Gemeinschaftsgefühl + Eupsychia = 2bFree4Life

While conducting research and a review of the literature for my doctoral dissertation; Toward Gemeinschaftsgefühl: Exploring subordinate and manager perceptions of trust and perceptions regarding behavioral change potential, I became acutely aware of the myriad of definitions of Gemeinschaftsgefühl. Further, if one were to adopt and embrace Eupsychian principles in conjunction with Gemeinschaftsgefühl, a culture of humanistic enlightenment could be achieved, personally and organizationally; in essence, Freedom.
Gemeinschaftsgefühl:
• Adlerian psychologists posited Gemeinschaftsgefühl is a state of connectedness, “community feeling” or “social interest”; in which the well-being of others is manifested (Ansbacher, 1991).
• Gemeinschaftsgefühl is a feeling of brotherly love or a closeness (community feeling, community sense, or humanistic identification); a kinship with other human beings (O’Connell, 1965; Martin, 2011).
• Gemeinschaftsgefühl can be described as the cooperative behavior or team unity achieved in organizations where trust resides (Huber, 2006; Martin, 2011).
• Abraham Maslow believed Gemeinschaftsgefühl as the only word available, which described the feeling of humankind, and a deep feeling of identification, sympathy, and affection in spite of occasional anger and impatience (Ansbacher, 1991).
• TED 2007 – “A profound sense of connection with others and a desire to improve our lot, environmentally, economically, physically, socially, [and] spiritually (Guarriello, 2007).

Eupsychia:
• Eupsychia was coined by Abraham H. Maslow in his journal notes, which were later published under the title, Eupsychian Management in 1965, and later republished under the title Maslow on Management in 1998.
• Eupsychia is the preferred word for implying real possibility and improvement rather than speculation regarding future states of being (Maslow, 1965; Maslow, Stephens, & Heil, 1998; Martin, 2011).
• The principle of eupsychia or enlightenment is synonymous with continuous improvement in relation to the study of human behavior and motivation.
• Maslow (1965) hypothesized that positive human potential is manifested when the needs of the organization are aligned with the needs of the people (Payne, 2000).
• An understanding of the perceptions of trust can advance individuals and organizations toward a state of Gemeinschaftsgefühl; a more humanistic culture (O’Connell, 1965).

2bFree4Life:
• A culmination of Gemeinschaftsgefühl PLUS Eupsychia: Connectedness, community, feeling, social, interest, well-being, brotherly love, closeness, community sense, humanistic, identification, kinship, human cooperative, behavior, team, unity, trust, feeling, humankind, deep, sympathy, affection, profound, sense, desire, improve, environmentally, economically, physically, socially, spiritually, real, possibility, principle, enlightenment, continuous, relation, human, behavior, motivation, positive, potential, needs, aligned, understanding, perceptions, trust, humanistic, and culture.
• Founded on the principles as defined by Maslow’s 37 assumptions (Maslow, 1965, p. 17-33).
• The process whereby one’s personal thoughts form attitudes, which influence decisions, which direct actions, through habits and character.
• True freedom is manifested through selflessness rather than selfishness; what one thinks about, one brings about.
• Freedom is conceived through reciprocity of humanness; “ripples are indicative of human life, one cannot touch another without being touched back” (Martin, 2010).

Ansbacher, H. (1991). The concept of social interest. Individual Psychology: Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research & Practice, 47, 28-46.

Guarriello, T. ( 2007). TED 2007.

Martin, B. G. (2011). Toward Gemeinschaftsgefühl: Exploring subordinate and manager perceptions of trust and perceptions regarding behavioral change potential (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3486058)

Maslow, A. H. (1965). Eupsychian management: A journal. Homewood, IL: Richard D. Irwin, Inc. and The Dorsey Press.

Maslow, A. H., Stephens, D. C., & Heil, G. (1998). Maslow on management. New York, NY: Wiley.

O’Connell, W. (1965). Humanistic identification: A new translation for Gemeinschaftsgefühl. Journal of Individual Psychology, 21, 44-47.

Payne, R. L. (2000). Eupsychian management and the millennium. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 15, 219-226.