Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi, attended the PDR Summit organized by İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi. Speaking on “Psychological Resilience and Motivation” at the program attended by approximately one thousand educators from across Istanbul, Tarhan stated that psychological resilience must be learned to be able to flex and return to one's original state when faced with difficulties. Reminding that problems are a part of growth, Tarhan emphasized that one should be solution-oriented, not problem-oriented. Tarhan also drew attention to the correct use of artificial intelligence, saying that it could turn life upside down if used incorrectly.
Many experts in their field attended the summit held at İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi.
“The important thing is to be happy with ordinary things”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, explaining how psychological resilience can be achieved, said: “When psychological resilience is mentioned, what the individual understands by it is very important. In English, this concept is referred to as psychological resilience. Actually, the word 'sağlamlık' (firmness/solidity) does not fully cover this meaning. In our culture, it is more perceived as resilience, being strong. The background of this concept is flexibility. You encounter a difficulty, you flex, and then you can return to your original state. This is why psychological resilience needs to be learned. Many studies have been conducted on this topic. One of the best-known of these studies is the PERMA model. The first leg of the PERMA model is positive emotion. That is, positive emotion, not positive thinking. Being in a positive state of mind in the face of events. There are some people who always live defensively, constantly think negatively, looking for a calf under an ox. Psychological resilience cannot develop in such a person. The second step is engagement. The person's full involvement in what they are doing. For example, if a student does not notice how time passes when they are in class, if they experience a flow state, this is an indicator of psychological resilience. The third step is relationships. Building healthy relationships is very important. Being able to remain calm when faced with a stressful situation, and being able to continue on by learning lessons from events. This is called post-traumatic growth. The fourth step is meaning. If what you do has meaning, this creates a sense of satisfaction in you. If there is no meaning, the brain only works with dopamine. Dopamine is the pleasure hormone. Serotonin, on the other hand, is the happiness hormone and is related to meaning; it is meaning-focused happiness. The fifth and final step is achievement. The achievements here are small achievements. If you are always chasing big achievements and cannot be happy when they don't materialize, this is not sustainable. The important thing is to be happy with ordinary things, like a smile, doing a small kindness for someone, asking how they are. Being able to enjoy routines. These are the people who can achieve psychological resilience.”
“One of the sub-branches of positive psychology is the psychology of goodness”
Tarhan, emphasizing that humans are social beings, stated: “One of the sub-branches of positive psychology is the psychology of goodness. Many studies are being conducted in this field. One of our professors said, ‘In schools, we are working on peer kindness, not peer bullying.’ This is a very important perspective. Harvard University has conducted research in 136 countries. In this research, the happiness scores of philanthropic and generous business people were compared with those who were not. The results show that philanthropic and generous individuals are 23 percent happier. In psychology, this is referred to as 'helping others'. That is, helping others means a person transcends themselves, reaching a higher level of their goal. This approach also forms the general framework of psychological resilience. Today, version 2.0 of positive psychology has been developed. In this new approach, the focus is more on meaning and purpose. Because this is the fundamental difference that separates humans from other living beings. For other living beings, shelter, food, and drink are sufficient. But humans are not like that. Humans need to feel safe, to build relationships with others, to form a society, and to socialize. Without meeting these needs, humans cannot be happy.”
“Positive emotional state is closely related to personality structure”
Tarhan, touching upon the concept of epigenetics, said: “A positive emotional state is closely related to personality structure. In studies on personality types, 12 different personality types have been defined. The American Psychiatric Association later reduced this number to 10, but in DSM-III, this number is 12. Personality types are generally divided into three clusters: Cluster A, Cluster B, and Cluster C. Within these clusters, some are considered personality disorders, while others are personality tendencies. A total of 14 different personality tendencies are discussed. A person's personality structure is a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Approximately 30-40 percent of this structure is genetic. We can liken this to a building structure. Just as the load-bearing columns of a building constitute 30-40 percent of the structure, the genetic part of personality is similar. The remaining 60-70 percent consists of epigenetic elements. Much like a building's electrical, water, and other internal fittings. Epigenetics are behavioral patterns shaped by environmental influences learned throughout life. Information must first come to the mind. Then, when an emotion is added to this information, that information transforms into a belief. If this belief gains continuity, it becomes a habit. If this habit continues for approximately six months, it transforms into a personality trait.”
