Internal conflict: types, reasons, solutions. Internal conflict: what is it and how to deal with it (nuances of understanding and the possibility of overcoming) What is a person's internal conflict

Man is a complex creature that requires study. Scientists not only pay attention to studying the human body, but also understand the importance of the inner psychological world. A person can conflict with himself. The article examines the concept, its types, reasons for its appearance, methods of resolution and consequences.

What is intrapersonal conflict?

Intrapersonal conflicts arise in the life of every person. What it is? This is a contradiction within oneself, which is based on equal and at the same time opposite needs, desires, interests.

It is very easy to get lost in your own desires. On the one hand, a person may want to take revenge, on the other, he understands that his actions will harm his peaceful existence. On the one hand, a person wants to be rich, on the other, he is afraid of being bad in the eyes of others.

When a person faces a choice where to choose one thing, which is equivalent in importance to the other, but opposite to him, then he enters into an intrapersonal conflict.

The development of events can go in one of two directions:

A person will rapidly begin to develop if he mobilizes his own potential and begins to resolve his issue.
A person will find himself in a “dead end” where he will drive himself, because he will not be able to make a choice and will not start acting.

It is quite normal that a person has a struggle within himself. Everyone lives in a world where there is so much truth. From childhood, everyone is taught that there can be one truth, and everything else is a lie. A person gets used to living one-sidedly. However, he is not a "blind kitten", he sees that there are many realities in which people live.

Morality and desires, beliefs and actions, opinion of society and their own needs often come into conflict. So, a person may want to be a pianist, and his parents, whom he loves very much, want to see him as an accountant. In such a situation, a person often chooses the "parental" path, and not his own, which leads to an unhappy life.

The concept of intrapersonal conflict

The concept of an intrapersonal conflict is a confrontation that arises within the personality between two equal and opposite motives. All this is accompanied by various experiences (fear, depression, disorientation), in which a person may not notice or deny them, replacing his state with vigorous activity.

Quite a lot of psychologists have studied this topic in order to understand the motives and mechanisms of the development of intrapersonal conflict. It all started with Z. Freud, who defined this concept as a struggle between instinctive desires and sociocultural foundations, between the conscious and the subconscious.

Other concepts of intrapersonal conflict are:

The clash between the real "I" and the ideal self-image.
The struggle between equal values, among which the highest is self-realization.
The crisis of transition to a new state, when the old fights against the new and is rejected.

Psychologists believe that intrapersonal conflict is a completely normal state for a person who, by nature, is a contradictory being. Everyone has periods in life when he inevitably comes across what he already has, and what he can have if he loses what he has.

The result of the resolution is the transition of a person to a new level, where he uses old experience and builds up a new one. However, people often abandon development for the sake of preserving what they already have. This is called degradation. This can also be a way out of the situation if a person saw something in the “new life” that can significantly worsen his integrity, safety, independence.

Causes of intrapersonal conflict

There are many reasons for the development of intrapersonal conflict. The main ones are three reasons:

The reasons that lie in the contradictions of the personality.
Reasons associated with the status of the individual in society.
Reasons associated with the status of an individual in a particular social group.

These reasons are interrelated. Often, internal conflicts arise against the background of the emergence of external factors, as well as vice versa. The more reasonable, understanding and complex in its structure a person is, the more he is prone to internal conflicts, since he will strive to combine the incongruous.

Here are the contradictions on the basis of which intrapersonal conflicts arise:

Between social norms and needs.
Confrontation social roles(for example, take the child to kindergarten and at the same time get the job done).
Mismatch of motives, interests, needs.
Inconsistency between moral principles(for example, go to war and adhere to the "do not kill" principle).

The most important factor that provokes an intrapersonal conflict is the equivalence for a person of those directions at the crossroads of which he is. If for the individual one of the options does not play an important role, then confrontation will not arise: he will quickly make a choice in favor of the option that is most significant to him. The conflict begins when both options are important, significant and practically equal.

Contradictions that arise within a person due to status in a group:

Physical obstacles that are organized by other people and prevent you from meeting your personal needs.
Biological problems that prevent a person from reaching their full potential.
The inability to realize their need to achieve the desired sensations.
Excessive responsibility and limited human rights that prevent him from doing work.
Between working conditions and work performance requirements.
Between professionalism, culture, norms and personal needs, values.
Between incompatible assignments.
Between the desire for profit and moral values.
Between a clearly defined task and the vagueness of its implementation.
Between career ambitions and a person's personal abilities within the framework of the organization.

Types of intrapersonal conflict

The classification of intrapersonal conflict was proposed by K. Levin, who identified the following types:

Equivalent - the need to perform two or more significant tasks. V this case an effective trade-off is when partial substitution occurs.
Vital - the need to make equally unattractive decisions.
Ambivalent - when the actions performed and the results achieved are equally attractive and repulsive.
Frustrating - when the actions taken or the decisions made help in achieving the desired, but contradict moral values, social norms and rules.

Another classification of types of intrapersonal conflicts is based on the value-motivational sphere of a person:

Motivational conflict arises when two equally equivalent tendencies enter into confrontation, which contradict each other.
Moral contradiction (normative conflict) arises when personal needs and moral foundations, internal aspirations and external debt are in conflict.
The conflict of unfulfilled desires is when a person cannot fulfill his goal due to external obstacles.
Role conflict arises when it is necessary to fulfill several roles at once, and also when external requirements are not consistent with the internal understanding of performing one role.
An adaptation conflict appears when internal needs and external social requirements come into conflict.
A conflict of inadequate self-esteem is formed when the opinion of others does not coincide with the opinion of a person about himself.

Resolution of intrapersonal conflict

Psychologists not only considered the mechanism of development of intrapersonal conflict, but also looked for ways to resolve it. It is believed that a person is formed during the first 5 years of his life. During this period, he is faced with many negative external factors that develop complexes in him, or a feeling of inferiority.

