Many people are faced with a situation where the mind requires certain actions, and feelings require others. This condition has both positive and negative consequences. In this article I will tell you all about intrapersonal conflict, I will explain what it is in psychology ,
How does this problem occur? Conflicting desires usually create an atmosphere of a hopeless situation, a vicious circle, a dead end. However, the contradiction can be easily resolved if you do not deny its existence and do not suppress it.
Definition of the concept
Conflict is a difficult to resolve disagreement that forms within an individual. This condition is accompanied by fear and depression. Usually a person denies the existence of a problem or simply does not notice it.
Internal contradiction is also called confrontation. The features of this type of confrontation are:
- a certain structure of conflict (confrontation does not have subjects of interaction, which can be represented either by individuals or by entire groups of people).
- secrecy (it is quite difficult to identify such a disorder, since the individual himself is not aware of the state he is in);
- the specificity of the forms of formation and course (the collision of the two sides is characterized by the presence of experiences and is accompanied by constant phobias, depression and stress).
When a person who adheres to his rules or beliefs suddenly breaks them, he begins to feel an intrapersonal contradiction. This disorder can be extremely distressing. It is not always possible to cope with them.
Signs of internal conflict
There are several symptoms of this malaise:
- apathy;
- depression;
- isolation;
- low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence;
- anxiety;
- irritability;
- loss of concentration;
- indifference to life.
Symptoms vary, changes depend on the severity of the disease. With mild confrontation, the person tries to distract himself with various activities, for example:
- cleaning;
- arranging books in alphabetical order;
- professional activity.
A severe form of illness is characterized by the following symptoms: loss of strength, apathy. When an individual cannot concentrate on his choice, he is haunted by an obsessive stream of thoughts, anxiety, absent-mindedness, and lack of concentration arise.
What creates conflict within a person?
Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person is unable to achieve what he wants. This is prevented not by external obstacles, but by internal circumstances. The psyche determines two ways out of the situation, but neither of them is usually suitable. We are unable to change our desires. A girl cannot easily put down and stop loving a guy she really likes, even if she understands that he is completely unsuitable.
During the period of confrontation, two strong opposing sides arise - from the mind and from emotions, they have equal strength, so the intrapersonal battle lasts for quite a long time and because of this the individual cannot live a normal, familiar life.
Causes of internal conflict
To determine the origins of this psychological problem, it is necessary to return to childhood. In most cases, parents impose attitudes on us, which subsequently become irrelevant. If, as an adult, a person goes against these beliefs, he stumbles upon conflict within himself.
One of the frequent reasons for the formation of contradictions is religious attitudes. A person who has sinned must immediately repent of his actions. For example, a believer understands perfectly well that sinning is bad, but the forbidden fruit is sweet, he feels temptation, and here a psychological confrontation between two sides develops - desires and reason.
Psychologist Daria Milai
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There are three types of reasons for the formation of conflict:
- depending on the contradictions of the individual;
- related to status in society;
- depend on the position of the individual in a certain group of people.
The first type is characterized by the following manifestations of confrontation:
- choice between social norms and individual needs;
- prioritization of social roles (you are not able to do two things at the same time and concentrate on them equally);
- confrontation of moral principles (going to war to be brave and protect your family, but killing is bad).
For an individual there are only two choices - to do what he wants or to refuse it. If the first or second is more important to him, there will be no confrontation. But if these two decisions are equally significant for him, a confrontation appears.
Next, I will talk about the cognitive dissonance that develops within a person due to his status in a certain group:
- obstacles set by other people that prevent you from satisfying your own desires;
- problems at the biological level, they prevent you from realizing your potential;
- limited rights and fear of taking responsibility for one’s actions;
- opposition between professional activities, interests, norms and values;
- conflict due to the desire to earn money and not violate morality.
I told you everything about the concept of internal conflict, explained what it is and how it affects personality psychology. If you want to solve the problem as soon as possible and get rid of this condition forever, sign up for my consultation.
I will give a few more reasons why conflict arises.
Resistance
It occurs when a person is aware of exactly what he wants or needs, but subconsciously holds himself back from satisfying the needs and desires. He resists because he believes that all his attempts at pleasure will lead to vulnerability. There can be a large number of reasons for this: lack of self-confidence, fears, old attitudes, a feeling of shame. This state appears when our thoughts and actions coincide, but not completely.
