Rollo May is a famous American psychologist and psychotherapist.

Each of us has his own idea of the existence of people. Someone believes in fate, that everything in our lives is predetermined by the Most High, and we, like puppets, remain obedient to follow the threads of fate. Others think that a person chooses where and how to live, what to be, what way to go ... "One can not ignore fate, we can not simply erase it or replace it with something else. But we can choose how to respond to our destiny, using the abilities given to us, "said the great psychologist Rollo May. After all, it's true, randomness is not accidental, so fate is, but does not a person have a choice? The last years of his life, May dedicated this very issue.

General information

The full name is Rollo Reese May. Date of birth: April 21, 1909 Date of death - October 22, 1994. Place of birth - the city of Ada, Ohio. The place of death is the city of Tiburon, California.
Parents: Mother - Erla Taitla May, father - Mati Bauton May. Family: Rollo May was born into a fairly large family of 7 children (the oldest sister and the other 6 brothers, Rollo May was the oldest of them). Place of residence: almost immediately after the birth of the child, the family moved to another city in Michigan, Marin City, where they spent all the childhood years of a psychologist. Cause of death: a long illness.

The family of the psychologist Rollo May was not as positive as one can imagine. Father and mother were uneducated people who were angry that their children were intellectually developing. Engage with their children once there was a mother and father, so the kids were entertained and developed themselves.

Soon the parents could not live together and filed for divorce. Perhaps this was the first impetus on the path to a career in psychology. Thus, in the family atmosphere was not the best, the boy often ran away from home, and from school, to stay in silence, alone with nature. There he felt calm and happy.
In addition to communicating with nature, the psychologist began to be interested in literature and art from an early age, which subsequently accompanied him all his life.

Rollo May entered the institute, but was soon expelled from him for his rebelliousness and willful character. However, he entered college Oberlin and successfully graduated.

The Beginning of Adulthood

After graduating from college, Rollo May went to Greece and began to teach there his native English at one of the local schools.
At the same time, the psychologist discovered new places for himself, traveling to beautiful cities in Europe. He revealed the culture of each country, deepening in understanding himself and the person as a whole. He was also interested in medicine, namely clinical psychology, that is, how a person copes with his illness and whether this can somehow affect his future life.

Understanding your own role in life

In his 30 years, Rollo May faced a terrible disease - tuberculosis. In those days it was an incurable disease. He went to a sanatorium where he had to experience a lot, realizing the approach of death. He began to understand that the physical condition of a person is inextricably linked with his emotional component. Watching the patients who were in the same sanatorium, Rollo May revealed that those who stopped fighting for life died before our eyes, and those who aspired to live, most often recovered. Then he realized that there is a destiny, that is, an illness, but to accept it or fight it is a decision that the person himself takes. Wrote Rollo May "A Man in Search of Yourself", where he tried to understand himself, in his life and helped people around him.

The main problem of mankind is anxiety

Rollo May began to write books, to know himself and others. He devoted years to the study of the works of great classics, such as: Freud and Kierkegaard.
And as a result of his many years of research, the psychologist realized that a person can conquer everything: illnesses, problems, troubles and even death in case he can overcome the feeling of anxiety and fear in his mind. And for this, each of us must engage in self-knowledge.

Proceedings of a psychologist

Realizing the moment that the problem of mankind is fear of the unknown and the constant anxiety for themselves and their future, Rollo May wrote down all his thoughts on this subject in his thesis, which was printed in 1950 under the title "The Significance of Anxiety." This became his first major publication, after which the psychologist began to immerse himself more deeply in the knowledge of himself, the relationship between the world and man,
Personality.
This gave rise to his publications, publications of books and manuals to study himself. Psychological help, which the psychologist provided, was able to revive many people to a happy life. The most famous books are:
1. "The meaning of anxiety".
2. "The discovery of being."
3. "Love and will".

Homecoming

After a few years, Rollo May returns to the United States, where he writes his first and still best publication on psychology (the "Guide to Psychological Counseling"). At the same time, he is trained in the seminary and becomes a clergyman. There is nothing accidental in life, every activity, every action and every choice is called upon to bring a person to where he is destined to come, but by the power of will and self-knowledge everyone can change his future. Many people tried to get to a personal reception with a psychologist after reading the book "Psychological counseling". Rollo May tried to find the answer, to reveal the truth for everyone who went to him for help.

Bestseller in the history of human psychology

The plot was based on the self-awareness (Rollo May), "Love and Will" became the most published and readable book of Rollo May. She left in 1969. Literally a year later she was awarded the Ralph Emerson Prize . In this book, there is an analysis of the natural components of man.
This is directly love for yourself, for everything that surrounds us, and will, the ability to choose and follow the chosen path. The author points out that in order to expand his zone of comfortable life, these two criteria should merge into one. Only in the favorable co-existence of love and will a person will be able to re-discover himself and enter a new stage in the life path.

Fundamentals of Psychology

In all his life, Rollo May, unlike other psychologists, did not found his own school. He believed that this only distracts from the truly important aspects of the teaching. He considered his main task and goal to make people feel free. This is the basis of a happy life, to feel free from all prejudices, fears, uncertainty and anxiety. Throwing away all doubts, believing in yourself and your "I", a person is able to overcome even death. The art of psychological counseling helped the psychologist to become a conduit to everyone who addressed him. He said that in his power to help a person make a choice between being a victim, strictly following the fate, or taking himself and his way into their own hands.

Conclusion

Rollo May is a great psychologist who has managed to know himself and his role in this world. He was able to help and still helps people through their books to choose freedom,
Love, life, full of meaning, peace and adventure.
The psychological help that he provided helped him to lead the man out of his own crisis. Thanks to his ability to help people, Rollo May lived a long and happy life in his own way.