In the future, a person is only looking for convenient ways to compensate for this feeling. Adler identified two such methods:

The development of social interest and feelings, which can manifest itself in the development of professional skills, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
Stimulating your own potential, achieving superiority over the environment. This is done in the following ways:

Adequate compensation is the alignment of superiority with social interests.
Overcompensation is the hypertrophied development of a specific quality.
Imaginary compensation - external circumstances compensate for the feeling of inferiority.

M. Deutsch identified open and latent forms of resolving an intrapersonal conflict:

Open:

Decision-making.
Fixation on solving the problem.
Ending doubts.

Latent:

Simulation, hysteria, torment.
Departure from reality into dreams, fantasies.
Compensation is the replacement of what has not been achieved by other goals.
Regression - abandonment of desires, avoidance of responsibility, transition to primitive forms of existence.
Sublimation.
Nomadism - change of permanent residence, work.
Neurasthenia.
Projection - not noticing one's own negative qualities attributing them to other people.
Rationalization is self-justification, finding selective logical inferences.
Idealization.
Euphoria is contrived fun.
Differentiation is the separation of thinking from the author.

Understanding these mechanisms is necessary for a successful exit from the intrapersonal conflict that occurs in absolutely all people.

The consequences of intrapersonal conflict

Depending on the ways in which a person gets out of his intrapersonal conflict, this period may be marked by self-improvement of the personality or its degradation. Consequences are conventionally divided into positive and negative.

Positive consequences arise when a person decides his intrapersonal issue. He does not run away from the problem, knows himself, understands the causes of the conflict. Sometimes it turns out to satisfy two sides at the same time, sometimes a person makes a compromise or must completely abandon one for the sake of realizing the other. If a person solves his conflict, then he becomes more perfect, achieves positive results.

The negative (destructive) consequences are the results when a person begins to be psychologically suppressed. Splitting of the personality occurs, neurotic qualities arise, crises set in.

The more a person is hurt by internal conflicts, the more he is susceptible not only to the consequences in the form of the destruction of relations, dismissal from work, deterioration of activity, but also to qualitative changes in his personality:

Irritability.
Anxiety.
Anxiety.

Often, such conflicts become the reasons for the appearance of psychological illnesses. All this suggests that a person does not solve the problem, but suffers from it, avoids, tries to run away or not notice, but it worries and worries him.

A person is not able to run away from himself, therefore the need to resolve an intrapersonal conflict is the main one. Depending on the decision made by a person, he will receive one or another result.

Outcome

A person is a complex of beliefs, rules, frameworks, desires, interests, needs and other attitudes, some of which are instinctive, some are personally developed, and the rest is social. Usually a person tries to satisfy all the needs at the same time, which are laid down in him. However, the result of this desire is an intrapersonal conflict.

A person struggles with his own desires, interests or needs, because he tries to be everywhere and everywhere, to live to please all desires, not to upset anyone, including himself. However, this becomes impossible within the real world... It is the realization of your own inability to satisfy all your needs that provokes negative feelings.

A person must cope with his own feelings in order to begin to deal with the problem that has arisen, and not to further cultivate a feeling of inferiority in himself .. One should start by studying those two opposing forces that cause internal conflict, and then decide how to eliminate it.

Every person has at least once been in conflict situation, and not only with outside world- others, but above all with oneself. And internal conflicts can easily develop into external ones. For a mentally healthy person, an internal conflict that does not go beyond the norm is quite natural. Moreover, the situation of intrapersonal contradiction and tension within certain limits is not only natural, but also is necessary for the improvement and development of the personality itself. Any development cannot take place without internal contradictions (crises), and where there are contradictions, there is also the basis of the conflict. And if an intrapersonal conflict proceeds within the framework of the rational, it is really necessary, because a moderate critical attitude to one's own "I", dissatisfaction with oneself, as a powerful internal engine, forces a person to follow the path of self-actualization and self-improvement, thereby filling with meaning not only his own life, but also improving the world.

The scientific study of intrapersonal conflict began at the end of the 19th century and was associated primarily with the name of the founder of psychoanalysis - the Austrian scientist Sigmund Freud(1856 - 1939), who revealed the biosocial and biopsychological nature of intrapersonal conflict. He showed that human existence is associated with constant tension and overcoming the contradiction between socio-cultural norms and biological drives and desires of a person, between consciousness and the unconscious. This contradiction and constant confrontation of the named parties is, according to Freud, the essence of intrapersonal conflict. Within the framework of psychoanalysis, the theory of intrapersonal conflict was also developed by K. Jung, K. Horney, and others.

A great contribution to the study of the problem of intrapersonal conflict was made by a German psychologist Kurt Levin(1890-1947), who defined it as a situation in which a person simultaneously, oppositely directed forces of equal magnitude act. In this regard, he highlighted three type of conflict situation.

1. A person is between two positive forces approximately equal in size. "This is the case of Buridan's donkey sitting between two equal haystacks and starving to death."

2. A person is between two approximately equal negative forces. A typical example is the situation of punishment. Example: on the one hand, the child must perform school assignment, which he does not want to do, and on the other hand, he can be punished if he does not do it.

3. A person is simultaneously affected by two multidirectional forces of approximately equal size and in the same place. Example: a child wants to pet a dog, but he is afraid of it, or wants to eat a cake, but he was forbidden.

The theory of intrapersonal conflict was further developed in the works of representatives of humanistic psychology. One of the leaders in this area is an American psychologist Carl Rogers(1902-1987). The fundamental component of the personality structure, he believes, is “I -concept "- idea of the personality about itself, the image of its own "I", which is formed in the process of interaction of the personality with environment... Self-regulation of human behavior takes place on the basis of the “I-concept”.

But "I-concept" often does not coincide with the idea of ideal "I". A mismatch may occur between them. This dissonance (discrepancy) between the “I-concept”, on the one hand, and the ideal “I”, on the other, and acts as intrapersonal conflict, the consequence of which can be a serious mental illness.

