The best personality theory to explain the contemporary patterns of development of a personality seems to be the psychodynamic theory of Sigmund Freud. This theory is highly relevant for the present period of time as the influence of the unconscious level of the human mind on human behavior, motivation and attitudes have gained popularity again, taking one of the key roles in the investigation of psychological processes taking place in the human brain again.
Freud invented the notion of psychic determinism – the influence of the person’s past on his or her present. This position seems highly relevant when people try to look for the reasons for their fears, hatred, or love deep back in childhood or adolescence. The problems people try to thoroughly hide inside their minds and souls do not disappear traceless and then remind about themselves by means of certain disturbances and even neurological disorders. For this reason, psychologists who people come with a certain set of problems trying to have a deeper look into their past to find the reasons or possible incentives for their mental illness or discomfort. Consequently, it appears that the theory of Freud is highly relevant and widely used nowadays.
Another part of Freud’s theory, the one about humans being guided by instincts, also makes sense in the contemporary reality of urbanization, globalization, and overall high-tech integration. It has been noticed long ago that people who are deprived of natural surroundings of any kind feel the impact of their instincts even more. Having no chance to realize the natural human needs, the organism seeks ways to act instinctively – so it is very popular nowadays to make crazy things and to get rid of routine and urban fuss this way. Besides, the moments of danger have historically involved acting by instinct, which has saved billions of human lives.
And, finally, the issue of the unconscious level of the human mind will always remain a hot topic for discussion – it is a closed area so far, so scientists may only make guesses about all processes taking place in that part of the brain. However, it represents high scientific interest nowadays, so it is worth studying as well.
All these considerations give a positive grounding for stating that Freud’s theory of personality suits the pattern of contemporary personal development the best. Hence, it is better to be guided by it while analyzing the contemporary personality development processes.