---
title: "Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “In Democracies, Opposition is Like a Mother-in-Law”"
description: "The 5th Psychology Days conference was held."
url: https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-nevzat-tarhan-in-democracies-opposition-is-like-a-mother-in-law
type: article
language: en
last_updated: 2026-02-28
category: haber
---

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## Üsküdar Üniversitesi
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# Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “In Democracies, Opposition is Like a Mother-in-Law”

## Bilgi

| Özellik | Değer |
|---------|-------|
| **Kategori** | haber |
| **Yayın Tarihi** | 2022-05-27 |
| **Güncelleme** | 2026-02-28 |
| **Kaynak** | [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-nevzat-tarhan-in-democracies-opposition-is-like-a-mother-in-law) |

## Özet

**The 5th Psychology Days, organized with the theme of "Extraordinary Psychology," brings together experts in the field. Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who gave an opening conference titled "Difficult Personalities" during the two-day program, listed difficult personalities as paranoid suspicious, passive-aggressive oppressive, narcissistic grandiose, antisocial crime-skilled, histrionic theatrical, and borderline inconsistent personalities. Stating that paranoid individuals can be encountered in daily life, Tarhan said, "Paranoid individuals exist around us. Paranoid personality is not a mental illness, but a personality trait. It should not be confused with paranoia. These individuals are suspicious, distrustful, sensitive, vengeful, secretive, and irritable." Tarhan noted that 5 things should not be forgotten against paranoids: "If one can be open, honest, natural, non-angry, calm, and able to make decisions based on behavior towards a paranoid person, it might be possible to manage them." Tarhan added, "Here, the greatest need is dialogue, and our greatest enemy is prejudice. Dialogue is the cure for paranoia and personality disorders." Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that opposition is necessary in democracies, saying, "Mothers-in-law openly tell the truth in marriages. In democracies, opposition is like a mother-in-law. There is a need for opposition; if it doesn't speak up, it makes mistakes."**

## İçerik

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/img-9944_1.JPG)

The opening conferences of the "5th Psychology Days," organized with the theme of "Extraordinary Psychology" at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall of Uskudar University Altunizade Campus, were given by Uskudar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir.

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/prof-dr-nevzat-tarhan.JPG)

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "60-70 percent of personality consists of changeable traits"**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, in his presentation titled "Difficult Personalities," stated that the main difficult personalities can be listed as paranoid suspicious, passive-aggressive oppressive, [narcissistic](https://www.nevzattarhan.com/icimizdeki-narsistik-cekirdek-yaptigimiz-sebepsiz-iyiliklerle-kuculur.html) grandiose, antisocial crime-skilled, histrionic theatrical, and borderline inconsistent.

Stating that there are some people with difficult personalities, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "There are people with difficult personalities with whom we have to live. First, it is necessary to understand personality. Personality has two main dimensions: nature and nurture. If we think of a building, 30-40 percent of it consists of the load-bearing system, which includes columns, beams, and the foundation. 60-70 percent consists of equipment features such as electricity, water, and paint. The same applies to human personality structure. When we say nurture, genetics constitute 30-40 percent. However, nurture occurs through epigenetics and social learning. The 60-70 percent part constitutes the changeable characteristics of our personality. The 30-40 percent part does not change."

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Those who say 'I won't change' are deceiving themselves"**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that the human child comes into the world to learn, saying, "The human child psychologically comes into the world prematurely, unlike animal offspring. Animal offspring are born having already learned. For example, a duck hatches from an egg and immediately starts swimming. A horse, for instance, after being born, stumbles a bit and then stands up, but a human child learns to stand after 1 year. Within 15 years, they can only distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad. Humans are beings who come into the world to learn. 60-70 percent of personality is formed through learning. Some of these are epigenetic. Epigenetics is known as the quantum of genetics. Those who say 'I won't change, this is just how I am' are deceiving themselves. If a person wants to, they can change many of their habits and behaviors, but the person needs to allow this."

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/img-9898.JPG)

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "30-40 percent of genes are related to social learning"**

Emphasizing the importance of being an observer, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "The observer finds the truth. Sexual identity discussions are very common. In sexual identity discussions, biological gender, being male and female, is entirely genetic. A third gender has not been found. We can say that 30-40 percent of genes are related to social learning. We learn the roles of men and women from society, from our mothers and fathers."

