Nathaniel Branden is a Canadian psychotherapist and writer best known today for his work in the psychology of self-esteem, one-time associate of novelist Ayn Rand, Branden had a prominent role in promoting Rand’s philosophy, Objectivism; in 1958, Branden established NBI, Nathaniel Branden Institute as an educational organization to spread the philosophical principles of Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand. Branden offered a series of lectures called “Basic Principles of Objectivism”.
Barbara Branden, Nathaniel Branden’s spouse at the time, would also contribute to the work of the Institute with a series of lectures on The Art of Thinking. Barbara and Nathaniel would separate in 1965. Barbara’s maiden name was Barbara Weidman. In January 1953, Nathaniel Branden and Barbara Weidman were married in White Plains, New York.
The Rand-Branden business partnership lasted till May 1968. Rand announced in the The Objectivist, Nathaniel Branden would no longer be her intellectual heir and ordered all future printings of Atlas Shrugged not to carry his name in the dedication page. At the time, Rand did not reveal she was having a secret love affair with Branden who was twenty four years her junior and he was leaving her for a younger woman who was also an attractive model whom Branden would eventually marry. However, Branden divulged this information in his book, Judgment Day: my years with Ayn Rand. After the rift with Ayn Rand, Branden went on to develop his own school of bio-centric psychology basing his work mainly on the psychology of self-esteem. Branden’s brand of Biocentric Psychology is neither Freudian nor behaviorist in nature. According to Branden, “…The establishment of Wilhelm Wundt’s experimental laboratory in 1879 is often regarded as the formal beginning of scientific psychology. But when one considers the views of man and the theories of his nature that have been put forth as knowledge in the past hundred years, it remains a moot question whether the starting date of the science of psychology lies behind us – or ahead.”
As a psychologist, Nathaniel Branden has elucidated the crucial role of self-esteem in psychological health, and has outlined the volitional practices he has observed to be essential to achieving and maintaining self-esteem. As a therapist, he developed a sentence completion test, a psychotherapeutic tool proposed as useful for making unconscious thoughts and feelings conscious, and to transform limiting beliefs and attitudes. Currently, he tends to use a blend of sentence completion exercises, exercises derived from energy therapy, humor, and “just plain talking” in his therapy practice. Nathaniel Branden continues to write and practice psychotherapy in Los Angeles, California, as well as present seminars and workshops on self-esteem.
California Assemblyman John Vasconcellos discovered self-esteem and became convinced it was the solution to many a social evil. Promoted by Assemblyman Vasconcellos, the state legislature of California formed “The California Task Force to Promote Self-Esteem and Personal and Social Responsibility.” After some initial setbacks, including a veto by the governor, the legislation creating the 25-member task force was passed and signed into law in the Fall of 1986. One result of the California Task Force was the creation of NASE (National Association for Self-Esteem) “dedicated to integrating self-esteem into the fabric of American society.” Nathaniel Branden is a member of the board. In its 1989 report, the state of California task force on self-esteem concluded: “… Many, if not all, the major problems plaguing society have roots in the low self-esteem of many of the people who make up society.” According to some educational authorities, if Branden’s concept of self-esteem had been accepted as he proposed as far back as 1969, it would have been a force for good in the field of education. Instead, there was only the acceptance of self-esteem simply as “having a favorable opinion of oneself” regardless of any objective evidence to the contrary. However, in the twenty first century, in 2003, the self-esteem movement suffered a serious setback when it was conclusively proven that in the relation between self-esteem and the education of children, the inculcation of self-esteem in children does not raise grades, better career achievements or produces any other positive effects in the field of education.
In 1969, Dr. Nathaniel Branden studied Karate privately with Joe Lewis who would become the first U. S. and the first world heavyweight kickboxing champion; the two would practice for an hour and discuss philosophy for three.
According to Self-Esteem Guru Nathaniel Branden, “… We have reached a moment in history when self-esteem which has always been a supremely important psychological need, has become an urgent economic need.” Global economy “… characterized by rapid change, accelarating scientific and technological breakthroughs and an unprecedented level of competitiveness… also creates new demands on our psychological resources… a greater capacity for innovation, self-management, personal responsibility and self-direction.”
In Self-Esteem at Work, Nathaniel Branden wrote: “… We now live in a global economy characterized by rapid change, accelerating scientific and technological breakthroughs, and an unprecedented level of competitiveness. These developments create demands for higher levels of education and training than were required from previous generations. Everyone acquainted with business culture knows this. What is not understood is that these developments also create new demands on our psychological resources. Specifically, these developments ask for greater capacity for innovation, number one, self-management, number two, personal responsibility, number three, and self direction.”. “… In the past two or three decades, extraordinary developments have occurred in the American and global economies. The United States has shifted from a manufacturing society to an information society. We have witnessed the transition from physical labor to mind work as the dominant employee activity. We now live in a global economy characterized by rapid change, accelerating scientific and technological breakthroughs, and an unprecedented level of competitiveness. These developments create demands for higher levels of education and training than were required of previous generations. Everyone acquainted with business culture knows this. What is not understood is that these developments also create new demands on our psychological resources. Specifically, these developments ask for a greater capacity for innovation, self-management, personal responsibility and self-direction. This is not just asked at the top, it is asked at every level of business enterprise, from senior management to firs-line supervisors and even to entry-level personnel… Today, organizations need not only an unprecedentedly higher level of knowledge and skill among all those who participate but also a higher level of independence, self-reliance, self-trust, and the capacity to exercise initiative.”
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