MONDAY, 18 JULY 2016
Another example of how my own beliefs are rooted in schools of thought and movements of which I did not have any direct knowledge:
“The Human Potential Movement (HPM) arose out of the counterculture milieu of the 1960s and formed around the concept of cultivating extraordinary potential that its advocates believe to lie largely untapped in all people. The movement took as its premise the belief that through the development of ‘human potential’, humans can experience an exceptional quality of life filled with happiness, creativity, and fulfilment. As a corollary, those who begin to unleash this assumed potential often find themselves directing their actions within society towards assisting others to release their potential. Adherents believe that the net effect of individuals cultivating their potential will bring about positive social change at large.”
The sociologist, Elizabeth Puttick, wrote as follows about the Human Potential Movement:
“The human potential movement (HPM) originated in the 1960s as a counter-cultural rebellion against mainstream psychology and organised religion. It is not in itself a religion, new or otherwise, but a psychological philosophy and framework, including a set of values that have made it one of the most significant and influential forces in modern Western society.”
A list of people who influenced the movement, and people who were influenced by the ideas popularised by the movement include the psychologist Abraham Maslow of hierarchy of needs fame, Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, and the self-help guru Anthony Robbins.
More information on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Potential_Movement
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