What is intention?
Intention is the direction of a person’s consciousness or thinking towards a specific object. That is, this concept implies that mental processes are aimed at achieving a certain goal, and a person has the intention to obtain a specific result. Intention can manifest itself in aspirations, intentions, desires, “emotional impulses,” plans and other forms.
Moreover, the object at which it is directed can be either real or fictitious. The term “intention” is derived from the Latin word intentio – intention, desire. The first to use it were medieval scholastics. It was introduced into modern philosophy by the Austrian philosopher Franz Bertrano in the 19th century. And this concept was introduced into psychology by representatives of the Würzburg school at the beginning of the 20th century.
Intention can be either conscious or unconscious. That is, a person can consistently move towards achieving a certain goal without thinking about the rationality and expediency of the actions he takes.
Generalizing knowledge
A holistic personality is characterized by an individual attitude to the world, the initial components of which are the experience of one’s situation, the reflection of emerging emotions in appropriate images, as well as the birth of a program aimed at preserving and developing a person. To successfully implement a personal plan, the desire and intention of the individual is necessary. Focus on results and analysis of necessary actions are the main steps in achieving what you want. And the opportunity to reformulate your attitude towards a problematic situation opens the door to a calm and successful life.
Examples of intention
It is customary to distinguish 2 main forms in which intention is realized, and based on them, let’s consider simple examples:
- Intention as a focus on an object. It is based on feelings associated with this object (the desire to possess something or someone, the desire to visit a certain country or see a rare animal). The simplest example is the intention to buy an apartment, which manifests itself in a clear focus on the implementation of this plan and the desire to make every effort to achieve this.
- Intention as goal orientation. This implies a desire to perform some action (the desire to jump with a parachute), to create something important and useful, to achieve something. A simple example is the intention to become an Olympic champion in any sport, which is manifested in constant training and proper nutrition.
In fact, there is no clear division between these 2 forms. For example, the desire to build a house can be considered as an intention aimed at achieving a goal (building a house, acquiring housing) or an object (house) . As an intangible example, we can cite Fermat’s famous theorem, which has haunted mathematicians for more than 3 centuries. Its proof can be considered both as an object and as a goal of intention.
Search engines have a concept called “user intent.” Essentially, this is the intention of the person who enters the search query. Perhaps he wants to watch a video or read an article, or perhaps he is planning to make a purchase. And the quality of search engines depends on their ability to correctly determine user intent.
Understanding the world
For existential psychology and existentialism in general, an important concept is the concept of the human world, which (the world), for example, according to R. May, is the structure of significant connections in which a person exists and the patterns that he uses. The world in existential psychology is understood precisely as the human world. The human world, in contrast to the closed worlds of animals and plants, is characterized by its openness. He, according to L. Binswanger, is not something given, static, to which a person simply adapts; it is rather a kind of dynamic model, thanks to which a person is in the process of formation and planning, since he has self-awareness. Existential analysts distinguish 3 modes (simultaneously coexisting aspects) of the world:
- Umwelt, lit. the world around
is material - the “biological” and “physical” world, the environment surrounding a person, the world of objects. A world into which a person is “thrown” by the fact of his birth and to which he adapts during his life. - Mitwelt, lit. with the world
- the world of creatures of the same species, the world of people close to a person, the world of relationships between people, during which they change. - Eigenwelt, lit. your own world
- the world of self, the world of self-awareness and self-awareness, the world “for me”.
From this understanding of the world, in particular, it follows that the reality of being in the world is lost (reduced) if the emphasis is on one of the worlds, while others are excluded. This often happens in scientific, including psychological, sociological and other approaches to understanding a person.
The difference between intention and desire
To correctly understand what intention is, it is important to learn to distinguish it from desire. Desire is a person’s attraction to something, based on simple instincts, the desire for pleasure or satisfaction. Intention is a desire that has a certain plan, intention, strategy of action. For example, if a person wants to have his own home, this is a desire. But when a plan is built around this desire (to save the required amount, buy a plot of land and build a house with certain characteristics), it turns into an intention.
Thus, intention has two main differences from desire:
- It represents a certain plan of action (not just a desire to get something, but an intention to get it in a certain way).
- It is more specific (not just satisfying a need, but satisfying it in a certain form).
For example, “I want a car” is a simple desire. But “I’ll buy a used car, learn to drive, then buy a specific model” - this is already an intention. A person understands what he is striving for, plans his actions and specifies the final goal. Similarly, the phrase “I want housing” is a desire, and the reasoning “I’ll save money, buy a plot in the village and build a house with a swimming pool and a library” is already a specific and purposeful intention.