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Opposition is needed in democracies"**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that we form networks in the brain by learning from the environment and continued his words as follows:

"When we believe in something, we create a network related to it in the brain. The best model explaining how the brain works is the network model. In schizophrenia, one part of the brain does not communicate with other parts, even fighting. Aphasia is the failure of the brain's word-producing area to function. Bipolar is defined as the logical left brain and the emotional right brain working independently of each other, and the prefrontal cortex being unable to make that balance. The prefrontal cortex is actually considered the captain's bridge. For a person to know and learn to manage themselves is to learn to manage the prefrontal cortex. There are 3 realities: dream reality, fantasy reality, and physical reality. Someone living in fantasy reality disregards physical reality. Schizophrenic individuals dream and cannot transition from fantasy to reality; they continue to live in their dreams. It's the same in marriage. They say 'love is blind, if only there were no mothers-in-law.' Because mothers-in-law openly tell the truth. In democracies, opposition is like a mother-in-law. There is a need for opposition; if it doesn't speak up, it makes mistakes."

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Everyone has a narcissistic part within them"**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that there is a difference between personality disorder and personality traits, said, "Everyone has a narcissistic part within them. We have negative and positive emotions. If we feed the bad part within us, it grows; if we feed the good part, it grows. All of us have jealousy as a personality trait. A person who says 'I am not jealous' is not telling the truth. Everyone has a jealous core within them. The important thing is to be aware of it; ignoring it is a method of self-deception. Humankind is also a master of self-deception. People who deceive themselves make big mistakes. These people can also be very intelligent and smart. The reason for this is emotional blindness. Emotional literacy and emotional intelligence can be learned. Logical intelligence is innate, but other types of intelligence are learned later. If a person can manage their jealousy, that jealousy becomes a motivation technique for that person."

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Gardner paved the way for positive psychology"**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that Howard Gardner paved the way for positive psychology by introducing the theory of multiple intelligences in the 1980s, saying, "Seligman's name is always mentioned and emphasized, but Gardner greatly benefited positive science by presenting character strengths. Previously, psychology was reduced to emotion, thought, and behavior. However, Gardner also introduced the concept of values. 24 values have been proposed."

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Paranoid personality is not a mental illness, but a personality disorder"**

Dividing difficult personality types into 6, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan continued his words as follows:

"Difficult personalities can be described as paranoid suspicious, passive-aggressive oppressive, narcissistic grandiose, antisocial crime-skilled, histrionic theatrical, and borderline inconsistent personalities. In a home, family, society, daily life, social life, and political life, these individuals are quarrelsome and disrupt peace. Paranoid individuals exist around us. Paranoid personality is not a mental illness, but a personality trait. It should not be confused with paranoia. These individuals are not labeled as sick; they are diagnosed with a personality disorder. They are suspicious, distrustful, sensitive, vengeful, secretive, and irritable. People should look for these traits in themselves first, and then in their environment. These individuals make necessary and unnecessary connections between events. They cannot tolerate uncertainty and want to learn everything. 5 things should not be forgotten against paranoids. If one can be open, honest, natural, non-angry, calm, and able to make decisions based on behavior towards a paranoid person, it might be possible to manage them. If you pay attention to these 5 points, the leadership will be with you, not with the paranoid person. If you do not pay attention to these 5, you will lose leadership in the relationship to the paranoid person. They will use and control you. If you have these qualities, paranoid individuals will believe you and remove you from the enemy category."

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/nevzat-tarhan-ve-psikoloji-ogrencileri.JPG)

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Cowardly and unclear attitudes increase paranoia"**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that individuals with paranoid personality disorder are inconsistent, saying, "People in this state of mind have a grandiose feeling, seeing themselves as great. They act as if they know everything and create social problems. We saw these individuals during the pandemic. There is a segment that believes in conspiracy theories about vaccines. Conspiracy theorists who do not believe in something scientifically proven like vaccines should question themselves. The attitudes of the people living with paranoid individuals are very important. The behaviors of relatives can increase or decrease the paranoia of paranoid individuals. Therefore, these individuals should be approached with a gentle, determined, and clear method. Cowardly, compromising, and unclear approaches increase paranoia. Here, the greatest need is dialogue, and our greatest enemy is prejudice. Dialogue is the cure for paranoia and personality disorders."