Psychological Beliefs
Each person has his own rules that he does not break. Sometimes they are obstacles to achieving desired goals. Often such attitudes are laid down in early childhood by family or friends. The individual is convinced that violating them will lead to a loss of security.
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Causes of appearance and possible manifestations
Intrapersonal conflict can manifest itself in the following forms:
1. Rationalism is an involuntary justification of one’s own actions;
2. neurasthenia - general depressed state, lack of sleep, indifference to work and hobbies;
3. nomadism - the desire to change everything that is around (including people);
4. euphoria - an excessively good mood, laughter turning into hysterics;
5. projection - excessive criticism of everything, general negativity towards the environment;
6. regression - lack of desire to take on any responsibility.
Reasons for the conflict:
1. Internal. Depends on the person's personal development. The more self-analysis and self-criticism a person develops, the greater the chance of conflict “with himself”;
2. External. External reasons for the emergence of intrapersonal conflict lie in the discrepancy between a person’s position in society or in a specific group and his personal internal attitudes.
Classification of internal personal conflict
I identify the following types of conflict malaise:
- equivalent;
- vital;
- ambivalent;
- frustrating.
Equivalent
It develops when two or more important tasks need to be completed. To resolve this situation, it is necessary to resort to a compromise.
Vital
It appears when an individual has to accept solutions to a problem that are unattractive to him. This is where depression and depression arise.
Ambivalent
It develops when desire simultaneously attracts and repels.
Frustrating
It arises when needs contradict public opinion, accepted norms and beliefs, thereby preventing the achievement of what is desired.
Types of intrapersonal conflict
Now I will give several more types of psychological illness, which differ depending on the place of origin. However, the general features of all these types are similar to each other.
Moral
This is the most common type of contradiction, which develops due to moral principles and the desire to violate them. For example, a man sitting in a subway car understands that he must give up his seat to an elderly person, but he is so tired from work that he cannot overcome his fatigue and get up. The whole trip he is tormented by confrontation: his mind insists on his selfish behavior, and fatigue does not allow him to do the right thing.
Sexual
It is formed mainly in people prone to embarrassment and shame. For example: a man wants to diversify his intimate life with his wife, but he does not dare to do so, because he is afraid of a negative reaction and of being a pervert in the eyes of his wife. He is ashamed to tell his other half about his desires because of shyness. Because of this, cognitive dissonance appears, which leads to satisfaction of sexual needs on the side, and then divorce.
Religious
Faith is a powerful tool that helps to distinguish evil from good and to commit unscrupulous acts. But all the covenants are difficult to follow; even people who have formed strong religious beliefs often face temptations and seductions, provoking their confrontation with morality.
For example, a religious teenager experiences passionate sympathy for a girl, he begins to produce hormones, this pushes him to romantic actions and passion. However, he realizes that these actions will lead to sin and are contrary to his beliefs and rules.
Political
Internal conflict is a mental disorder that also occurs in people who fight for territory and to defend people's interests. Such individuals experience constant fear, because they have to risk their lives to defend their beliefs.
Love
Constant confrontation between mind and heart is typical for lovers. They form the habit of constantly spending time together, which does not allow them to break off the relationship. Each partner experiences breakups in their own way, some become the initiators of the breakup, others realize its inevitability. But even full awareness of what is happening pushes a person to various stupid actions: alcohol, harassment, calls, finding out the reasons.
Cognitive dissonance due to self-esteem
Often people experience self-doubt due to certain complexes and shortcomings. For example: excess weight, excessive thinness, birthmarks. Often, due to low self-esteem, a person tries to change himself, and this does not always work. She cannot come to terms with her shortcomings and love herself, this gives rise to contradictions. Devastation also occurs from a bad haircut, excess weight after pregnancy, or an accident in which one’s appearance was damaged.
Social
It comes from a relationship with one specific person or with a specific group of people. In most cases, teenagers face such a conflict and become outcasts in the classroom. Every day they have to fight judgment. Often this gives rise to internal complexes, the child begins to doubt himself and his strengths, and experiences loneliness.
