Psychology Today | 27.07.2026 04:32
Initially, any reference to growth only pertained to plants and animals. In the 15th century, growth was defined as a person’s body parts and height. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the notion of growth or maturation came to be applied to human psychology. One way to think of a person’s personal psychological growth is as change that enhances our capacities to think, feel, and act. We can consider thinking to be flourishing when we are accepting of ambiguity and able to distinguish our stories about people and events from the reality of people and events. It means being clear about our biases and maintaining curiosity.
