Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
1 day agoWhat Psychologists Get Wrong About Meaning
Meaning arises from adaptive engagement with the environment, where organisms build consistent worldviews that support effective functioning.
Amalia Bastos first met Kanzi the bonobo in 2023. Bastos was starstruck, she recalls: Kanzi was famous for learning how to communicate with humans using a keyboard of symbols. Upon first seeing Bastos, Kanzi immediately pointed at her and another scientist. Then the ape pointed to his lexigramsthe symbols he used to communicateselecting the icons for chase and tickle. The two researchers obliged, pretending to chase and tickle each other.
I write this post with a clear but demanding purpose. I aim to apply insights from animal behavior research to gain a deeper understanding of how humans behave, struggle, and adapt. As a clinical psychologist, much of my work centers on two closely related questions. Why do people do what they do? And why is changing what does not work for them so often more difficult than it appears?