Intentional processes
All people think differently. One person likes to delve into the essence of the problem, another prefers to look at the problem in general, without going into details. What processes take place in a person’s brain when he directs his thinking to some object or goal.
- Emotionality. Emotions help a person understand whether he likes an object or object of contemplation or reflection. If you like it, then you can continue studying or communicating. If something is unpleasant to a person, he will try to get rid of the negative thought or the horrifying object of contemplation as soon as possible.
- Motivation. Intention is the direction of thinking. It would not exist if a person did not have motivation. The desire to see something, go somewhere and do something is the main thing in a person’s healthy life.
- Cognition. A person strives for knowledge, and it helps him to better understand this world and the people living in it. Books also form a worldview and a picture of the world. They help a person gain passive experience, without spending any resources other than temporary ones.
Intention from the point of view of psychology
Psychologists define intention as the direction of consciousness towards a certain object (real or fictitious) or as the intention behind real actions. From the point of view of psychology, every action, decision or statement has intention. For example, when a person jokes, his goal may be to defuse a situation, convey an opinion, make an impression, bring closer people, or, conversely, to mark boundaries and increase distance.
An interesting psychological phenomenon is that a person does not always realize and correctly understand the intention of his actions or statements.
The concept of intention was introduced into psychology at the beginning of the 20th century by representatives of the Würzburg school. They viewed it as the supersensible content of thinking, conditioned by both conscious and unconscious attitudes. These attitudes completely determine the behavior of the individual. At the same time, a person, without realizing the real reasons, usually finds other explanations for his actions and decisions.
In religious traditions
In Abrahamic religions, intention refers to the essence and main content of the prayer’s request to higher powers in the text of the prayer. The intention here has some dependence on the interests of the main participant in the ritual or any other persons.
If we talk about the intention of the prayer read by the priest during the Mass, then it will be general in content and direction, reflecting the interests, will and aspirations of all people taking part in the rite or interested in carrying it out.
This term is especially widespread among Catholics. There is even a saying, “in the intention of the Pope,” which means to perform actions in accordance with his most holy will and the interests of the holy mother church.
Intention in Judaism
In various Jewish religious traditions, the term “intention” is practically not used, but there is an equivalent equivalent – “kavana”. By kavanah, if we follow the letter of the Talmud, we should understand the special focus of a person’s heart and soul, when his whole nature is invested in some object of activity.
Without kavana, as the rabbis repeatedly point out, prayer is only an empty and mechanical utterance of words: “Prayer without kavana is like a lifeless body.”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=SdV49_iwyiU
Intention in Islamic reading
In Islam, as in Judaism, there is no concept of “intention”. However, as there, Islam has its own analogue in the form of the term “niyat”. Here, niyat is a special intention, goal setting, and is understood as the maximum thoughtful action or a conscious refusal of it with a clear position about the reason for this or that choice, its meaning for the subject of the activity.
The most important role of the concept, and what it means, when considering criminal cases within the framework of Sharia law in trials.
Paradoxical intention
In modern psychotherapy there is such an approach as paradoxical intention. It is used to combat fears and anxieties associated with bad experiences. The ideas underlying it were proposed by the Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler (1870-1937), and the further development of the method of paradoxical psychotherapy owes to his compatriot Viktor Frankl (1905-1997).
The essence of the method is to act towards your fears and experiences , formulating paradoxical goals. For example, a person who is afraid of speaking in front of a large audience usually begins to sweat, his voice trembles, and he feels dizzy. To cope with this, he must imagine that this is exactly his goal - to sweat, feel dizzy and speak in a very shaky voice (humorous ideas are welcome).
Next, you can try to do this in a normal environment, in which there is no reason to worry. And if you can somehow make your voice tremble, you just can’t sweat or feel dizzy. To do this you need to go on stage and perform in front of a large number of people . Actually, this is the essence of the method. Now a person needs to go on stage to achieve a specific goal. But during the performance it turns out that the experience has become much weaker, and there is no more sweating, trembling or dizziness.
