What do you think?
Rate this book
The Inflated Self: Human Illusions and the Biblical Call to Hope
Dr. David Myers, professor of psychology at Hope College, Holland, MI, has given us another insightful book in the field of psychosociology. A popularly written book, it combines general psychology and theology in a practical and satisfying way. Myers
provides persuasive arguments for the necessity of using scientifically based psychology to reduce the personal prejudices and biases that we all carry.
provides persuasive arguments for the necessity of using scientifically based psychology to reduce the personal prejudices and biases that we all carry.
- GenresPsychology
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
10 people want to read
About the author
David G. Myers
389 books179 followersDavid G. Myers is a professor of Psychology at Hope College in Michigan, and the author of 17 books, including popular textbooks entitled Psychology, Exploring Psychology, Social Psychology and several general-audience books dealing with issues related to Christian faith as well as scientific psychology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 20, 2024
A PSYCHOLOGIST CONVERGES THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PICTURE WITH THE BIBLICAL
David G. Myers (born 1942) is a professor of psychology at Hope College; he has written/cowritten many books, such as 'The human puzzle,' 'Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith,' 'Psychology & Christianity,' 'What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1980 book, "the Bible portrays the drama of our sin and self-deceit. This drama is central to the biblical understanding of the human condition... this biblical understanding... may make sin more intelligible, thus strengthening the credibility of biblical faith in the modern age... It is for that end that this book, attempts to converge the modern research perspective with the ancient biblical perspective on our human condition." (Pg. xiii)
He states, "Evil emanates from the heart, the center, of the individual person, and yet it may also be seen as accumulating into a power which transcends and corrupts persons. Both history and science are replete with testimonies to the corrupting power of evil situations." (Pg. 13) He adds, "The dynamics of evil observed by research psychologists will come as no surprise to those familiar with the biblical story of our human condition... Seeing the parallels between the scientific and biblical ideas may therefore renew our appreciation for the significance of the biblical idea... Increasingly, the biblical image of sin and evil seems not to be archaic nonsense, as modern minds have so often supposed." (Pg. 33)
He argues, "Sin is thus estrangement from God and devotion to finite realities... sin is not peripheral to our existence: the corruption emanates from the very core of our being as we center our existence on false securities... This religious understanding that evil is inherent in us... is now paralleled by the scientific idea that selfishness, escalating greed, and the other social and cognitive sources of evil are intrinsic to our biological and social existence." (Pg. 34-35) He adds, "We image-bearers of the infinite and omniscient mind are capable of great achievements and impressive insights into nature... But our brilliance in some situations seems matched by our foolishness in others." (Pg. 81)
He concludes, "If self-help manuals, psychotherapy, and self-serving religion are not ultimate answers, then where is the means to deal with the evil and illusion of human existence? The answer, I believe, lies in the biblical proclamation of hope... it also constantly couples this bad news with proclamations of good news." (Pg. 147)
Myers' book will be of interest to Christians wanting a strongly "positive" attitude toward the integration of psychology with Christianity.