The concept of intrapersonal conflict by one of the leading representatives of humanistic psychology, an American psychologist, gained wide popularity. Abraham Maslow(1908-1968). According to Maslow, the motivational structure of a person is formed by a number of hierarchically organized needs (see here).

The highest is the need for self-actualization, that is, for the realization of a person's potencies, abilities and talents. It is expressed in the fact that a person strives to be what he can become. But he does not always succeed. Self-actualization as an ability can be present in most people, but only in a minority is it accomplished, realized. This gap between the desire for self-actualization and the real result and lies at the heart of intrapersonal conflict.

Another very popular theory of intrapersonal conflict today was developed by an Austrian psychologist and psychiatrist. Victor Frankl(1905-1997), who created a new direction in psychotherapy - logotherapy(from gr. logos - thought, reason and gr. therapeia - treatment). By his definition, logotherapy "deals with the meaning of human existence and the search for this meaning."

According to Frankl's concept, the main driving force of every person's life is his search for the meaning of life and the struggle for it. The lack of meaning in life gives rise to a state in a person, which he calls an existential vacuum, or a sense of aimlessness and emptiness. It is the existential vacuum that becomes the cause of the intrapersonal conflict, which subsequently leads to “noogenic neuroses” (from gr. Noos - meaning).

According to the author of the theory, an intrapersonal conflict in the form of a noogenic neurosis arises from spiritual problems and is caused by a disorder of the “spiritual core of the personality”, which contains the meanings and values of human existence that form the basis of personality behavior. Thus, noogenic neurosis is a disorder caused by an existential vacuum, a person's lack of meaning in life.

It is the existential vacuum, the feeling of aimlessness and emptiness of existence that generates at every step the existential frustration of the personality, most often manifested in boredom and apathy. Boredom is evidence of a lack of meaning in life, meaningful values, and this is already serious. Because the meaning of life is much more difficult and more important to find than wealth. In addition, need, for example, pushes a person to action and helps to get rid of neuroses, and boredom associated with an existential vacuum, on the contrary, dooms him to inactivity and thereby contributes to the development of psychological disorder.

Among the domestic scientists who have made a significant contribution to the development of the problem under consideration, one should mention A. N. Leontieva(1903-1979), who with his theory on the role of objective activity in the formation of the personality he did a lot to understand the intrapersonal conflict.

According to his theory, the content and essence of intrapersonal conflict are determined by the nature of the structure of the personality itself. This structure, in turn, is caused by contradictory relationships, into which a person enters, carrying out various types of his activities. One of the most important characteristics of the internal structure of a personality is that any person, even with a leading motive of behavior and a main goal in life, does not necessarily live by only one goal or motive. The motivational sphere of a person, according to A. N. Leont'ev, even in its highest development, never resembles a frozen pyramid. Figuratively speaking, the motivational sphere of the personality is always multi-peaked.

The contradictory interaction of these "peaks" of the motivational sphere, various motives of the personality and forms an intrapersonal conflict.

Consequently, intrapersonal conflict, which is naturally inherent in the internal structure of the personality, is a normal phenomenon. Any personality is characterized by internal contradictions and a struggle between various aspirations. Usually this struggle takes place within the normal range and does not violate the harmony of the personality. "After all, a harmonious personality is not at all a personality that does not know any inner struggle." But sometimes this struggle becomes the main thing that determines the behavior of a person and the whole way of life. It is then that an unhappy person and an unsuccessful fate become the consequences.

These are the reasons for intrapersonal conflict. Definition of intrapersonal conflict: intrapersonal conflict is a state of the personality structure, when contradictory and mutually exclusive motives, value orientations and goals with which it is in this moment unable to cope, i.e. develop priorities for behavior based on them.

You can say in another way: intrapersonal conflict is a state of the internal structure of a personality, characterized by the confrontation of its elements.

Thus, the following properties of intrapersonal conflict can be distinguished:

1) intrapersonal conflict appears as a result of the interaction of elements of the internal structure of the personality;

2) the parties to the intrapersonal conflict are simultaneously diverse and contradictory interests, goals, motives and desires existing in the personality structure;

3) an intrapersonal conflict arises only when the forces acting on the personality are equal. Otherwise, a person simply chooses the lesser of two evils, the more of two benefits, and prefers a reward to punishment;

4) any internal conflict is accompanied by negative emotions;

5) the basis of any intrapersonal conflict is a situation characterized by:

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If a person does not have the desire to develop, he lacks a taste for life, and panic attacks have become constant companions - this is not yet an internal Psychologist who will cope with such problems quickly. It is worse if a person does not understand his thoughts. Here it is already worth sounding the alarm.

Definition

Internal conflict is a contradiction that occurs in a person in the subconscious. The patient most often does not understand what it is and describes his situation as emotional problems that cannot be solved.

Depression is an indispensable companion of the internal conflict of the personality and depends only on the person whether he can overcome it or not.

A person suffering from internal conflict thinks negatively, he lacks rational thinking.

It is important to know that a neglected form of conflict leads to neurotic and even mental illness. Therefore, it is so important to worry about in time and start treatment. It will depend on how large the internal conflict is. This means that the specialist will first have to classify the problem and only then tackle it.

Classification of conflicts

First of all, a person who understands that he has a problem should familiarize himself with the terms. Indeed, most often people come at an already advanced stage, and then the work of only a psychologist gives little result.

Today, scientists distinguish only two types of internal conflicts:

Human sensations do not correspond to the rules of society.
Disagreement with society or the presence of irritation factors badly affect the fine mental organization of a person.

The levels of contradictions are also distinguished. The latter appear in a person's subconscious.

The balance of the patient's inner world.
Internal conflict.
Life crisis.

The first level is conditioned by the fact that a person resolves internal conflicts himself.

But internal conflict is when a person cannot solve his problems. In this case, all areas of life fail, and the conflict only gets worse.

