UGED1252 The Successful Self

Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. This definition implies that successful individuals engage in purposeful, agentic pursuits. Success in attaining task goals confers a feeling of competence; success in   reaching relationship goals gives one a feeling of acceptance. Both feelings are major ingredients of mental health.

Success in attaining valued goals requires the abilities to adapt to change. These abilities include openness to diverse ideas, cognitive flexibility, creativity, emotional stability, motivation and perseverance. Behavioural research has shown that success is more likely among people who possess several self-attributes. In this course, we will empower students with theoretical and empirical knowledge of these attributes, and engage them in weekly experiential activities, through which they will develop and weave these self-attributes into their daily goal pursuits. Through the use of a self-assessment online platform, student will track their personal growth in these self-attributes.

Major aspects of the successful self that will be covered in this course are: the rational self, veridical self-knowledge, the transcendent self, the socially intelligent self, the loved self, the multicultural self, and the global self.

This course is closely related to the SDG subgoal of promoting mental health and well-being. First, psychological well-being ensues from attaining one’s valued goals. In addition, feeling competent and feeling accepted are two pillars of psychological maturity and mental health. In this course, students will learn the concepts and practical skills that would enable students to more effectively attain their valued goal, and feel competent and accepted.