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Chapter 20 - Reflections on an Improbable Journey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 April 2022

By
Carol D. Ryff
Edited by
Jamila Bookwala  and
Nicky J. Newton
Jamila Bookwala
Affiliation:
Lafayette College, Pennsylvania
Nicky J. Newton
Affiliation:
Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario
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Summary

I grew up in a small town in the wild west populated by descendants of early settlers. It was a world of practicality and common sense, where talk did not revolve around the meaning of life. From childhood on, I have been a blend of ambition and inadequacy. The combination was fruitful for getting me through the hoops of higher education and the challenges that followed. My academic journey has included incredible opportunities, particularly of the mentoring variety, as well as interesting obstacles and set-backs. Overall, the driving motivation behind it has been to paint on a big canvas – i.e., to understand human well-being and human becoming in all of its complexity. In so doing, I have been influenced by many mentors, most of whom I have never met. It was reading their work that inspired me and helped me see where to go next. The quest to reach into new territories continues.

Type
Chapter
Information
Reflections from Pioneering Women in Psychology , pp. 254 - 267
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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References

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