Week 2: What is Adjustment?
Last week, we had discussed the definition of psychology and how it differs from the ancient definition and the modern definition. Before the lesson started, our lecturer, Dr Mohd Nasir did a bit of flashback on the last lesson's topic so that we can relate the connection between psychology and adjustment.
The lesson began with clarifying the definition of the term "adjustment". Based on the dictionary, adjustment is the make or become suitable for the circumstances. However, the true meaning of adjustment is beyond that. Adjustment is a behavioural or psychological process by humans or other living things to maintain a balance among all needs or between the needs and the obstacles from the environments.
The concept of adjustment was originally borrowed from biology, which is the biological term adaptation. The meaning of adaptation is referring to the efforts by a certain species to adjust to changes in the environment. For example, a camel has to adapt to the extreme condition in the desert or a person has to adjust to changes in circumstances such as a getting into a new school, getting a new job or the loss of loved one. There are several processes before we get into adjustment, motive, non-fulfilment, varied activities and response.
In my opinion, adjustment is really important for us to ease or manage with the difficulties, needs, demands and challenges in daily lives. We have to learn how to seek an equilibrium between needs, demands and wants, between the needs of continuity for current state and adaptability to the new, and between our own self and others in the community or society. Learning the necessary skills for adjustment enables us to know more about ourselves and others, our limits and leads us to the benefits of compassion and emotions.