Existential
This is the most complex and severe form of conflict. It mainly appears among maximalists. People in this category cannot understand their purpose. They constantly question the relevance of their lives. Also, confrontation is formed if an individual loses the meaning of existence and the ability to express himself.
This condition often manifests itself in adolescents in adolescence, as well as in a person who is experiencing a crisis at 30 years old. This disorder is accompanied by drastic changes: work, style, image, divorce, infidelity.
Types of role conflicts with examples
Intrapersonal conflict in psychology - types, causes and consequences
Varieties of role conflicts with examples will help you understand the meaning of the clash of social roles:
- The conflict between different social roles is illustrated by the position of the mother of the family. She is respected in the profession, consulted with, and promoted. In a family, immersed in the household routine, a business woman becomes a typical housewife.
- For a conflict within one social role, an example is the situation: a school graduate with a humanitarian mindset, at the insistence of relatives, goes to study at a technical university. Of course, he will feel out of place. And such a student will not succeed in his studies, there will be no true interest, since everything is subordinated to the word “should”. Conflict: for his family, he is the pride of the family, since he studies at a prestigious university, but is not the most diligent student in his studies.
Status-role
When classifying the types of role conflicts, they are first of all called status-role conflicts. It is also considered interpersonal because the object is either intergroup positions or status in interpersonal relationships.
Status-role conflict often arises in family relationships and becomes the cause of discord between spouses
An example of this type of clash is typical for rivalry in the family, when spouses fight for dominance. Psychologists say that the most acceptable resolution to this conflict situation will be adaptation, when one side makes concessions to the other. It is useful to use a compromise when the parties agree among themselves, peacefully distributing responsibilities.
Self-concept
The reason for this type of role behavior is to overcome the contradictions that arise in the individual due to the discrepancy between the expectations of society and personal abilities. It happens that it is difficult for a person to cope with fulfilling a new role for the reason that he has not yet “grown up” to it. For example, a young specialist finds himself in a large company in a responsible position. A role crisis can occur from the realization that there is not enough experience and it is difficult to fulfill the requirements. In such a situation, a change in self-concept is required. It is always painful because it is associated with emotional experiences.
Ambiguous conditions
This type of intrapersonal contradiction is ready to arise when different demands are placed on a person within the same role. For example, there is no workflow development at the enterprise. At the same time, work can only be done with the help of certain rules. Such an ambiguous situation causes role stress in the employee due to different requirements, since the conditions are ambiguous.
For your information. To follow a social role means to have a certain degree of lack of freedom. We have to act not as individuality requires, but as prescribed by the norms. For example, an assembly line worker is so regulated that almost every action he takes is limited. Such performance often causes a feeling of psychological oppression and alienation.
The social role requires a person to behave in a regulated manner, which can cause a feeling of psychological stress
Based on insufficient resources
No less common are situations when a professional position does not allow one to reveal and demonstrate one’s abilities and realize one’s life aspirations due to insufficient resources, for example, there is no motivation, not enough education, or little time to realize a goal.
The optimal relationship between personality and role will be one in which feasible demands are made on the person, tasks that can be solved for him are offered, and he himself has the necessary resources for this.
For your information. Psychological comfort and the quality of fulfilling role responsibilities are related to the extent to which the position corresponds to the personal characteristics of the individual, and his skills and abilities to the role requirements.
Resolving psychological problems with Daria Milai
Intrapersonal experiences are a conflict between emotions and reason; resolving this confrontation is not so easy. Personality is formed before the age of five, at this stage the child develops complexes that affect internal psychological disorders. To get rid of them, sign up for my consultation, I will help you:
- effectively build interpersonal relationships;
- deal with shortcomings and insecurities;
- get rid of fears and depression;
- prevent the presence of alcohol and drugs in your life;
- develop your own potential.
Logotherapy
Another very popular theory of intrapersonal conflict today was developed by the Austrian psychologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who created a new direction in psychotherapy - logotherapy - the search for the meaning of human existence. According to Frankl's concept, the main driving force in the life of every person is his search for the meaning of life and the struggle for it. But only a few manage to realize the meaning of life. Its absence gives rise to a state in a person, which he calls an existential vacuum, or a feeling of aimlessness and emptiness.
