Picking up where we left off, when a child is nurtured in a loving environment for the a sufficient time do consolidate their trust in their mother’s love, they are all that much more likely to grow into an adult with high self-esteem and a more or less healthy psychology, and have mental and emotional well being. In all probability that individual will have confidence in the basic goodness of life and the world, and they will feel a sense of sanity as they go about their life.

Of course nothing is for certain in life, and there are endless opportunities for things go awry. But the general pattern is that if the child has sufficient time to internalize love from their environment, they have a deep inner sense of goodness and love that stays with them for the rest of their life. Well known psychologist Carl Rogers referred to this as unconditional positive regard.

This process is exactly like a seed that is first planted in the soil. A seed has a natural inclination to become a plant, but that seed needs the proper conditions to germinate, otherwise it won’t grow into its potential plant self. It needs the right amount of warmth of the sun and the right amount of moisture, or the germination process won’t happen. For example if there is sunshine for one or two days but then it is cloudy for two months, and if there is no rain, chances are high that that seed will not germinate and eventually grow into the plant it was meant to be.

Similarly, as an infant, our nature of basic goodness is that seed, and it has the potential to grow into its full blown version as expressed in a compassionate and sane adult human being who has access to basic human happiness. However, as a tiny forming human being, our nature of goodness needs the right amount of warmth and nurturing from our mother, or our natural inclination to be loving and sane individuals goes dormant.

Continued in Origins of Anger III…

By Craig Mollins