David G. Myers (born 1942) is a professor of psychology at Hope College; he has written/cowritten many books, such as 'The human puzzle,' 'Psychology Through the Eyes of Faith,' 'Psychology & Christianity,' 'What God Has Joined Together: The Christian Case for Gay Marriage,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1980 book, "the Bible portrays the drama of our sin and self-deceit. This drama is central to the biblical understanding of the human condition... this biblical understanding... may make sin more intelligible, thus strengthening the credibility of biblical faith in the modern age... It is for that end that this book, attempts to converge the modern research perspective with the ancient biblical perspective on our human condition." (Pg. xiii)
He states, "Evil emanates from the heart, the center, of the individual person, and yet it may also be seen as accumulating into a power which transcends and corrupts persons. Both history and science are replete with testimonies to the corrupting power of evil situations." (Pg. 13) He adds, "The dynamics of evil observed by research psychologists will come as no surprise to those familiar with the biblical story of our human condition... Seeing the parallels between the scientific and biblical ideas may therefore renew our appreciation for the significance of the biblical idea... Increasingly, the biblical image of sin and evil seems not to be archaic nonsense, as modern minds have so often supposed." (Pg. 33)
He argues, "Sin is thus estrangement from God and devotion to finite realities... sin is not peripheral to our existence: the corruption emanates from the very core of our being as we center our existence on false securities... This religious understanding that evil is inherent in us... is now paralleled by the scientific idea that selfishness, escalating greed, and the other social and cognitive sources of evil are intrinsic to our biological and social existence." (Pg. 34-35) He adds, "We image-bearers of the infinite and omniscient mind are capable of great achievements and impressive insights into nature... But our brilliance in some situations seems matched by our foolishness in others." (Pg. 81)
He concludes, "If self-help manuals, psychotherapy, and self-serving religion are not ultimate answers, then where is the means to deal with the evil and illusion of human existence? The answer, I believe, lies in the biblical proclamation of hope... it also constantly couples this bad news with proclamations of good news." (Pg. 147)
Myers' book will be of interest to Christians wanting a strongly "positive" attitude toward the integration of psychology with Christianity.
December 22, 2023
PART ONE: THE DYNAMICS OF EVIL
1. A Psychology of Personal Evil
2. A Psychology of Social Evil
3. A Theology of Evil
PART TWO: ILLUSIONS OF HUMAN THOUGHT
4. How We Form and Sustain False Beliefs: I
5. How We Form and Sustain False Beliefs: II
6. How We Form and Sustain False Beliefs: III
7. ESP and the Paranormal Phenomena Phenomenon
8. Fallacious Personality Interpretation
9. Conclusions
PART THREE: WHERE THEN IS HOPE?
10. Therapeutic Psychology
11. Self-Serving Religion
12. Christian Hope
“Man will become better only when you make him see what he is like.”—Anton Chekhov
“Faith is always imperiled on the one side by despair and on the other side by optimism. Of these two enemies of faith, optimism is the more dangerous.”—Reinhold Niebuhr
“However great the discrepancies between men's lots, there is always a certain balance of joy and sorrow which equalizes all.”—La Rochefoucauld
“When our intellect does not conform to the reality of things, it wanders in the illusion of dreams and pursues a phantom.”—Pope Pius XII
“We can make a long list, from the Bible, of objects in which people from time to time reposed their hopes, only to find that all proved false . . . God is continually weaning us from our false hopes, in order to lead us instead to the one Hope, which is—himself.”—C. F. D. Moule
Many recent experiments consistently indicate that we tend to remember and analyze the events of our lives so as to take personal credit for desirable, positive happenings and to avoid blame for negative ones. Moreover, we generally come to morally justify acts we have committed. … These findings are complemented by research that consistently reveals that, on a variety of dimensions, most people see themselves as better than average.
Self-serving perceptions are not conscious lies; they are self-deceptions. In fact, there may be functional wisdom in this pride. Constant striving to prove our superiority can drive us to achieve. The self-serving bias may also sustain our sense of hope and purpose. One recent study found that while most people see themselves more favorably than other people see them (thus exhibiting the "normal" self-serving bias), depressed people see themselves as others see them. So we had best not take an ax to people's illusions unless we have a more solid hope to offer in exchange.
We all selectively notice, perceive, interpret, and recall events in ways which sustain our ideas. Such are the gymnastics which our minds perform to perpetuate our beliefs.
1. A Psychology of Personal Evil
2. A Psychology of Social Evil
3. A Theology of Evil
PART TWO: ILLUSIONS OF HUMAN THOUGHT
4. How We Form and Sustain False Beliefs: I
5. How We Form and Sustain False Beliefs: II
6. How We Form and Sustain False Beliefs: III
7. ESP and the Paranormal Phenomena Phenomenon
8. Fallacious Personality Interpretation
9. Conclusions
PART THREE: WHERE THEN IS HOPE?
