“However, unlike psychoanalysis, constructivist analysis would offer something radical and liberating. Psychoanalysis, fascinating as it may be, isn’t exactly a technology for producing change, as much as it is a technology for self-knowledge. Constructivism is both of these things and constructivist analysis could easily result in genuine authenticity, where a person takes ownership of their choices, their epistemological limitations, and relational nature – and all the power to change that comes with it. In this process, the therapist is not a skilled mechanic of the soul but a benevolent companion on the client’s journey.”

“Constructivist education (CE) has been developed for decades. For its emphasis on learner’s activity, creativity and democratic spirit, CE has been praised as a candidate for what modern education should look like. On the contrary, it has also been criticised by others for excessive looseness and low effectiveness.”

“Kundera’s complete suspicion of any Truth with a capital “T” has something profoundly constructivist about it. In his novels, he made us aware of the many illusions we take as truths and taught us how to approach them playfully, even (especially) when they have tragic consequences. His novels are there to ask questions, to remind us of the contingent and made-up nature of the stories we tell ourselves, but not to give us any final answers. For an adolescent just stepping into a big, messy world, understanding that no truth deserves that capital “T” was a powerful weapon.”

“Living as a constructivist means that we continuously put this insight into practice and, of course, fail at it time and time again, as we do find plenty of use for our illusion of separateness and the fiction that is our self. To live as a constructivist is to live knowing that you are a walking, evolving hypothesis. Once we develop that awareness, life becomes easier, more agreeable. A hypothesis that is useful today, won’t be useful tomorrow because the universe will have evolved and restructured itself to be something else. In response, we’ll reshape our hypotheses, and they will reshape the world.”

“It is relatively common to find second hand PCP books which are ex library . It is clear that libraries are no longer good places to come across PCP. This is particularly problematic, given that the development of PCP at least within Britain was related to a library discovery. Don Bannister used to tell the tale of how he came across PCP; bored with what he was being taught ,he had started going though the Institute of Psychiatry library alphabetically,  came to Kelly and looked no further. I wonder whether such an experience would be possible now!”

“During the coronavirus pandemic, societies all over the world have been penetrated by a mixture of anger, distrust, suspiciousness, disgust or hatred. This trend  seems to characterize the pandemic period, which is mirrored in terms such as „an epidemic of hostility“. Although hostility in the pandemic have been manifested in many forms, from the constructivist point of view, it is possible to identify its underlying principle.”