Definition
Intention is a broad concept that can be described as the direction of thinking. The ability to think is born in every person in childhood. And it is at a young age that a child develops his own personal range of interests and a path to knowledge of the areas of interest to him. Under the influence of various internal and external factors, the baby forms his own picture of the world. He understands what is good and what is bad. Parents teach the child etiquette, competent speech and the basics of cultural behavior. By synthesizing this information, a person creates a base that he will use throughout his life. This basis is different for all people. You've probably encountered the problem that someone you know doesn't understand you, although it seems to you that you simply won't be able to explain it any more clearly. It may seem to you that the person opposite you is unimaginably stupid. But that's not true. Most likely, the direction of thinking between you and this person is very different. You look at the world differently and put different meanings into the same definition.
Communicative intention
Communicative intention is the result that a person expects when uttering a certain phrase. The same communicative intention can be expressed in different words . For example, the phrases “I want to see you” and “Let’s meet” express the same intention (albeit with varying degrees of unambiguity). The ability to understand one’s own intentions and formulate phrases taking it into account allows a person to convey his thoughts to others much better.
Sometimes statements contain hidden intentions that a person is not ready to formulate directly. For example, when indoors with other people, he may suggest opening a window to let in some fresh air. However, not everyone and not always decide to make a direct request. Therefore, sometimes people simply say something like “It’s so stuffy in here!”, hoping that others will agree with this and offer to open the window themselves.
Thus, communicative intention is a certain impact that the speaker is trying to exert on the interlocutor. The result of communication largely depends on how appropriate he chose the words, as well as on how correctly his intention was understood. Therefore, when formulating your statements, it is advisable not only to be aware of your own intentions, but also to have a good understanding of the peculiarities of the interlocutor’s perception.
Speech
Every statement a person makes, even unconsciously, carries some purpose. Speech intention is the birth of speech. Before speaking, a person must think, then form his thought into words and only then express it. Speech intention combines needs, motives and goals. With the help of the direction of thinking, a person can convey his knowledge to his interlocutor, share his problems, or learn something useful for himself. A dialogue can never become interesting if both participants do not make an effort to create it. It can manifest itself not only in a positive, but also in a negative form. For example, a person may express disapproval of some remark or action of his opponent.
Understanding Existential Emotions
In existential psychology, some emotions, in particular anxiety and guilt, are considered as ontological characteristics of a person, rooted in his existence.
In particular, anxiety
according to R. May, this is a threat to the very core of human existence, this is the experience of the threat of impending non-existence.
Anxiety, according to K. Goldstein, is not something that we “have,” but rather something that “we are.” Anxiety (primarily as the German Angst
, used by S. Freud, L. Binswanger, K. Goldstein, S. Kierkegaard, and not as the much less neutral and less expressive English
anxiety
) strikes directly at a person’s self-esteem and his values as a person, which is the most important aspect of his experience of himself as an independent being. It suppresses the potential possibilities of human existence, destroys his sense of time, dulls memories, crosses out the future.
Guilt
is an ontological characteristic of human existence; he experiences it in various forms (varieties):
- denial, refusal and/or inability to realize one’s potential;
- guilt before one’s loved ones, arising due to the fact that a person perceives them through the blinders of one’s limitations and prejudices, which is always to some extent an outrage against what they represent, as well as impossibility (primarily due to the fact that everyone is a special individual and can look at the world only with their own eyes) to fully understand the needs of other people and satisfy them;
- the guilt of separation from nature as a whole, or otherwise, the ontological guilt associated with the fact that a person can imagine himself as someone who can make a choice, and as someone who can refuse a choice.
According to M. Boss, in general we should not talk about the feeling of guilt (as, for example, this is done in psychoanalysis), but about the guilt of a person, thereby emphasizing the seriousness and respect of the attitude towards the experience and life of a person.
Sample results
A cause for concern is the fact that the patient cannot draw a straight line from his finger to his nose. Instead of calmly hitting the target, the person begins to tremble, the movements become oscillatory, or right before the tip of the nose - the hand suddenly stops. As a result, the finger gets into the cheek, eyes, forehead or, generally, past the face.
The results of the finger-nose test may be as follows:
- Norm. The patient's condition is normal if he can calmly touch the tip of his nose with his eyes closed.
- Ataxia. A lot of useless movements and swings are made, which do not lead to a good result, but lead to missing the nose.
- Intention. As the finger approaches the nose, the hand spontaneously begins to tremble more and more.
- Bridle symptom. Almost reaching the target, the finger suddenly stops. At this moment, the brain tries to determine the location of the hand in relation to the nose and navigate where to give direction next. Having understood what to do, the brain sends signals and the finger again moves to its destination.
