The Subjective Past: A Narrative of “Me Now”

Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt

To explore Adlerian psychology’s concepts of empathy, teleology, and the subjective nature of the past.

Key Takeaways

• Empathy is a Skill, Not Sympathy: Empathy is the active skill of imagining another’s life to understand their perspective, distinct from passive agreement (sympathy).

• Teleology Over Aetiology: Behaviour is driven by present goals, not past causes. The past is a tool used to justify current choices, not a determinant of them.

• The Past Is Subjective: Memory is a narrative constructed to affirm one’s “self now.” This explains why people recall strict teachers with gratitude (to affirm their current success) or resentment (to justify current dissatisfaction).

• Respect Is Contagious: Educators must model respect as an equal to students. This practice, like courage, spreads and builds a foundation for all relationships.

Topics

Empathy vs. Sympathy

• The session began by defining empathy as an active skill rather than a passive feeling.

• Empathy: The skill of imagining another’s life to understand their perspective.

  • Example: To understand a student who doesn’t study, imagine their specific life circumstances (age, home, friends) to grasp their motivations.

• Sympathy: Passive agreement with another’s opinions or feelings.

• Actionable Insight: Educators must “dive in” and show concern for students’ concerns, interacting with them as equals to build respect.

Teleology: The Power of Present Goals

• Adlerian psychology’s core principle is teleology—the idea that human behaviour is driven by present goals rather than past causes.

• Contrast:

  • Teleology (Future-focused): We act to achieve goals.

  • Aetiology (Past-focused): We are determined by past events.

• Example: A person with a “dark personality” isn’t a victim of a bad home environment (aetiology). They chose that personality to achieve the goal of avoiding hurt (teleology).

The Subjective Past: A Narrative of “Me Now”

• The past is a subjective narrative constructed to affirm one’s “self now.”

• Mechanism: To justify current choices, people select events from the past and assign meaning to them, while ignoring or erasing contradictory events.

• Example: A man bitten by a dog initially recalled only the attack, which supported his view of a dangerous world. When his worldview shifted to a safer one, he recalled being helped by a stranger, creating a new, affirming narrative.

• Application to Education: This explains why students recall strict teachers differently:

  • Gratitude: To affirm their current success.

  • Resentment: To justify current dissatisfaction.

History as a Manipulated Narrative

• The group discussed how this subjective principle applies to collective history.

• Insight: History is a “grand story” manipulated by those in power to legitimise their rule.

• Examples:

  • NCERT textbooks are periodically rewritten to reflect current political sentiment.

  • British history curricula often omit colonialism.

• Conclusion: The past, both personal and collective, is a tool for the present, not an objective reality.

Next Steps

• Priyanka Rathore: Share handwritten notes from the session in the WhatsApp group for collective reflection.

• All Participants: Review the session recording and notes before the next meeting.

• All Participants: The next masterclass is scheduled for March 7, 2026.

Fathom AI Notes, read with due care.

We ❤️ Poetry with Brinda Ghosh - 6th March 2025

#ThoughtfulThursdays @ My Good School

Poetry sessions on Thursdays focus on listening to and appreciating poetry as a form of art. Poetry for pleasure and enjoyment, poetry as a stress buster and poetry to improve your own lifestyle- is the motive! 

The session on 7March’25, focussed on Ballads and the difference between Ballads and Narrative poems. While a short time was spent on understanding the nuances of  a Ballad, most of the session was utilised to make participants realise that poetry is an outcome of our own reflections and is sponataneous. Some personal compositions were shared by Saloni, Nibratti & Neena. The highlight was Oshi our Intern sharing her creation! 

Sandeep had rightly impressed upon teachers from GSA schools to join the session for their growth as teachers and so we hit a century- we had 102 participants! 

Brinda concluded the session urging participants to write and share their creations and read out Think Different - the Apple Anthem!

Last week's session: https://on.soundcloud.com/Y8JZGNeZmWVpt1Sy5

Ulysses, by Alfred Tennyson: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45392/ulysses

The Ballad Of East And West: https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_eastwest.htm

Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!

Realization, Enlightenment and the Life of Rapture by Ted Falconar: https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/realization-enlightenment-and-the-life-of-rapture. Book available at The English Book Depot: www.englishbookdepot.com

समझौता - Suman Singh https://www.happyteacher.in/2025/03/suman-singh.html

Here is a wonderfully rich introduction to the work of the great mystical poet, featuring the leading literary translations of his verse. Translators include Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Andrew Harvey, Kabir and Camille Helminski, Daniel Liebert, and Peter Lamborn Wilson. The Rumi Collection also includes a biography of Rumi by Andrew Harvey, as well as an introductory essay by Kabir Helminski on the challenges of translating Rumi into English.

My Student, My Guide

Nibbrati Rathore

https://www.happyteacher.in/2025/03/my-student-my-guide-ms-nibbrati-rathore.html

Thoughtfulness and Understanding - Welham Boys' School

A. An important component of thoughtfulness is showing concern. Elaborate on 3 tools you would like to use in your classroom to inculcate thoughtfulness about the right things among your students. 

I want to use the following three tools in my classroom to inculcate thoughtfulness about the right things among my students:

1. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: It has been demonstrated that practising mindfulness and deep breathing techniques help to lower stress, improve focus, and improve wellness in general. I aim to teach students how to control their emotions, be present at the moment, and create empathy for others. I do this by adding mindful breathing techniques. For instance, to assist the class in relaxing and tuning into their thoughts and feelings before a lesson or activity, I could lead them through a 3–5-minute breathing exercise.
2. Keep a thankfulness journal: Studies have shown that practising appreciation boosts good feelings, lowers stress, and enhances mental health. I want to include gratitude journaling to inspire kids to pay attention to the good things in their lives and develop empathy for others. Students could list three things they are glad for each day, share them with a partner, and talk about the qualities they value in one another.
3. Experiential Learning: Real-world examples can be used by teachers to assist their students in comprehending how their actions can affect others and the environment. They can demonstrate the adverse effects of careless behaviour and the advantages of being mindful via news articles, films, and case studies.

B. To understand the world around you, you need to develop empathy. Give examples of specific activities/exercises you'd like to conduct in your classroom to inculcate empathy among your students.

I would conduct the following activities/exercises in my classroom to foster empathy among my students:

1. Storytelling: Sharing personal narratives or experiences is a great technique to foster empathy and understanding for other people. Students may have a greater sense of empathy for others by being encouraged to tell their own stories and listen to those of their peers. For example, I would ask students to describe when they faced a problem or overcame a challenge.
2. One-Act Play: During one-act play, students can experience what it could be like to be in another person's shoes and be in a new position or have a different point of view. Students can start to gain a more profound knowledge of other people's thoughts, feelings, and experiences by participating in role-playing activities. For example, I might have them act out various situations like peer mediation, conflict resolution, or exercises to develop empathy.
3. Social Service Projects: Students get to learn about many cultures, viewpoints, and experiences by participating in social service initiatives. Students can learn empathy for others and a more profound knowledge of their community's problems and difficulties by participating in service projects.

- Neelima Parmar, Monika Gupta and Vandana Sahay

Welham Boys’ School