Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionIII. Humanistic/Existential
Theories- May: Existential
Psychology
(^364) © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2009
358 Part III Humanistic/Existential Theories
allows us to be less concerned with freedom of doing and more concerned with es-
sential freedom.
Does not the engaging of our destiny—which is the design of our life—hedge us
about with the confinement, the sobriety, indeed, often the cruelty, which forces
us to look beyond the limits of day-to-day action? Is not the inescapable fact of
death... the concentration camp of us all? Is not the fact that life is a joy and
a bondage at the same time enough to drive us to consider the deeper aspect of
being? (May, 1981, p. 61)
What Is Destiny?
May (1981) defined destiny as “the design of the universe speaking through the de-
sign of each one of us” (p. 90). Our ultimate destiny is death, but on a lesser scale
our destiny includes other biological properties such as intelligence, gender, size and
strength, and genetic predisposition toward certain illnesses. In addition, psycholog-
ical and cultural factors contribute to our destiny.
Destiny does not mean preordained or foredoomed. It is our destination, our
terminus, our goal. Within the boundaries of our destiny, we have the power to
choose, and this power allows us to confront and challenge our destiny. It does not,
however, permit any change we wish. We cannot be successful at any job, conquer
any illness, enjoy a fulfilling relationship with any person. We cannot erase our des-
tiny, “but we can choose how we shall respond, how we shall live out our talents
which confront us” (May, 1981, p. 89).
May suggested that freedom and destiny, like love-hate or life-death, are not
antithetical but rather a normal paradox of life. “The paradox is that freedom owes
its vitality to destiny, and destiny owes its significance to freedom” (May, 1981,
p. 17). Freedom and destiny are thus inexorably intertwined; one cannot exist with-
out the other. Freedom without destiny is unruly license. Ironically, license leads
Destiny is our “concentration camp” that paradoxically defines our essential freedom.