Boredom is evidence of a lack of meaning in life, meaning-forming values, and this is already serious. Because finding the meaning of life is much more difficult and more important than wealth. In addition, need pushes a person to action and helps get rid of neuroses, while boredom associated with an existential vacuum, on the contrary, dooms him to inactivity and thereby contributes to the development of a psychological disorder.
Ways to deal with conflict
In order to permanently resolve psychological contradictions, it is necessary to approach this problem with all seriousness, make every effort and fully concentrate on it. Recovery takes place in five stages:
- It is worth recognizing the presence of a disorder; acceptance is an important stage of the struggle.
- It is necessary to conduct a deep analysis and identify all the reasons. Break everything down point by point.
- It is necessary to work through every problem that has become a source of development of confrontation. A person must make the right decision and decide on the choice of option: act by listening to reason or feelings. It is extremely difficult to choose on your own; you should contact a professional psychologist.
- Deal with anxious thoughts, free your head from negative thinking, and allow positivity to enter your brain.
- Work on your attitudes.
Take care of your nervous system, all problems disappear over time and become unimportant.
Consequences of mental disorder
A conflicting state can bring both a positive and negative outcome. It depends on how a person recovers and copes with this ailment.
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Positive consequences occur when the individual does not run away from the problem and does not deny its existence. In the process of healing, he gets to know himself, analyzes the reasons for the formation of confrontation. Sometimes he manages to satisfy two needs at once. If a person has successfully passed this difficult stage of life, it means that she has improved herself and become psychologically more stable and stronger.
Negative consequences are depression, crises, depression, and the development of mental illness.
You cannot run away from yourself, so you need to make every effort to resolve cognitive dissonance and live a normal life with a healthy psyche.
Constructive intrapersonal conflict
Constructive, i.e. An optimal or productive intrapersonal conflict is a conflict in which the development of the conflicting parties occurs, and the personal costs of resolving it are minimal. Such a conflict is a mechanism for harmonizing personality, because in the process of resolving it, a person realizes himself as an individual.
One of the characteristics of personality is that it correlates with each other certain life relationships, which give rise to internal struggle. In some cases, this struggle can occur in forms that do not appear outwardly and do not have a destructive effect on a person’s personality. If a person is harmonious, this does not mean that he is not subject to internal struggle. Moreover, this struggle can become the basis of a person’s entire appearance.
Constructive internal conflict can strengthen character, form determination and psychological stability, independence; is able to establish a clear direction for the individual, create new character traits, promote adequate self-esteem, personal growth and self-knowledge.
EXAMPLE: Fighting bad habits; development of willpower; working on yourself, despite reluctance and laziness; the ability to put one’s own desires in the background for the sake of the good of another person or even one’s own, etc.
What is the danger
The longer you suffer from conformity, the worse the consequences. I will list the main problems that arise when you neglect your psychological state:
- constant depression;
- suicidal tendencies;
- neurosis;
- loss of interest in hobbies;
- reluctance to communicate with loved ones;
- degradation;
- the emergence of an inferiority complex;
- decreased self-esteem.
Individuals who have been unable to resolve conflicts for years often begin to behave aggressively or, on the contrary, become indifferent, pliable, and refuse to take responsibility and make decisions for others.
There are also disagreements that occur hidden; people live with them for years and do not notice them and do not pay attention to them. But sooner or later, even unnoticed symptoms manifest themselves and lead to serious consequences. Be attentive to your health, both physical and psychological, and do not be afraid to visit psychologists. This will make it easier for you to get through this difficult period.
Forms of manifestation ↑
Conflicts within a person can manifest themselves as:
- neurasthenia (expressed in depression, decreased performance, migraines, insomnia, etc.);
- euphoria (cheerful mood “for show”, tears interspersed with laughter, unjustified joy);
- regression (avoidance of responsibility, manifestation of primitivism in behavior);
- projection (the predominance of negativism in relationships with people, assessments of their qualities, excessive criticism);
- nomadism (the desire for changes in different areas of life - profession, family, place of residence, etc.);
- rationalism (“whitewashing” one’s actions, self-justification).
