Abstract
The patient and the psychiatrist often have different belief systems about personality and its functions. The one held by the patient is derived at least in part, from the values and attitudes toward people of a business-dominated society. Examples of several attitudes are discussed. First, that everyone should be able to solve his own personal and interpersonal problems without assistance. This exaggerated and narrow individualism leads to increasing alienation, reluctance to enter therapy and difficulty in the establishment of a therapeutic relationship. Second, the notion that will power is an entity which can influence and control thoughts, feelings and behaviour leads to much useless effort on the part of the patient. Third, emotions are considered inferior to reason and are distrusted, making the psychiatrist's work of helping patients to recognize and accept their feelings much more difficult. Many self-attitudes are derived from commercial values and the view of human beings as commodities.
The belief system derived from business is materialistic, mechanical, limiting and anti-humanistic. The belief system held by the psychiatrist is humanistic and oriented toward a full-valued, integrated individual. These opposing systems may interfere with communication and hence with therapy. The psychiatrist is not always free from the harmful assumptions held by the patient.