10. Therapeutic Psychology
11. Self-Serving Religion
12. Christian Hope
“Man will become better only when you make him see what he is like.”—Anton Chekhov
“Faith is always imperiled on the one side by despair and on the other side by optimism. Of these two enemies of faith, optimism is the more dangerous.”—Reinhold Niebuhr
“However great the discrepancies between men's lots, there is always a certain balance of joy and sorrow which equalizes all.”—La Rochefoucauld
“When our intellect does not conform to the reality of things, it wanders in the illusion of dreams and pursues a phantom.”—Pope Pius XII
“We can make a long list, from the Bible, of objects in which people from time to time reposed their hopes, only to find that all proved false . . . God is continually weaning us from our false hopes, in order to lead us instead to the one Hope, which is—himself.”—C. F. D. Moule
Many recent experiments consistently indicate that we tend to remember and analyze the events of our lives so as to take personal credit for desirable, positive happenings and to avoid blame for negative ones. Moreover, we generally come to morally justify acts we have committed. … These findings are complemented by research that consistently reveals that, on a variety of dimensions, most people see themselves as better than average.
Self-serving perceptions are not conscious lies; they are self-deceptions. In fact, there may be functional wisdom in this pride. Constant striving to prove our superiority can drive us to achieve. The self-serving bias may also sustain our sense of hope and purpose. One recent study found that while most people see themselves more favorably than other people see them (thus exhibiting the "normal" self-serving bias), depressed people see themselves as others see them. So we had best not take an ax to people's illusions unless we have a more solid hope to offer in exchange.
We all selectively notice, perceive, interpret, and recall events in ways which sustain our ideas. Such are the gymnastics which our minds perform to perpetuate our beliefs.
May 9, 2024
Accurate rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Though it is obvious that the author contains more liberal ideology, with certain topics holding a naive outlook on social norms and programs; most of his thoughts are concrete and harness logic and truth.
I occasionally questioned his understanding of Biblical teaching due to his explanation of the Biblical narrative as told of the creation of the world. He claimed that it may not be literal but rather poetic. He also implied that the theory of evolution could be a possibility (which, modern-day scientists are now discrediting this theory). He did, however, more throughly explain his faith in Christ in the last part of the book, which was very good.
About halfway through the book, I researched the author and discovered that he has further forsaken certain Biblical beliefs for more secular acceptance. To this, I would recommend he reread his own work, "The Inflated Self," which points out that this behavior is a huge fault in humanity in this fallen world. Even if the world tells you the truth is wrong, you do not abandon it for the lies they spout.
His psychological analyses throughout the text are well researched and hold true even to this day. To address each of his claims in a review would be much too time-consuming. I am saddened by the fact that I had to demote my original 4/5 rating to a 3-star (really 3.5), but his occasional lack of Biblical and social logical thinking made it so.
I would recommend both Christian and secular persons, interested in the psychological aspect of how humans view themselves and the faults of self-absorption, to read this book with skepticism and the understanding of one's own beliefs.
Though it is obvious that the author contains more liberal ideology, with certain topics holding a naive outlook on social norms and programs; most of his thoughts are concrete and harness logic and truth.
I occasionally questioned his understanding of Biblical teaching due to his explanation of the Biblical narrative as told of the creation of the world. He claimed that it may not be literal but rather poetic. He also implied that the theory of evolution could be a possibility (which, modern-day scientists are now discrediting this theory). He did, however, more throughly explain his faith in Christ in the last part of the book, which was very good.
About halfway through the book, I researched the author and discovered that he has further forsaken certain Biblical beliefs for more secular acceptance. To this, I would recommend he reread his own work, "The Inflated Self," which points out that this behavior is a huge fault in humanity in this fallen world. Even if the world tells you the truth is wrong, you do not abandon it for the lies they spout.
His psychological analyses throughout the text are well researched and hold true even to this day. To address each of his claims in a review would be much too time-consuming. I am saddened by the fact that I had to demote my original 4/5 rating to a 3-star (really 3.5), but his occasional lack of Biblical and social logical thinking made it so.
I would recommend both Christian and secular persons, interested in the psychological aspect of how humans view themselves and the faults of self-absorption, to read this book with skepticism and the understanding of one's own beliefs.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews