced by gender and age characteristics of the individual. With increasing age, intrapersonal contradictions acquire forms of resolution typical for a given individual. Periodically remembering what we have lived through, we return to critical points that once disrupted the measured flow of life, rethink them in a new way, analyze more deeply and generally the ways of resolving conflicts, overcoming what seemed insurmountable. Working on your past, analyzing your own biography is one of the natural ways to develop internal stability, integrity, and harmony.

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

Mechanisms and methods of resolving intrapersonal conflicts.

Overcoming intrapersonal conflict is ensured by the formation and operation of psychological defense mechanisms (3. Freud, F. Bassin). Psychological defense is a normal, everyday functioning 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. Rotenberg, I. Stoikov) consider psychological defense to be an unproductive means of solving internal conflict. They believe that defense mechanisms limit the development of the individual, his “own activity.” But, one way or another, in difficult situations we use them, and in any case it will be better if we use them skillfully and as varied as possible.

Let us consider the mechanisms of psychological defense in more detail.

“Don't notice it”

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

“blame it”

Projection - develops relatively early in ontogenesis to contain the feeling of self-rejection due to the inability to cope with difficulties.

Projection involves attributing various negative qualities to the source of difficulties, such as rational basis for his rejection and self-acceptance against this background.

“Cry about it”

Regression develops in early childhood to curb feelings of self-doubt.

and fear: failure associated with taking initiative. Regression involves returning to childhood behavior patterns in situations of internal conflict.

“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 directing aggression towards a weaker object or towards himself. Substitution has active and passive forms and can be used by individuals regardless of their type of conflict response.

“Don't remember this”

Suppression develops to contain fear, the manifestations of which are unacceptable for positive self-perception and threaten to become directly dependent on the aggressor. Fear is blocked by forgetting its source, as well as the circumstances associated with it. Suppression includes the closely related mechanisms of isolation and introjection.

“Don't feel it”

Isolation is the perception of traumatic situations or memories of them without feelings of anxiety.

"Don't know where it comes from"

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

“Rethink this”

Intellectualization develops in early adolescence. Involves arbitrary interpretation of events to develop feelings subjective control over the situation. The following methods are used: comparison of opposing trends; compiling a list of “+” and “-” for each trend and analyzing them; scaling each “+” and “-” in each of the trends and summing them up.

“Cancel it”

Undoing is behavior or thoughts that symbolically nullify a previous act or thought that caused severe anxiety or 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 actions.

“Find an excuse for this”

Rationalization - finding plausible reasons to justify actions caused by suppressed, unacceptable feelings. Implemented methods: discrediting the goal (elementary depreciation of the unattainable); discrediting a significant other who denies attention; exaggeration of the role of circumstances, fate; affirmation of harm for good; revaluation of values, the entire motivational system; self-discrediting (atonement for guilt).

“Reverse it”

Reactive education involves developing and emphasizing the opposite attitude in behavior.

“Get this”

Compensation is ontogenetically the latest and most complex protective mechanism,

which is developed and used, as a rule, consciously. Designed to contain feelings of sadness, grief over a real or imagined loss, bereavement, lack, inferiority. It includes mechanisms of identification and fantasy.

“Be like this so as not to lose him”

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

“Dream about it”

Fantasy is an escape into the imagination in order to avoid real problems associated with resolving 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. The basis of this ambiguity is that defense mechanisms are mostly products of conflicts of early ontogenesis.

Resolution of intrapersonal conflict. Stages

Clearly identify and separate the parts from each other. They will appear to be making conflicting demands. For example, one part may demand freedom and leisure, while the other may require a guarantee of a stable income. Or one part may be very careful when dealing with money, while the other can be wasteful. Each part will make negative value judgments about the other part. Some of them are based on the value orientations of parents. Each part has its own value.

Get a clear representation of each part. What do they look like? How do they feel? What does their voice sound like (parents, loved ones)? Are there words or phrases that could describe them? Visualize from (hand...)

Find out the intention of each part. Please note that each of them has positive intentions. Go up as far as you need to in order for the parts to come to a mutually beneficial result. Both must come to an agreement. Start negotiations as if you were dealing with two different people. Sometimes, when disagreements are great, the only agreement that can be reached is to save your life.

Negotiation. What resources of each part could be useful to the other part to realize its interests? What can you exchange? What could they cooperate on? What does each of them want from their rival in order to obtain satisfaction? What exactly does each part want from the other (time, behavior, attention, etc.)

Create a picture of the cooperation of the parts (...). Sit quietly for a while.

Such “negotiations” are a good tool for resolving conflicts. In fact, you may never get rid of these opposing parts (this may not be necessary). However, you will understand them better, you will recognize them in a crisis situation, and they will not give rise to extreme neurotic reactions, since the main thing here is not what is within the mind, not the agreement that you have come to, but those sound, visual or kinesthetic images that you created.