Revision

Before I begin my post today, I want to take a few lines to express my deepest condolences to the family of our legendary Vuyo Mbuli.  It was with deep shock and sadness that I learned of his untimely passing this morning.  Mr Mbuli will certainly be remembered as one of the most gracious, fair, honest, intelligent, insightful, compassionate men of superb integrity.  He was undoubtedly one of the few people in our country embraced and loved universally.   He lived and demonstrated with sublime grace all the values we wish to have for ourselves in moral character and in his mastery of philosophical, objective analysis as a thinker and journalist was unparalleled.  May he rest in peace.

To get ready for the Semester One, Term two Oral and Final Exams, here are a few hypothetical scenarios that you may want to practise answering.

SCENARIO ONE:

Sipho and Nokuthula are in trouble.  They have only been married for a few months, and it already seems like they are headed for divorce.  They simply cannot stop fighting with each other.  They decide to see a psychotherapist to help with their marital difficulties.

Sipho says that Nokuthula is a mess.  She is not a good housekeeper, she spends too much money, she doesnt seem to worry if there is any food for him when he comes home from work, in fact he often comes home to find her in the middle of a very messy art or craft project.  Instead of buying groceries, she spends the money on art supplies and other frivolous things.  She is fooled by every conman with a "sob story" and will give whatever money she has foolishly to anyone.

If you were the psychotherapist - how would you explain to Sipho why Nokuthula is the way she is.  

(HINT:  it has something to do with Freud's theory of the Psychosexual stages - and in this case --> the anal stage of development.  Remember that there are two types of personality traits that might arise out of things that go wrong during this stage - an Anal-retentive personality and an Anal-expulsive personality.  Which type of personality do you think Nokuthula is?  How did she get to be like that?

You may go to this post to refresh your understanding - http://austinahiv.blogspot.com/2013/05/psychosexual-stages-its-effect-on.html

SCENARIO TWO

You work at a Mental Health Clinic that specialises in Freudian Psychoanalysis.  You go to see your supervisor about your co-worker is driving you nuts.  She is one of the most irritating people you have ever had to deal with.  

She is the kind of person, who always butts into conversations without asking.  No matter who you are talking to, even if she just walks into the room where you are having the conversation with someone else - she just inserts herself into your conversation without invitation.  

She always talks as if she is the ultimate authority on EVERYTHING - she is a super know-it-all.  She will talk louder than everyone else so that all attention is directed to her.  That is not even the worst part, if she decides that she is done with a subject then she will insist on changing it and will talk loudly enough to drown out everyone else so that everyone starts talking about what she wants to talk about.

She is mean-spirited and will often say unkind, sarcastic and nasty things about people behind their backs while pretending to be nice to them to their faces.  When she wants to be mean-spirited to you, she will raise her voice and say ugly, hurtful things.

That is not all - the company pays for tea, coffee and snacks for employees.  Your co-worker eats and drinks the lion's share of it without considering whether others have had something to eat or drink or not.  

What do you think your supervisor, a qualified Psychotherapist would say about your co-worker's annoying personality traits?  How would the supervisor explain the process that shaped your co-workers current personality?

(HINT:  You need to examine Freud's theory of the Oral stage of development.  Remember that there are two types of personality traits that form if there is too much or too little gratification during this stage - the oral-passive personality and the oral aggressive personality.  How is it that one becomes one or the other type of personality?  Which type of personality is your coworker?  

You may go here to refresh your memory --> http://austinahiv.blogspot.com/2013/05/psychosexual-stages-its-effect-on.html

SCENARIO THREE

Sartre is observing the conversation between the psychotherapist, Sipho and Nokuthula.  Nokuthula says to the Psychotherapist that she shouldnt be blamed or held accountable for her personality traits, that she was in effect "made this way" by events that occurred in her childhood, of which she has control over.  She says that she doesnt think she can change but she wants to keep her marriage and relationship to Sipho.  She reckons that Sipho must just understand and deal with it.  At this stage, Sartre jumps in and accuses Nokuthula of being in "bad faith".  How would he argue that this is the case?

(HINT:  Remember that the most important thing about bad faith is that you know the truth, but you lie to yourself for some kind of personal gain, or to make yourself feel better about something.  What could Nokuthula be gaining from lying to herself.  What is she lying to herself about? )

You may refresh your memory of what bad faith is by going here --> http://austinahiv.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-existentialist-perspective-jean.html