“The negativities experienced are actually a part of growth…”
Tarhan, emphasizing that one should be solution-oriented, not problem-oriented, towards life events, said: “The life events we experience have both a threat dimension and an opportunity dimension. A smart person sees not only the threat but also the opportunity and makes a plan focused on the opportunity dimension. We should prepare for winter even if we are in summer. Just sitting and waiting for winter is not the right attitude. Because if we only wait for winter, stress levels increase, and people become unhappy. Some of the events we encounter in life are within our power, while others are things we cannot change. One of the methods used at this point in new generation psychotherapies is the radical acceptance method. With this method, the person accepts situations that are beyond their power and cannot be changed. Then, they develop a Plan B, and if necessary, a Plan C accordingly. If a person continues to fight to change this situation, for example, if they are facing a serious illness, instead of constantly thinking, ‘Why did this happen to me? How did this happen?’, they should ask, ‘How can I best manage this situation?’. In psychology, there are post-traumatic growth scales. When individuals who have experienced trauma are evaluated with these scales, some people can transform this process into growth. However, individuals who cannot turn trauma into growth usually show a problem-oriented thinking style. Solution-oriented individuals, on the other hand, learn from the problem, produce solutions, and develop. This is also a process that strengthens a person. The negativities experienced are actually a part of growth. If young people can gain this perspective, they can develop more healthily. In the past, young people matured in scarcity. The current generation is growing up in abundance. Maturing in abundance is more difficult. Because everything is presented to them ready-made. Young people can say, ‘Why should I study?’ Today's youth are a bit conformist and egocentric, but at the same time, they are very lovable. If we can be good role models for them, they can also learn to mature in abundance. Therefore, for an individual living in abundance to be motivated, they must have an ego ideal for which they will labor and struggle.”
“Responsibility training should be given at an early age”
Tarhan, stating that resilience training should be given to children, said: “To increase children's psychological resilience, responsibility training should be given at an early age. Instead of immediately fulfilling every wish of the child, it is necessary to teach them the skill of delaying gratification and to provide resilience training. For this, the child should be given a purpose and enabled to achieve it. The 4-6 age range, in particular, is a critical period for providing these trainings. During this period, the pleasure centers in children's brains should not be merely a source of instant gratification. That is, a child should not have a structure that only gets dopamine from games or screens. At this age, children should be taught areas such as music, art, and helping others. Thus, different sources of pleasure are formed in the brain. In the future, even if one of these sources is disabled, they can use another. If the child focuses solely on a single source of pleasure, namely consumption, this can lead to serious problems such as substance addiction in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the child's brain with multitask, or versatile, experiences at an early age. At the same time, emotional regulation should also be taught. That is, the child should learn to enjoy different areas and be able to manage their emotions.”
“The most effective education is to be a role model”
Tarhan, emphasizing that parents should act together, continued: “The husband-wife relationship can end, marriages can conclude, but parenthood never ends. If a divorce becomes necessary, intelligent and conscious parents can continue to act together for the child's well-being. In this case, even if the child grows up in a broken family, they are less harmed. If the child thinks, ‘My mother and father are still communicating for my well-being,’ this is very valuable for the child's emotional development. However, if the child witnesses one parent disparaging the other, this damages secure attachment. The child cannot learn what is right or wrong, or how to behave in different situations. Social norms do not settle in their mind, and they experience confusion in their inner world. If there is a safe environment at home, if the child sees their family as a sanctuary, they will return even if they make mistakes. Additionally, from an early age, children should be asked questions like, ‘What kind of person do you want to be at the end of your life? How do you want to be remembered? What do you want to produce or leave for society?’ As the child ponders these questions, their goals take shape, and they accept that the path to that goal is not always full of flowers, but sometimes stony. If the parents are a good example in coping with these difficulties, the child also learns these skills. Here, the most effective education is to be a role model.”
“If we use it incorrectly, it can turn life upside down!”
Tarhan, stating that artificial intelligence must be used correctly, said: “At the current peak of technology, there are now AI-powered chat applications developed to alleviate loneliness. One person even jokingly said, ‘I’ll give this program to my mother-in-law, it'll keep her busy for a while.’ Indeed, artificial intelligence contributes to our lives with functions like quick access to information and facilitating certain processes. However, a very critical detail should not be overlooked at this point. Artificial intelligence does not have consciousness. It interprets and produces only what we feed it. Therefore, most AI applications include the warning, ‘This information may be incorrect.’ Yes, artificial intelligence can simplify life, support therapy processes, and even accompany you when you feel lonely. But the main decision should always be made by a human who knows the person closely and possesses emotional intelligence. Because software cannot know your strengths and weaknesses; it cannot truly understand you. The situation is particularly riskier for adolescents. Some young people can form intense emotional bonds with AI applications. In an incident in the UK, a 14-year-old girl mistook her interaction with AI for reality. She thought the AI loved her and decided to die together. Ultimately, a suicide attempt occurred. This incident was not a result of artificial intelligence itself, but of a child's perceptual confusion, her inability to distinguish reality from emotions. We must not forget that technology itself is inherently neutral. What matters here is the purpose for which we use it. If used correctly, it provides quick access to information and simplifies tasks. If used incorrectly, it can turn life upside down.”
“The master-apprentice relationship is the essence of education”
Tarhan, stating that theoretical knowledge becomes permanent when combined with facts, concluded his words by saying: “Learning happens not only from books but also through experiences. The master-apprentice relationship is the essence of education. Because theoretical knowledge only becomes permanent when combined with facts. Thinking, analyzing, and explaining through experienced events. This is the peak of the learning pyramid: learning by explaining. If learning by listening is at the bottom, then learning by doing projects and presenting them is at the top. That's why project-based learning models are now becoming widespread globally. A group of students comes together, researches a topic, develops a project, and presents it to the class. This both develops their self-confidence and enables them to internalize the information. Active participation from an early age is the key to lasting learning. For this, teachers get more tired, and put in more effort. If we don't put in this effort now, future generations will reproach us.”
Photo: Elifnur Celep