sonal development, not just by “treating” the individual in question
but by having the person “treat” (modify) their own environments.
Self-insight means insight into self in context.
Fact 4: We cannot know the differences in people’s genotypes,
only that such differences will frequently lead individuals to
respond differently to the same stimuli. As in medicine, people
often respond differently to the same treatment for genetic reasons.
What is a healing dose for some may be ineffective or even toxic for
others. Although we can make educated guesses, often only trial-
and-error will tell us which treatments—which changes in envi-
ronment and experience—are most effective for an individual. The
more calculated the experimentation, however, the quicker we
learn. Moreover, some people are less able or less willing to accept
treatment, no matter how effective we know it to be. Of those who
accept treatment, some will undermine its effectiveness by misun-
derstanding or misapplying it.
Therefore, be alert for and respectful of individuality in response
to the same experiences, including counseling treatments. The readi-
ness to experiment and explore, the ability to gather and integrate
relevant information, and other strengths and weaknesses in voca-
tional development are somewhat genetically conditioned. Coun-
selors therefore should expect young people to differ considerably
in both the degree and type of support and guidance they need,
and may always need, even when they are dealing with exactly the
same vocational problem (anxiety, indecision, lack of informa-
tion, family pressures, and so on). Effective counseling is like a
good life niche in the sense that both require that we fashion expe-
riences and environments that resonate constructively with ge-
netic individuality.
Fact 5: We can know only people’s phenotypes, that is, the ob-
servable but ceaselessly evolving results of the nature-nurture part-
nership within an individual. Thus, although we must respect the
force of the genotype, we can cooperate with it only indirectly
through the phenotype—the joint emissary representing both na-
ture and nurture.
GOTTFREDSON’S THEORY OF CIRCUMSCRIPTION, COMPROMISE, AND SELF-CREATION 137