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When tragedy becomes the teacher: What we can learn from challenging life circumstances
Keywords
Growth, Eudaemonia, Suffering, Profound Learning
Session Abstract
Construction of humans as resilient or fragile should not be viewed in opposition. Trauma is explored as an adult learning event in which the disorienting dilemma acts as a catalyst for transformative learning. Growth following trauma is viewed as a lifelong learning process in conjunction with profound learning.
Session Description
Current models of stress and the subsequent symptoms following trauma fail to adequately represent an opposing, paradoxical, and yet critical view of human nature that is embodied in the theories of humanistic psychology. The purpose of this presentation is to embrace life challenges as opportunities to pursue eudaemonic living and profound learning opportunities. Traditional models of stress and human suffering greatly underestimate the human capacity not only to survive, but to thrive, during and following states of extreme adversity as well as tragedy. This topic will be examined from a philosophical paradigm that encourages meaning making and focuses on tragic human experience as an opportunity for personal growth in the area of profound learning and eudaemonic pursuit and aims to explore the following questions: 1) What can we learn as a result of extraordinary life challenges about meaning making, resilience, connectedness, and our ability to flourish as a humans? 2) How does suffering act as an impetus for individuals to strive for eudaemonic living? 3) How do life challenges create critical opportunities for profound learning? This research is particularly timely as the current global pandemic has presented numerous challenges in different forms for the majority of individuals.