As discussed previously coaching is not therapy, but it is therapeutic and as we are psychological creatures, it helps to understand some basic insights into the wonderful world that is the human psyche. The one thing that I’ve learned in all of my years of studying human behavior is that it is rational for people to act irrationally. If Freud and Jung and reality television are right, people are a mass of unconscious needs, wants, desires, complexes, and unresolved issues. Makes me reconsider the cornerstone that we must see our coachees as Creative, Resourceful, and Whole. One of Carl Jung’s primary theories is that our challenge in life, what makes us who we are destined to be is to healthfully deal with the tension of the opposites caused by our competing drives that exist within all of us. I call this the People Paradox. At once we are:

• Logical and Creative
• Strong and Vulnerable
• Collaborative and Competitive
• Generous and Proprietary
• Hospitable and Hostile
• We crave Stability and Spontaneity
• Desire Security yet Long for Adventure
• Want our Freedom but find purpose in Obligation
• Enjoy Community but thrive on Independence
• Want both Intimacy and Privacy
• Require both Calm and Stimulation
• At times find comfort in Consistency and at others Flexibility

In other words, our Unpredictability is Predictable and we are profoundly Unique and yet share many Commonalities. We are also simultaneously concerned with our Physical and Emotional needs.