Don’t Cry for Me George A. Kelly: Human Involvement and the Construing of Per- Sonal Construct Psychology

This paper uses Kelly’s typology of weeping to explore how remaining focused on what Kelly “really meant” often restricts creative and novel use of his theory. Arguing against particular interpretations of personal construct psychology because they fail to adhere to Kelly’s beliefs proves difficult because it is impossible to know for certain what Kelly “really meant.” Concepts from radical constructivism and social constructionism are used to bolster this argument. Then, it is argued that the problem of discovering what Kelly “really meant” can be avoided by emphasizing our human involvement with particular ways of understanding personal construct psychology (as opposed to emphasizing some kind of superior ability to know what Kelly actually intended). Implications of this position are briefly sketched.