Blind Side Essay

Blind Side

Beatrice Smith

PSYCH/504

September 21, 2015

Kathleen Bernhard, PH.D.

Blind Side

The Blind Side was a true story about a young African American boy named Michael Oher. He was put through a lot in his life time. He was taken from his mother by social services due to a drug problem and put into many foster homes. During the process he was also separated from his siblings. Michael was eighteen years old when he met Leigh Ann Tuohy. The Tuohy family took Michael in and adopted him even though he was eighteen years old. He was given a chance to go to school, be loved, learn what it means to have a family, and play football. He was finally able to rest and have peace of mind because at the end of the day he knew where he would be laying his head.

There are many theories that could describe Michael’s life. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one that comes to mind. Michael did what he had to survive in the world and strived to be someone better after he met the Tuohy family. Adler’s theory of individual psychology describes Michael because he wanted to be in control of his life and to do better, but he did not know how to do it by himself, because he did not know anything different at the time. Allport’s trait theory can also describe Michael’s life. Allport believes that a person’s personality is shaped biologically at birth, but also is shaped by a person’s environment.

The Tuohy family took Michael in and treated him like family. Leigh Anne felt sorry for Michael and for some reason she decided to help him. Michael was an African American young man and people were usually intimidated by his size. Leigh Anne seen the good side of Michael and decided to help him. The Tuohy’s adopted Michael and he became a big part of their family. They helped him get his license, bought him a car, and adopted him. Michael started playing football, but never really knew anything about the game. The Tuohy’s son explained the game to him and helped him learn.

Michael was always by himself. He did not know what a family was. He knew that he wanted to be better and the Tuohy’s offered him a better life. When Michael was given a test to see where he would be placed in school he scored the highest in protection of family. He also showed that protection and family was high on his list when he stopped an air bag from hitting his now little brother in the face. Michael was not going to make the team before because he did not want to hurt anyone, until Leigh Anne told him to think of the team as his family and protect his family. He then became a great football player. Michael lived a long hard life and Maslow’s hierarchy describes his need to do better.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs advises that everyone has motivational needs. A person needs food, water, shelter, warmth, sleep, sex, and air to meet their biological and physiological needs in life (McLeod, 2014). Every person deserves to feel protected and safe at all times. When the second stage is met then it continues into the third stage of feeling loved and the feel of belonging to something special such as a family. Every step taken and that is fulfilled gives a person a sense of accomplishment in life. The fourth stage goes into self-esteem, self-respect, independence, and respect for others. After this stage is the stage of self-actualization, which is when a person reaches their personal potential, self-fulfillment, and peak experiences (McLeod, 2014). Some would say that this is the hardest stage to meet and usually people are happy with the other