Mcadams: What Do We Know A Person?

In McAdams article, “What Do We Know When We Know a Person?” he explains one can learn about someone as they progress through three different levels of knowing. As they’re moving from one level to the next you build an understanding of the other person. McAdams (1995) states that level one is a description of a person’s broad, general traits, such as how warm, outspoken or smart someone is. Level two provides a description of an individual’s personal concerns, such as life tasks, coping methods and defense strategies. their sense of knowing the other person increases. Throughout these levels your sense of knowing the other person increases.
Christian Grey has an interesting character flaw of needing to sexually dominate women. Throughout the movie, Grey makes it clear to his significant other, Anna that he’s not the most romantic guy. For example, he refuses to sleep in the same bed with his any of his submissive partners. This need for power and control is an expression of being low in agreeableness. Furthermore, Christian doesn’t apologize for who he is nor does he show that he has an interest in changing who he. Greys’ career choice, CEO of a major company, also corrlates with his need for power
Grey expresses to Ana that he was preyed by an older female dominant when he was 15 or in others words experienced somewhat child abuse for 7 years. Grey uses his sexual submissive and controlling lifestyle as a coping mechanism to deal with abuse he experienced years ago as a child. Furthermore, this makes me wonder if, Fifty Shades of Grey is about the trauma of childhood abuse, and not just sex. Grey has a strong desire to control from controlling his billion-dollar corporation to controlling his significant other in the “playroom”. Ultimately, Christian must overcome his compulsion to control others as he wrestles with the demons of a dark