untitled

confident) from the transcribed descriptions in the
participants’ language; conceptualizing the essences
in the language of the researcher; synthesizing lan-
guage art from the essences of each participant’s de-
scription; extracting and synthesizing core concepts
(core ideas about feeling confident that were de-
scribed, in some way, by all participants); and syn-
thesizing a structure of the lived experience (Parse,
1998, 2001a). The structure, as evolved, answers the
research question. The extraction-synthesis process
is illustrated here, beginning with Ben’s story.

Ben at 42 years of age said that feeling confident is “an

overall feeling good, like I have something to offer,”

and “like my thoughts and ideas have value and

weight.” It is “feeling useful and important and worth-

while.” Ben described volunteer work he did with

other people who have spinal cord injuries. He said,

“speaking with somebody and helping strangers who

seem motivated or encouraged by what I have to say,

that’s makes me feel good, like I have done something

of value.” Feeling confident is “not worrying or won-

dering about what is going to happen the next day, or

the rest of your life.” It is “being calm,” “content,” and

“happy.” It is “knowing that whatever happens, you

will get through it.” Ben said, “You can’t know the an-

swers ahead of time, or how you’ll deal with things,

but you know that you should be okay.” He shared,

feeling confident is “feeling comfortable about what I

do, and if anyone wanted to argue about it, I could.” It

is knowing “there’s nothing about me that I have to

feel insecure about, or feel like someone is going to

look at me and judge me and think I am less than they

are. I guess it is all self image.” Ben said feeling confi-

dent is “getting psyched up” and “doing something

that I am interested in accomplishing.” It is “recogniz-

ing things around you and being aware of what is

going on, rather than just aimlessly plodding along.”

It is having “a bigger sense of life and keeping up to

date with the world and friends and people.” Ben

added, “my experience of feeling confident changes

almost daily. Sometimes I have confidence and other

times I don’t, it depends on how familiar I am with

the situation” and “on the feedback I get from the

other person I am dealing with. If I feel intimidated

then I don’t always feel confident.” (Table 14–2)

Three core concepts were extracted-synthesized

from the language art of all participants:buoyant

assuredness amid unsureness, sustaining engage-

ments,and persistently pursuing the cherished.They

were then synthesized into the structure.Feeling

confident is a buoyant assuredness amid unsureness

that arises with sustaining engagements while persist-

ently pursuing the cherished. The structure was then

woven with the principles of human becoming

through the three processes ofheuristic interpreta-

tion:structural transposition, conceptual integra-

tion, and artistic expression (Parse, 2003c).

Structural transpositionand conceptual integration

CHAPTER 14 Applications of Parse’s Human Becoming School of Thought 201

Table 14–2 Progressive abstraction of the core concepts

of the lived experience of feeling confident

Core Concept Structural Transposition Conceptual Integration

Buoyant assuredness amid unsureness

Sustaining engagements

Persistently pursuing the cherished

STRUCTURE

Feeling confident is a buoyant assuredness amid unsureness that arises with sustaining engagements while persistently

pursuing the cherished.

STRUCTURAL TRANSPOSITION

Feeling confident is an elated certainty-uncertainty that arises with emboldening involvements while pushing-resisting

with the treasured.

CONCEPTUAL INTEGRATION

Feeling confident is originating the connecting-separating of powering valuing.

Elated certainty-uncertainty

Emboldening involvements

Pushing-resisting with the treasured

Originating

Connecting-separating

Powering-valuing