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "Dictators have paranoid personality disorder"**

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that if those governing states have paranoid thoughts, they might confuse friends and enemies with mismanagement, saying, "Smart politicians do not multiply enemies, but those in a paranoid state need enemies. They become uneasy when their enemies disappear. They create their own enemies. This is also a requirement of military rationale. After the Cold War, NATO convened and concluded that they needed a new enemy with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Operations in the Middle East are political paranoia. This is needed for arms sales. Paranoid leaders do this believingly. In politics, it is preferred to exploit the world. The paranoid method is also the method of dictators. Against this, the emergence of opposition and the emergence of democracy are important. For example, Hitler had both narcissistic and paranoid traits. Dictators believe they have the right to immediately eliminate the disloyal and do not forgive treason. Paranoid thinking is also the personality structure of dictators."

**Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "It is important to remove these individuals from their own battleground"**

Tarhan also touched upon what should be done if paranoid individuals are armed, saying, "If these individuals are powerful and authoritative, it is necessary to understand their psychology. These individuals feel threatened. Determine the method of conflict not according to them, but according to yourselves. Their method of conflict is to cause incidents and fights. Against these, 'I want to understand you. Can you speak slowly?' When you say this, they act with their emotional brain. Their battleground is anger. You must draw them into your own battleground. What is your battleground? The thinking brain, thought-provoking. Cause and effect relationship. By activating the thinking brain, you draw them into your own battleground. This is certainly not easy. One should not give these individuals the impression that something is being hidden."

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/img-0258.JPG)

**Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir explained the effects of ecopsychology on well-being**

Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Uskudar University, drew attention to the positive effects of human interaction with the environment, nature, and the natural world on human health, especially psychology, in his opening conference titled "Ecopsychology and Well-being."

Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir stated that being at peace with nature enables human survival and noted that many philosophers throughout history have discussed the relationship between humans and nature.

**Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir: "Trees are a source of inspiration for thinkers"**

Noting that trees have been a source of inspiration for many thinkers in both the East and the West, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir said that the 18th-century Sufi poet Abdülgani Nablusi viewed everything in the universe as divine letters. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir stated, "Nablusi's lines 'Ponder deeply on the pages of the book of the universe; / For they are the lines of a letter coming to you from the spiritual realm' are very meaningful. When the letter is from a high authority, it is up to us to contemplate deeply. The invitation is clear and precise: to read the universe as a book, to decipher its codes."

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/prof-dr-ibrahim-ozdemir-1.JPG)

**Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir: "Spending three days in nature increases creativity"**

Referring to the words "Trees have always been the most impressive counselors for me" in Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse's book "Trees," one of the most important writers of the 20th century, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir said, "Nature has been a source of inspiration for many artists in the past. Even today, many writers go to the forest to listen to the sounds of trees for inspiration and focus on their writings. A scientific study also shows that the creativity of individuals who spend three days in nature increases by 50%."

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/doc-dr-asil-ozdogru.JPG)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asil Özdoğru, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Uskudar University, stated in his opening speech that the Psychology Days, first held in 2017, were not held in 2020 due to the pandemic and took place online last year. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asil Özdoğru noted that he believes the Psychology Days will make significant contributions to psychology students.

![](https://cdn.uskudar.edu.tr/uploads/images/2022/05/27/800/toplu-fotograf.JPG)

The 5th Psychology Days, bringing together psychology students with academics from various universities, will last for two days. On the first day of the 5th Psychology Days, sessions titled "Suggestions for Psychologists Who Want to Be Extraordinary," "Strange Neuropsychological Syndromes: How Do They Happen?" and "Schema Therapy" took place.

**Prof. Dr. Gökben Hızlı Sayar will talk about "Extraordinary Brains"**

In tomorrow's program of the 5th Psychology Days, Prof. Dr. Gökben Hızlı Sayar from Uskudar University Faculty of Medicine will participate with her presentation titled "Extraordinary Brains." The second day will continue with sessions on "Dreams," "Animal Psychology," "Art Therapy," "Psychological and Criminological Profiling," "Psychological Resilience in Creative Drama-Supported Group Psychotherapy," and "Storytelling." A graduates' panel will also take place on the second day.

---

*Kaynak: [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr) — https://uha.com.tr/prof-dr-nevzat-tarhan-in-democracies-opposition-is-like-a-mother-in-law*