Written by Robert Jennings and Narrated by Marie T. Russell

Having grown up "near literally" in the backyard of the University of Florida, I was very passionate about education for the masses. It was my go-to answer for nearly all the ills that afflicted society. If only they understood.

While finishing my business degree, I was influenced by my father-in-law who was completing his doctorate of education also at the University of Florida and had embraced an Open Classroom approach he helped introduce into the school system where he was a principal.

Ten years later, in the late 70s, while studying at the University of Central Florida in elementary education, I was introduced to the two conflicting ideas proposed by B.F. Skinner and Carl Rogers -- both giants in behavioral psychology.

Skinner considered free will to be an illusion and saw human action as dependent on consequences of previous actions, a theory he would articulate as reinforcement.

Rogers on the other hand promoted a person-centered approach which was his unique approach to understanding personality and human relationships that is now found in wide application in psychotherapy, counseling, and education.

Perhaps Skinners' conditioning approach was suitable for some...

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Music By Caffeine Creek Band, Pixabay

About the Author

Robert Jennings is co-publisher of InnerSelf.com with his wife Marie T Russell. He attended the University of Florida, Southern Technical Institute, and the University of Central Florida with studies in real estate, urban development, finance, architectural engineering, and elementary education. He was a member of the US Marine Corps and The US Army having commanded a field artillery battery in Germany. He worked in real estate finance, construction and development for 25 years before starting InnerSelf.com in 1996.

InnerSelf is dedicated to sharing information that allows people to make educated and insightful choices in their personal life, for the good of the commons, and for the well-being of the planet. InnerSelf Magazine is in its 30+year of publication in either print (1984-1995) or online as InnerSelf.com. Please support our work.

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