The crisis of life is determined by the impossibility of implementing the plans and programs drawn in the head. Until the moment the contradiction is resolved, a person cannot even perform the necessary vital functions.

It should be understood that all contradictions of any level are subject to solution. It all depends on how high they are and whether there is an opportunity to eliminate them or refuse them.

For the balance of the inner world to be disturbed, it is not enough only personal characteristics. There must be suitable situations. They are external and internal. The external ones include the satisfaction of deep motives. An example would be a situation where satisfied needs give rise to other needs; or fighting nature.

But internal situations are internal conflicts of the parties to the personality. That is, the person realizes that the situation is difficult to solve, which means that the contradictions have significant force.

Different scientists interpret the causes of intrapersonal conflict in different ways. Most of them lean towards the version that the reasons are:

The reasons for the human psyche.
The reasons that stem from the place a person occupies in society.
The reasons influenced by the position of a person in his social group.

But the identified reasons are not isolated. The internal conflict is influenced by not one, but many reasons. That is, their separation is very ephemeral.

By identifying the reasons, you can determine the type of personality conflict.

The reasons for the inconsistency of the human psyche

The internal causes of contradictions in the human psyche are:

The clash of personal needs and social norms.
Divergence of social role and status.
Inconsistency of norms and values of society.
Interest controversy.

All the reasons for intrapersonal conflict are due to the fact that a person cannot satisfy his fundamental needs and life motives. And if they mean a lot to a person or they have a deep meaning, then this only aggravates the problem.

External reasons that are associated with a person's position in his social group include:

A physical obstacle that makes it impossible to satisfy your needs.
Physiological resources that do not allow satisfying the need.
There is no object to satisfy the needs.
Social conditions that make the satisfaction of needs impossible.

In addition to the causes of intrapersonal conflict associated with social status, there are also reasons that have a connection with social organization... The following points can be highlighted:

Inconsistency between working conditions and those requirements that apply to the result.
Distinction between rights and responsibilities.
Organizational values do not match the personal values of the employee.
The social role does not correspond to the status in society.
There is no opportunity to create and self-actualize.
Tasks and requirements are put forward such that they exclude each other.

In modern realities, it is often the cause of conflict that moral norms come into dissonance with the desire to make a profit. But more often, all the same, this happens only when a person begins to save up his first money and look for a place in life.

This is because in market relations a person is forced to compete with other people, which means that sooner or later hostility to society will turn into hostility to oneself. This is how an intrapersonal conflict begins. In our society, absolutely opposite things are required from a participant in market relations. He must be aggressive in order to win a place for himself, but at the same time cultivate altruism and other virtues in himself. It is these mutually exclusive requirements that are fertile ground for internal conflict.

The pros of internal conflict

If a person has found symptoms of a conflict, then what should he do? It depends on the personality. If a person strong-willed, then an internal conflict will push him to a reassessment of values, a change in some beliefs.

Psychologists specializing in intrapersonal conflicts identify the following positive factors:

A person who is in conflict mobilizes his strength and finds a way out of the situation.
The patient assesses the situation soberly, looking at it from the outside. Thus, he can rethink his problems and solve them.
A person's self-esteem rises after he has solved his problem.
Rational thinking appears, which does not work with intrapersonal conflict.
The personality knows itself, which means that through inner harmony it relates better to society.
While a person is looking for a solution to his problems, he may open up a potential that he, due to low self-esteem, did not even suspect.

But in order to get all this, you should not hesitate and seek help from a specialist. In this case, you do not need to self-medicate, because only a few can truly solve the problem. An aggravating circumstance is that neurotic diseases, which are present at the advanced stage of the conflict, only complicate the search for solutions.

The danger of conflict

As harmless as this term sounds, it should not be underestimated. Of course, a lot depends on the personality, but still Negative consequences they all manifest in the same way, just in someone in a more vivid form. So, internal conflict is what prevents a person from revealing his personality, establishing communication with other people. The personality cannot show its strengths and from this it begins to burn out.

Internal contradictions become a permanent cause for suffering. I do not want to do anything, my hands give up, the feeling of inner emptiness grows, and self-confidence is melting before our eyes.

If the problem is not treated, then the matter can reach a nervous breakdown. And this person will get off easily. The launched intrapersonal conflict leads to already serious psychiatric diseases. Therefore, you should not run the problem and think that it will resolve itself. It will not resolve, which means you need to look for a good specialist.

Multiple personalities

There is also such a phenomenon in psychiatry. What should be done in such a situation? Contact a professional. But the treatment does not always give results.

An example is the story that took place in America. American Billy Milligan was convicted, but when he appeared in the courtroom, he did not understand what was happening. The jury listened to several people, and all would be fine, but only the defendant spoke the whole process. His habits changed, his manner of speaking, and even an accent appeared. Billy could behave cheekily, light a cigarette in the courtroom, dilute his monologue with prison jargon. And after two minutes the voice became higher, flirtatiousness appeared in the behavior, and the accused began to express himself very gracefully.

After all sorts of research, scientists came to the conclusion that Billy was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. There were twenty-four perfectly formed personalities in his mind. From time to time he felt like an attractive woman, then a politician, then a small child or a prisoner.

Still, this is an extreme state of internal conflict. As a rule, with timely access to a doctor, such complications can be avoided.

