Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Psychological resilience comes from disciplining ourselves”

President of Üsküdar University Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan attended the Psychology Summit organized by Baku Slavic University, Psychology Scientific Research Institute, and the Azerbaijan Psychologists Association online. Speaking under the title “Psychological Codes of Modern Urbanization: Meaning, Belonging, and Psychological Well-being in City Life,” Tarhan pointed out that modern life challenges individuals' psychological resilience and stated that material wealth alone does not bring happiness, loneliness and narcissism are increasing, and the conscious use of artificial intelligence is important. Emphasizing the importance of character education, positive psychology, emotion management, and self-awareness in developing psychological resilience, Tarhan stated that an individual's ability to know and manage themselves is a fundamental element in protecting mental health. Tarhan said that in order to have psychological resilience, one must first discipline themselves. 

“Material prosperity alone does not provide psychological well-being”

Stating that psychological problems are increasing in modern societies, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that economic development alone does not guarantee happiness. Tarhan noted that the feeling of loneliness has reached serious dimensions, especially among young people, and said that new problems in the field of mental health have emerged with the weakening of social relationships. Tarhan; “Research conducted in the UK shows that the rate of loneliness among young people aged 16-24 is higher than among individuals in older age groups. For this reason, some countries have started to develop special policies to combat loneliness. On the other hand, an increase in economic prosperity does not mean that happiness will increase at the same rate. Even if per capita income rises, the same increase in people's happiness levels is not observed. When there is material prosperity, psychological and spiritual well-being do not go hand in hand. Therefore, strengthening an individual's sense of meaning in life is of great importance for increasing their psychological resilience.” he said.

“The increase in narcissistic tendencies seriously erodes human relationships”

Stating that individualization and self-centered approaches are becoming widespread in societies, Tarhan emphasized that narcissism has become not only an individual but also a societal problem. Tarhan stated that the weakening of human relationships also affects the family structure; “In the history of humanity, there has never been another period where ego was so inflated, self-importance grew so much, and 'I'-centered thinking became so widespread. The increase in narcissistic tendencies seriously erodes human relationships. Divorces, incidents of violence, and interpersonal conflicts often have self-centered attitudes in the background. When people only prioritize their own needs, social bonds weaken. The re-strengthening of empathy, mutual assistance, and cooperation culture is of great importance for both individual and societal mental health,” he said.

“Artificial intelligence must be used with a critical perspective” 

Tarhan stated that artificial intelligence has initiated a transformation process similar to that created by the printing press and electricity in human history, and drew attention to the importance of conscious use of technology. Tarhan stated that artificial intelligence can also bring some psychological risks, especially for individuals in developmental stages; “Artificial intelligence has made access to information extremely easy and has become an important part of daily life. However, unconscious use of this technology also brings some risks. Especially in individuals during adolescence, we can encounter situations that may cause distortion of reality perception. In some individuals who interact intensely with artificial intelligence, emotional, social, and personality boundaries can be observed to weaken. Therefore, artificial intelligence needs to be used with a controlled, conscious, and critical perspective,” he said.

“A significant part of the human brain is shaped by the environment”

Tarhan stated that the psychological development of the human brain is largely shaped by environmental factors, and emphasized that character development should be supported from an early age. Tarhan stated that human values are largely acquired through learning; “Humans are born neuropsychologically premature. Love, speech, morality, character, and human values are not innate; they are learned later. A significant part of the human brain is shaped by the environment. Therefore, education given during childhood is extremely important. Children need to be taught sharing, honesty, mutual assistance, apologizing, and taking responsibility from an early age.” he said.

“The greatest capital of this era is to be a person of character” 

Tarhan stated that values education given at an early age directly affects an individual's future life, and expressed that character development has become more important than knowledge transfer. Tarhan noted that many countries around the world have started providing virtue education to children at early ages; “Children need to be taught sharing, honesty, mutual assistance, and taking responsibility from a young age. Today, merely having knowledge is not enough. Accessing information is now very easy. However, raising people of character is becoming increasingly important every day. Intelligence is becoming cheaper, while character is becoming more expensive. The greatest capital of this era is to be a person of character.” he said.

“Interest in positive psychology is growing”

Tarhan stated that positive psychology studies are becoming widespread in leading universities around the world, and noted that society is in serious need of psychological resilience. Tarhan; “There is great interest in positive psychology courses at leading universities worldwide like Harvard and Yale. These courses cover topics such as the science of happiness, compassion, mercy, gratitude, and the search for meaning. Especially after the pandemic, millions of people applying for these courses indicates that society is in serious need of psychological resilience and self-development. As Üsküdar University, we have also been offering positive psychology courses for many years and observe positive results in our students.” he said.

“Emotion management forms the foundation of psychological resilience”

Tarhan stated that for psychological resilience to be developed, individuals must first recognize their own emotions, and emphasized that emotion management is a learnable skill. Tarhan; “One must first recognize what they feel and understand the reasons behind their emotions. It is important to discover what thoughts lie behind emotions such as anger, sadness, or anxiety. When a person recognizes their emotions, they also gain the ability to manage them. Individuals who can manage their emotions can cope with stress more healthily. For this, it is necessary to produce alternative solutions, evaluate options, and determine the most appropriate behavior,” he said.

“Psychological resilience is being able to bend but not break”

Tarhan stated that psychological resilience is an individual's ability to recover after experiencing difficulties, and expressed that self-awareness and emotion management play an important role in this process. Tarhan; “Individuals with high psychological resilience can bend in the face of difficulties but do not break. What is important is to be able to get back on one's feet after negative experiences. For this, a person needs to know their own strengths and weaknesses, manage their emotions, and develop self-awareness. One who is not their own leader cannot be the leader of another. One who cannot manage themselves cannot manage others. Psychological resilience comes from a person knowing themselves, developing themselves, and in a sense, disciplining themselves,” he concluded.