And beyond the therapy of the clinic, a supportive atmosphere in schools, workplaces, and communities has a great deal to do with mental health. On the flip side, it seems doubtful that any drug can wipe out the harmful effects of abusive work and personal relationships. The view of human nature that is current in academic psychology and neuroscience falls somewhat between the rational optimism of the Enlightenment and the cynical pessimism of Social Darwinists. This explains why there is so much prejudice based on superficial factors like skin color, age, mannerisms, and professional jargon. But in spite of all this, most people are capable under the right circumstances of acts of great courage, love, and physical or intellectual skill.
Human minds are like all complex systems in that they can exhibit a wide range of behaviors.
Nonlinear dynamical system theory studies principles that are common to all these examples. This may sound like an argument for human powerlessness. I believe it would be more productive to ask what the person is really trying to accomplish by his or her behavior and direct the client toward a more satisfying way of achieving his or her goal. That is very useful but it isn t enough. This means that if a client has made some growth in the past and appears to be going back to earlier, neurotic patterns, that doesn t mean the earlier growth has been wiped out.