Forms of intrapersonal conflict

To determine how to get rid of internal conflict, you need to understand in what form it manifests itself. There are six forms:

Neurasthenia. A person becomes irritable, working capacity decreases, he does not sleep well. Frequent headaches appear, sleep is disturbed. Depression becomes a constant companion. In fact, neurasthenia is a type of neurosis. And such a neuropsychic disorder arises, because the internal conflict is resolved incorrectly or ineffectively. Usually, neurasthenic symptoms occur when a person is exposed to factors that traumatize his psyche for a long time.
Euphoria. A person becomes overly cheerful in public, expresses his positive emotions, not caring about the appropriateness of the situation, laughs with tears in his eyes. This form of conflict is characterized by psychomotor agitation and activity - both mimic and motor.
Regression. Anyone who has this form of conflict begins to behave very primitively and tries to avoid responsibility for their actions. This is a kind of psychological defense, that is, a person deliberately returns to where he felt protected. If a person begins to regress, then this is a direct sign of a neurotic or infantile personality.
Projection. This form is characterized by the fact that a person begins to attribute shortcomings to another person, to criticize other people. The form is called classical projection or defense, which implies its connection with psychological defense.
Nomadism. A person gravitates towards frequent changes. This can be a constant change of partner, job or place of residence.
Rationalism. In this form of conflict, it is common for a person to justify their actions and actions. That is, a person is trying to reformulate his true motives, feelings and thoughts so that his own behavior does not cause protest. This behavior can be explained by the fact that a person wants to respect himself and preserve dignity in his own eyes.

Ways to resolve the conflict

If a person does not understand the problem of internal conflict and does not want to turn to psychologists, then you can try to cope with the phenomenon on your own. But you still have to attract close people. So, there are several ways to resolve conflicts and disagreements. Let's consider each separately.

Compromise

To resolve an internal conflict, you can try compromise solutions. That is, before you solve a problem, you need to give yourself the appearance of a choice. For example, where to go: tennis or chess? And then you need to choose the third option, for example, athletics. Don't give yourself a chance to doubt.

You should not always try to choose, you can combine - this is a compromise. After all, to make your own ham and cheese sandwiches, you don't have to choose in the store what to buy: cheese or ham. To satisfy the need, you should take both that, and that, and a little bit.

You can also refuse to solve the problem and become a fatalist. That is, a person accepts everything that fate gives and does not interfere with the course of events.

There is an example when a person was cured of an internal conflict, just closing his mind to thoughts that he considers unacceptable. This man's name is William Stanley Milligan, and he simply refused to implement what he considered unacceptable for himself.

To successfully cope with a problem, sometimes it is enough to adapt to certain circumstances. But this behavior should not become a habit. But you really need to adjust your own foundations and values.

Dreams

Some experts advise to embellish the problem, thereby starting to fantasize. This means that a person will live in his fantasies and all his "want and should" will not conflict with each other. Still, most psychologists do not take this method seriously. In their opinion, it is better not to hide behind fantasies, but to cheer yourself up in difficult situations. The phrase that there are no hopeless situations is perfect for these purposes.

Self-acceptance

Each person has strengths, and in order to find them, a person needs to understand himself. More often than not, people do not pay due attention to their achievements. Therefore, they constantly complain that they lack opportunities. But the point is not the lack of the latter, but the fact that the person does not want to see ways to solve the problem. We can say that internal conflict is a person's biased attitude towards himself. And all you need to do is sit down and think about how the personality compares favorably with the rest. If you find in yourself what deserves respect and is strong point, then overcoming internal conflicts will cease to be a problem.

Conflicts arise mainly due to the fact that a person does not understand himself what he is valuable, but tries to prove it to others. No one will mock and humiliate a strong person, because he respects himself, which means that others respect him.

Purpose

Internal conflicts destroy the personality, because in this struggle there are only losers. A person gladly shifts responsibility for himself to other people or adapts to society. But if a person has found his purpose, then inner harmony is recovering. The personality becomes strong and, thanks to the internal attitude, does not allow to impose something on oneself or to confuse oneself.

Simply put, you need a favorite thing to be happy. It will be a source of good emotions, inspiration and vitality. It is the person who understands his purpose who is strong in spirit, happy and able to solve any problems.

Care

The person deliberately shies away from solving the problem. You don't have to make a difficult choice, which means that the person is relieved for a period. In fact, a person simply expects the problem to disappear by itself, and if it does not disappear, then the conflict only gets worse.

Sublimation

An internal conflict in this way is resolved due to the fact that the personality converts psychic energy into acceptable forms. This is one of the most effective methods, as it allows you not only to find the cause, but also to act on it. The ability to sublimate must be developed through constant exercise, despite the fact that all people have it.

Reorientation

In this way, people must first understand the reason that provoked the conflict, and who or what provoked it. In order to apply reorientation, you need to have the ability to manage motivation. The method is not fast, but the result is guaranteed to be excellent. If you can't figure out your own personal value system yourself, then you need to contact a specialist. It will be much easier to get rid of the conflict under the guidance of a psychologist.

crowding out

If a person tries to supplant thoughts and motives that are unacceptable to himself, then this is also considered a way to get rid of the conflict. Usually, infantile immature personalities resort to this method. It is easier for them to forget something or forbid themselves to think about it than to try to eliminate the cause. The position of the ostrich in the sand is not effective, if only because not noticing the problem does not mean eradicating it. The likelihood of a repetition of the conflict is high, and it is not a fact that it will not be in a more serious form.

Correction

Each person has some idea about himself. The essence of the method lies in the fact that the struggle is not with the cause of the conflict, but with the personality's own ideas about it. That is, it is easier not to look for ways to eradicate the cause, but simply to change the attitude towards the latter. The effect of the method is quite average, although there are people whom it really helped. In general, if a person understands that he has a problem and needs to be solved, then he should choose the ways to solve it. After all, the result depends to a greater extent on self-confidence.

Conclusion

Intrapersonal conflict is a serious problem that should not be underestimated. Lack of proper attention and the search for ways to resolve the conflict can lead to numerous illnesses, including psychiatric ones.
There are quite a few reasons for internal conflict, which means that you do not need to follow the advice on the Internet or from friends. Everyone has different situations and reasons for this or that behavior. And if it suits one person, it does not mean that it will suit another. It is best to go to a psychologist, because only a specialist will help you understand the reasons and eliminate them.
There are also many ways to resolve an intrapersonal conflict, but the same principle applies here as with reasons. Whatever negative reviews about a particular method, only a person should choose how to solve their problems. If he feels that this is how he can get rid of the conflict, then you should not rely on the opinion of others.

In conclusion, it is worth noting: in order to solve the problem once and for all, you need to know how to do it. And only a specialist knows this. Therefore, do not neglect the help of professionals, because they exist for this - to help understand yourself.

Intrapersonal conflict is a contradiction that occurs in a person for a number of reasons. The conflict is perceived as a serious emotional problem. An intrapersonal conflict requires special attention, strength to resolve it, and intensified internal work.

Reasons for internal conflicts:

applying old strategies in a new situation in which they will not work;
inability to make responsible decisions;
lack of information necessary to control the situation;
dissatisfaction with their own place in life;
lack of full communication;
self-esteem problems;
big commitments;
impossibility to change the situation.

In order to accurately analyze an intrapersonal conflict and find a way to resolve it, it must be remembered that the main reason is the pressure of the social environment on the individual.

The entire group of intrapersonal conflicts can be divided into two subgroups:

arising from objective contradictions that affect inner world personality (this includes moral conflicts, adaptation, etc.)
appearing due to the discrepancy between the inner world of the individual and the surrounding world (conflicts associated with self-esteem or motivation).

The resolution of intrapersonal conflict is associated with the acquisition of new qualities. An individual must reconcile his own inner world with the environment, society. She must develop the habit of not being so acutely aware of contradictions. There are two options for overcoming intrapersonal conflict - constructive and destructive. The constructive version allows you to get a new quality of life, to achieve harmony and emotional balance, to realize life more deeply and more accurately. Overcoming internal conflict can be understood by reducing negative socio-psychological factors, by the absence of painful sensations that previously arose due to the conflict, by improving the state and increasing efficiency.

All people deal with their intrapersonal conflicts in different ways. It depends on their individual qualities and temperament. The latter affects the speed and stability of experiences, their intensity. It also depends on temperament whether the conflict will be directed inward or outward. In each person, intrapersonal conflict manifests itself in different ways.

Ways to resolve intrapersonal conflicts:

Change of the chosen strategy

Many people are often unable to change the way they perceive and think in a new situation. We adhere to similar behavior, trying to deceive ourselves that the situation does not require drastic changes. It is necessary not only to learn how to analyze the facts, but also to be aware of your own attitude to the problem. Each time, ask yourself if the chosen behavior strategy is relevant for a particular case. If you need to change your approach, you need to act. Then the inner conflict of the personality will be resolved constructively.

Ability to deal with tension

When realizing the conflict, the inability to follow the requirements of a particular situation, minor mental trauma may occur. It will become a trigger that can fundamentally change the approach to solving a problem and attitudes towards it. The person begins to show hypertrophied qualities. If earlier he was mobile, now he will behave fussy and chaotic. If earlier he was irritable, now his temper will become the main feature. Mild anxiety can turn into fear. Circumstances force a person to behave aggressively. Often, with an intrapersonal conflict, complexes appear. A person begins to invent the reasons for his own failure and withdraws into himself.

To find a constructive way to get rid of internal conflict, you need to be aware of your own problems. Everyone has difficulties, but only those who understand the existence of problems can fight them. It is necessary to achieve harmony between spiritual and physical condition, communication and imagination. For stability mental state physical discharge has a positive effect. To normalize the work of the psyche, you need to follow simple steps.

Margaret Thatcher wrote about them. She said that after a hard day at home, all the problems seemed to fall on her, brought to tears. She relieved spiritual tension by simple household chores - ironing or putting dishes in the closet. This made it possible to bring the psyche back to normal, to relax.

Finding the best moment to act

If there is a lack of information that does not allow action, it is worth waiting a little. However, this expectation turns out to be too tedious. In this case, it is worth giving yourself the installation to wait for the right moment. This setting will relieve constant anxiety, make it easier to endure the wait. Often, waiting literally eats up choleric people who are incapable of long inactivity. But people of other temperaments can break loose and start acting in inappropriate conditions. This is how errors appear. Remember the rule - if you do not know what to do, then it is better not to do anything. This will save you from mistakes. Later, you will receive the necessary information and determine the optimal moment to take active action.

Waiting for the result

Not everyone is able to wait not only for the right moment, but also for the result of their actions. Impatience makes you think of something so that he would appear sooner. This is due to the uncertainty that all actions to achieve desired result were completed on time. In this case, you need to give yourself the installation that the result will come by itself. So you can relieve tension from uncertainty, better adapt to the conditions of expectation.

Praise yourself in difficult situations

Troubles and problems are the faithful companions of any business. Nothing can go smoothly. If you get into trouble, don't blame yourself or get upset. You need to understand what will be better after. This creates an interval of calm. If a person realizes that soon all difficulties will go away, he has additional strength. This is necessary if your activity takes a long time to get the desired result. Pay attention not only to final result but also for intermediate successes. Completing each stage deserves a reward. In difficult situations, humor often saves. You can get rid of sad thoughts, look at the situation from a different angle.

Learn to Usefully Experience Feelings of Isolation

Communication consists not only in communication with other people, but also in communication with oneself. If a person has a feeling of isolation, then he must analyze it, understand the reasons. There may be several reasons. If this is a decrease in self-esteem, then you need to remember your past achievements, then self-confidence will appear. If this is a deterioration in relations with colleagues or friends, then you need to restore intimacy, even if this requires concessions on your part or an apology.

Is it possible to constructively resolve internal conflict caused by the coercion of the situation? We all differ in love of freedom, but its scope depends on the personality and characteristics of her character. You need to realize that social life impossible in isolation from society itself. After that, you should compare the concessions with life attitudes. If the concessions do not violate the integrity of the main life values, then the conflict is unjustified. But the answer to this question is individual for everyone.

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Some people are faced with a serious psychological problem, because of which there is a lot of controversy within the personality. In other words, intrapersonal conflict is a contradiction that engulfs the individual. He is in great doubt, cannot make a single decision, since two opposing points of view have the same "weight". It should be noted that this psychological problem can lead to both serious personal growth, if a person connects all his resources and mobilizes, and to big problems.

How does it happen in life? For example, a person finds himself in a difficult situation, and cannot make the final choice between real feelings and a marriage of convenience. Can't make the final choice between work and family. There are a lot of such situations, but if you "plunge into them headlong" and give them great importance, there is a risk to come to an internal conflict. Due to the lack of harmony between the external world and one's own I, there is also a risk of developing more serious psychological deviations. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the approaches to understanding the intrapersonal conflict.

The basis and features of intrapersonal conflict

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As mentioned above, the basis of such a conflict is primarily the disagreements experienced within the individual. This conflict flares up inside a person, and he, as a rule, cannot stand it in the world... An individual finds himself in a situation where he needs to rethink his values and, if he succeeds in doing this, acquires new useful qualities and a vision of the world. However, in practice, it is not always possible to cope with the situation, which leads to even greater isolation and asociality. The characteristics of such conflicts are such that they cause stress, frustration and anxiety.

Anxiety manifests itself even before a certain situation unfolds. She, in turn, is divided into situational and personal. Situational anxiety develops due to external circumstances, but if a person does not have time to cope with it, it immediately turns into a personal one. Remember how in childhood we were scolded for deuces and threatened with punishment. When the baby receives a negative assessment, situational anxiety occurs (external circumstances were added in a bad way), after which he remembers the parents and the alleged consequences. Thus, internal anxiety begins to manifest. At these moments, internal dialogues begin, which can develop into something more, for example, into intrapersonal conflicts or frustration.

Frustration is a state in which a person experiences great disappointment. It occurs when there is no way to solve a complex problem for subjective or objective reasons. The same child cannot avoid a scandal at home, this leads him to oppression and frustration. In adults, this condition occurs most often when a goal is set and it is impossible to achieve it. When an individual throws all his strength and resources to solve a problem, but it turns out to be unsolvable at a given moment in time. As a result, a person experiences great disappointment, powerlessness, and his desires do not coincide with the possibilities.

Further, if the person fails to cope with the developing inner negativity, stress may ensue, which covers even more topics related to life in general and his position in it. Let's get back to the topic of goal setting. Let's say an individual has set a goal to make much more money, and, as usual, overestimated his capabilities. However, he wants to have an expensive car, new housing and beautiful things. As a result, there is a mobilization of all forces and after a while he realizes that nothing can be achieved, abandons his venture. A small conflict flares up within the personality, the person begins to blame himself, and then the whole world around him for injustice. You can often find statements that life is unpleasant, only lucky bad people, all around deception and corruption. Although most often these problems do not directly affect the person and have only a minor impact on his life.

What is intrapersonal conflict?

To finally understand the concept of intrapersonal conflict, imagine a state of complete doubt. It is so strong, and the two opposing opinions are so reasonable that you find yourself in a kind of stupor. And if you add to this the insolubility of the problem on your own and help from the outside world is impossible, a person is even more immersed in a conflict within himself. It is interesting that the confrontation develops according to several scenarios.

Latency. With such a state there, a person does not even notice that he is in a confrontational state. As a rule, he has a lot to do, he is in a bustle, which is why there is no way to be alone with himself. Under the guise of vigorous activity or euphoria, the disastrous state of the individual is hidden;
Unusual structure. In this state, the conflict is not based on other actors;
Specificity. A person, among other things, experiences stress, fear, depression.

The famous psychologist in the Western world, Sigmund Freud, believed that the essence of human nature lies in constant mental contradiction. This stress is often associated with foundations social culture and the desire of the individual. Rules of conduct serve as a small example. For example, we are told, "You need to be quiet in the library." But maybe we want to discuss an interesting topic with someone in full voice, or even stand on our heads in the middle of the room. There are a huge number of such situations and most of them are small ones that we can cope with.

German psychologist Levin believed that a strong VC develops when two opposite opinions of the same size collide inside a person. And the more they are of significance and vital importance, the greater the risk of developing confrontation within oneself. Rogers also made an interesting point of view. How often we set ourselves ideals that are impossible to achieve. Moreover, sometimes our judgments are so subjective that we ourselves deny the possibility of achievement. As a result, understanding the ideal I to which we strive, and the real discrepancy leads to big problems and powerlessness.

Varieties and types

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If we talk about the main types of intrapersonal conflicts, then it is worthwhile to understand that we are dealing with a subjective opinion. As a result, there are no precise concepts, as the authors look at the problem differently. Nevertheless, the foundation is there. As a rule, VCs flare up in the social-consumer and value-motivational sphere.

Valuable and motivational sphere:

Moral. When a person does not find a balance between his preferences and morality. Between personal attitude and duty to society;
Motivation. It often develops in situations where in order to achieve a goal you need to sacrifice your safety and comfort. As a result, the question arises between calmness and the desire to possess something.
Adaptation. A conflict arises when it is difficult for a person to adapt to a new reality. For example, a change in social circle or a new place of work;
Unfulfillment. The desired is not the same as the actual;
Inadequate self-esteem. Sometimes a person underestimates his abilities too much or, on the contrary, overestimates them, as a result of which internal conflicts with reality arise.

Classification of intrapersonal conflicts in the social and consumer sphere:

Conflict of social norms. Often a person denies social foundations, since they do not coincide with the inner vision;
Conflict of needs. Often, due to a limited budget, we cannot choose the right product and whims win. As a result, there are a lot of credits, the meaning of life is lost, there is no joy from possession;
Conflict between social norm and need.

There are also types of intrapersonal conflicts. Lewin (German psychologist) proposed 4 main types: frustrating, vital, equivalent and ambivalent.

An ambivalent type of confrontation develops when the result or some action is equally repelling and seductive. A contradiction arises;
Equivalent. When a goal is set for an individual to perform several tasks of the same importance. To get out of the conflict, you need to find a compromise;
The frustrating type develops when a person forbids himself to perform some actions, since they are at odds with generally accepted moral foundations and society;
Vital. When a person has to make decisions that he does not like, but they are necessary.

The main forms of manifestation of intrapersonal conflicts can be distinguished:

Euphoria - unjustified joy, tears are often interspersed with laughter;
Neurasthenia - migraine, insomnia, high depression, low efficiency;
Projection - criticism, negativity in relationships with people;
Regression - primitivism in behavior, denial of responsibility.
Nomadism is a constant striving for change;
Rationalism is self-justification.

Causes

As a rule, the causes of VC, its appearance and development, are due to three main factors:

External, due to the behavior of the individual within a certain group;
Internal, hidden in the contradictions of the personality itself;
External, due to the status as a whole within society.

When a person comes across external factors caused by confrontation with society as a whole, they are usually based on personal status. That is, a person does not like his position in society or how he is treated.

VK within a certain group may be different, however, there is a common basis - the inability to satisfy their needs. For example:

The lack of the desired object. I would like a cup of coffee, but in this city they do not sell this sort, and so on;
Physical obstacles. A person is in a closed room, cannot get out on his own;
Social circumstances;
Biological barriers.

However, it cannot be said that one of the reasons is separate from the other. In fact, everything is very interconnected and one reason smoothly flows into another. For example, the development of an internal conflict is most often due to a confrontation with a certain group or society as a whole. Contradictions simply cannot appear (out of emptiness). Do not forget that the basis of confrontation rests on two opposing opinions, which should be important. Otherwise, this will not be a problem for the individual, and he will let them pass by introspection.

It is important that the opinions are of the same strength, otherwise the individual will simply choose the most powerful one. When they are of the same size, a confrontation arises, stormy dialogues develop inside. What are the contradictions based on?

The confrontation of social roles. Modern world requires a person to perform many tasks, and time, as a rule, is not enough. For example, an adult is tasked with picking up a child from kindergarten and fulfill an urgent work order;
The confrontation between ordinary need and social norm. As you know, the human stomach works and it sometimes needs to remove gases. But what to do when there is a meeting or you are in a decent company;
The contradiction between religion and social values. A striking example is military action. A true Christian observes the commandment "Thou shalt not kill", but when something threatens his family or homeland, a big dilemma also arises;
Mismatch between interests, needs and motives. In other words, a person himself does not understand what he needs from life in general.

Often VC develops due to working relationships within the enterprise, since most of the time a person has to work and is in conditions that are created external environment... If a person could choose for himself where and how to work, many problems simply would not arise. The main reasons for the development of a conflict within a certain group:

The struggle of values between your views on life, attitudes and professional goals. For example, if a person is pure in spirit, is used to speaking honestly, it will be difficult or even impossible for him to engage in advertising and sales;
A lot of responsibility and excessive tasks that are incomparable with the ability of a person.
Striving for creativity and routine work at the enterprise;
Two incompatible tasks;
Strict job performance requirements and poor working conditions;
Bad mechanism for achieving the goal, vague, unclear and at the same time, a specific task.
Morality and profit.

Forms and ways of solving the problem

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To disassemble the forms of manifestation and ways of resolving internal conflicts is an important task for every person. We have already talked about forms, now you can move on to the topic of resolving the situation. The bottom line is, if a person does not find a positive solution for himself, this will lead to a protracted confrontation and, as a result, to a suicidal situation, a nervous breakdown or the development of psychological deviations. That is why it is important to know how to act in the prevailing conditions. Moreover, if you calmly figure it out, it is not so difficult.

In order to resolve the intrapersonal conflict as quickly as possible, you should pay attention to the following points:

Care. Try to let go of the difficult situation and switch to another topic. Sometimes a problem cannot be solved with the skills and capabilities available. Therefore, it is worth accepting;
Compromise. If there is a choice, try to reach a compromise and take action right away;
Sublimation. In cases where you cannot solve the problem, switch to another activity that brings pleasure. For example, hobbies, sports or creativity, where you can achieve results. Later you will return to the unsolved problem with renewed vigor;
Reorientation. Change your attitude towards a person or object;
Idealization. If reality is very bad, turn on the music and try to dream. Break away from reality. Watch the comedy or movie you like best;
Correction. Try to be objective about your Self;
Crowding out. If desires are unrealistic, try to suppress them or postpone them for a long time, switching to more achievable ones.

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Interestingly, the consequences of intrapersonal conflict are of the same "nature" as the confrontation itself. That is, it can have both a positive effect on a person and a negative one. In any case, the result will depend only on a particular person.

Negative consequences

A dead end in personal development, degradation is possible;
A constant state of stress, anxiety, suspiciousness, dependence on the opinions of other people and circumstances;
Disorganization in physiological and psychological terms;
Decreased activity;
The manifestation of polar qualities is submissiveness or aggressiveness. Often inferiority, uncertainty in their actions develops, the meaning of life is lost.

In society, behavior manifests itself as follows:

Inappropriate reaction to other people;
Isolation from other members of the group;
Blaming others for your failures.

If a person does not solve the causes of VC in time, there is a risk of developing psychological deviations of a neurotic nature. That is why it is important to turn to psychologists at any age if you are unable to resolve the situation.

Positive consequences

In the fight, will and character are tempered. People who often overcome themselves to become strong are able to manage the inner resource;
Self-improvement, self-development and self-affirmation;
Intrapersonal intelligence develops;
The human psyche is more resistant to the influences of external stimuli. After several victories, a person is no longer afraid to accept a challenge and boldly goes into the fight, improving his I.

As you can see, these kinds of challenges challenge us, but they have hidden growth potential. If you gather your courage or seek the help of specialists, they will help you eliminate the causes of intrapersonal conflict and make you stronger.