In our language area, giftedness in a certain field is often expressed by ascribing someone a lump. “She’s got a knack for math.” “He has a knack for languages.” But why is there never a question of psychology?
As if there is no talent or specific aptitude for psychology. Anyone who puts in a little effort can do it?
But what if it turns out that giftedness in fields such as physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace and economics often goes hand in hand with psychological giftedness? And what if it turns out that it is mainly psychological giftedness that is the crucial driver for genius in other areas?
It is because of these questions that I started to delve into the life, work and personality of Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1747-1832), the first true European and psychological genius. Even more than Freud, Jung, Adler or Ellis.
Of course, in order to make comparative statements, it is necessary to have a broadly supported definition of psychological giftedness. But I believe that in psychology we are well on our way to such a definition.
Theory formation and research in the field of behavioral psychology and in particular life skills , life skills (see www.levenskills.nl), have now arrived at a point where we understand how people can free themselves from psychological problems, make themselves mentally resilient and optimize their own development. Goethe’s genius is anchored precisely on these points.
An example. As a youngster, he suffered from phobias, including a fear of heights, which made it extremely difficult if not impossible for him to travel or practice his favorite sports, such as mountaineering. There was no such thing as mental health care yet. So for him it was either hoping that those fears would one day go away on their own or inventing a (treatment) ruse himself. He chose the latter.
Every day for weeks he climbed the spire of the cathedral in his home town of Strasbourg almost to the very top, and sat there until his inner fear reactions – palpitations, rapid breathing, dizziness, tingling in hands and feet, sweating – had subsided sufficiently. Then he stuck his head above the stairwell to look into the depths for as long as he could reasonably sustain.
In the beginning that was very short, but gradually the viewing times became longer and longer. After three weeks he was able to walk on the gallery without impeding fear and look around and down into the depths.
The ‘systematic desensitization’ method was born. Yet it would take at least another two centuries before hundreds of thousands of patients were given freedom from fear.
At least as impressive is how Goethe freed himself from suicidal tendencies as a young person. In his words, “In the end I cast off my morbid images and decided to live. But to do that well I had to first complete a writing in which I could express all that I had felt and thought on this important subject.’ The completion became the world famous book The Sorrows of Young Werther and with that Goethe laid the foundation for self-disclosure or writing therapy for suicidal depression.
A Werther suicide epidemic has never been. Goethe did, however, save his own life and future with his two genius self-treatments as a youngster. And that of many others. And still.