Personal development

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**Personal Development Industry Overview**:
– Personal development as an industry with different business formats.
– Global market size in 2019 was $38.28 billion.
– Products and domains in personal development.
– Major players in the business-to-consumer market.
– Emerging consumer-to-business and consumer-to-consumer formats.

**Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Personal Development**:
– Origins of personal development in major religions, philosophies, and traditions.
– Influence of ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Indian traditions on personal development.
– South Asian and Islamic perspectives on personal growth and fulfillment.
– Impact of Indian religious experiences on youth in the 1960s.
– Philosophical perspectives on happiness and individual development.

**Psychological Foundations of Personal Development**:
– Contributions of psychology, social psychology, psychodynamic psychology, and cognitive-behavioral psychology to personal development.
– The role of educational psychology in understanding human learning experiences.
– Developmental activities and self-awareness in personal growth.
– Connection between spiritual intelligence and human resource development.
– Criticisms and controversies in the personal development industry.

**Educational and Workplace Aspects of Personal Development**:
– Personal development in early education and higher education.
– Developmental activities throughout life for self-awareness.
– Workplace focus on self-actualization and individual career development.
– Workplace personal development programs and their impact on human capital.
– Women’s career development needs and tailored development paths.

**Spiritual and Philosophical Dimensions of Personal Development**:
– Concept of reaching sat-sit-ananda for holistic personal fulfillment.
– Influence of moral education and different religious traditions on personal worldview.
– Connection between spiritual intelligence and professional growth.
– Michel Foucault’s work on caring for the soul and Jainism’s enlightened worldview.
Exploration of happiness and individual development from various philosophical perspectives.

Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develop a person's capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the course of an individual's entire lifespan and is not limited to one stage of a person's life. It can include official and informal actions for developing others in roles such as teacher, guide, counselor, manager, coach, or mentor, and it is not restricted to self-help. When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems offered to support positive adult development at the individual level in organizations.[need quotation to verify]

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