Humanistic vs Existential Psychology Explained | MindScope Psychology by Zohaib Ali MS Psychology - video Dailymotion

MindScope Psychology | Zohaib Ali

Welcome to MindScope Psychology! In this video, Zohaib Ali (MS Psychology, APA member & grad student) compares humanistic psychology and existential psychology — two influential approaches to understanding the human mind. ▶️ What you’ll learn: • Why humanistic psychology emphasizes growth, potential, and affirmation • How existential psychology addresses limits, anxiety, and radical freedom • The core differences: optimism vs confronting life’s restrictions • Why both perspectives matter in therapy, counseling, and psychological theory  Whether you're a psychology student, enthusiast, or practicing counselor, this video will help you clearly see the contrast between a “psychology of possibility” and a “psychology of limitation.”  ✅ Subscribe to MindScope Psychology for more content on psychological theories, counseling, mental health, and research. 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and share — your engagement helps this content reach more learners.  📚 Further reading & related topics:  Humanistic-Existential models in psychology  The therapeutic applications of humanistic vs existential approaches  Integration of positive psychology with existential realism  Connect with me (Zohaib Ali): Instagram / Twitter / LinkedIn: @zohaibmindscope Email / contact: (your contact or website link)  Thank you for watching — see you in the next video!  #MindScopePsychology #HumanisticPsychology #ExistentialPsychology #ZohaibAli #PsychologyExplained #CounselingTheories

Transcript

00:00So, let's talk about humanistic and existential psychology.

00:04These are two huge schools of thought that, you know, try to answer the biggest questions

00:09about our lives.

00:10On the surface, they might seem like total opposites, but as we're about to find out,

00:14they're really just two sides of the same really fascinating coin.

00:18Okay, so let me ask you something right off the bat.

00:22What drives you?

00:23Is it your dreams?

00:25Or is it your choices?

00:27Are you pulled forward by this vision of your highest potential?

00:30Or are you pushed along by the hard decisions you have to make every single day?

00:35It's a big question.

00:37And what's so interesting is that these two ways of looking at life, they map almost perfectly

00:42onto two major fields in psychology.

00:45One side is all about celebrating our incredible, seemingly endless potential.

00:50And the other?

00:51Well, the other forces us to get real and confront our sobering limitations.

00:55Let's break down what that really means.

00:57All right, let's start with the bright side of the coin.

01:01This is the perspective that looks at us and sees this incredible capacity we all have

01:05to grow, to get better, and to chase after the absolute best versions of ourselves.

01:10This super optimistic view?

01:13It's called humanistic psychology.

01:15And at its heart, it's all about celebrating what we can become.

01:18The core belief here is that we all have this innate, internal drive that's constantly

01:23pushing us toward growth and fulfillment.

01:25You can really think of it as the journey upward.

01:28This is the psychology of thinkers like Abraham Maslow, you know, the hierarchy of needs guy.

01:34He believed that at the very top of that pyramid is something called self-actualization.

01:38And that's just a fancy way of saying the drive to realize our absolute fullest potential.

01:43This whole approach is basically asking, how great can you be?

01:47And then cheering you on while you find out.

01:50But what happens when that journey upward gets a little rocky?

01:53What about those moments when we feel the heavy weight of our decisions, or we bump up

01:56against the hard reality of our own limits?

01:59Yeah, it's time to flip the coin.

02:01And this brings us to existential psychology.

02:04Now, this approach does not shy away from the tough stuff.

02:07It looks right at the inherent challenges of being human, our limitations, the anxiety that

02:12comes with having total freedom, and that constant search for meaning in a world that, let's

02:16be honest, doesn't just hand it to us.

02:19The really core idea here is that having absolute freedom can actually be terrifying.

02:24I mean, think about it.

02:26If you are truly 100% free, then every single choice you make defines who you are.

02:32There's no script to follow.

02:34You and you alone are responsible for creating your own purpose.

02:38And that can be a heavy, anxiety-inducing burden.

02:41That's the confrontation at the heart of existentialism.

02:44So on one hand, we have this boundless optimism.

02:47And on the other, a much more grounded, almost stark realism.

02:51It feels like they're in conflict, doesn't it?

02:54But what if they're not?

02:55What if you actually need both to get the full picture of who we are?

02:58Let's see how they really stack up.

03:00Okay, so check this out.

03:01When you put them side by side, the contrast becomes crystal clear.

03:05Look at the core idea.

03:07Psychic psychology says we strive for self-actualization, like it's built into us.

03:12But existential psychology says, nope, we must create our own meaning from the ground up.

03:18One sees life as this amazing journey of growth and potential.

03:22The other sees it as a constant confrontation with our freedom and our very real limits.

03:27At the end of the day, you can't have a coin with only one side, right?

03:32And you probably can't have a complete picture of the human experience without both of these perspectives.

03:37It seems like true understanding comes from holding both of these ideas, the potential

03:42and the limitations, in your head at the exact same time.

03:46So a complete view really means embracing both sides.

03:49It's about celebrating our incredible potential to grow, just like the humanists would want.

03:53But it's also about confronting the awesome and, yeah, sometimes scary reality of our freedom

03:58to choose, just like the existentialists point out.

04:01Maybe a truly meaningful life is about finding that meaning, not just in our big dreams, but

04:05in our limitations too.

04:07And that leaves us with one last thing to think about.

04:09As you go about your day today, just think about this balance.

04:13Are you focused on your potential right now?

04:16Or are you wrestling with your choices?

04:18Which side of that coin are you looking at today?

Humanistic vs Existential Psychology Explained | MindScope Psychology by Zohaib Ali MS Psychology

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