182 Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory of Personality
interactive. The two systems usually operate in synchrony and
produce compromises between them, but sometimes they
conflict with each other, resulting in what are commonly re-
ferred to as conflicts between the heart and the head. A re-
search program was described that provided support for many
of the assumptions in CEST. The implications of CEST were
discussed for psychotherapy and psychological research.
It was noted that neither system is superior to the other.
They are simply different ways of understanding the world
and behaving in it. The experiential system is intimately as-
sociated with emotions and adapts by learning from out-
comes. The rational system is a affect-free and adapts by
logical inference. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Although the rational system is responsible for remarkable
achievements in science and technology, it is less well suited
for everyday living than is the experiential system. Moreover,
the experiential system can intuitively and holistically solve
some problems that are beyond the capacity of the analytical,
rule-based reasoning of the rational system (Hammond,
1996). The experiential system is also a source of some of hu-
mankind’s most desirable attributes, including the capacity
for passion, compassion, love, creativity, and appreciation of
aesthetics. However, it is also a source of serious difficulties,
including superstitious thinking, prejudice, violence, and—
perhaps most important—undermining people’s ability to
think rationally. Thus, the experiential system is a mixed
blessing; it is difficult to live with it, but it would be impossi-
ble to live without it.
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