ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Personal construct theory

Personal construct theory is like having your own special way of sorting out the world around you. Imagine you have a big box of toys. You might decide to sort them by size, color, or how fun they are to play with. This is kind of like what personal construct theory is. It's like having your own special set of rules for sorting out the things and people in your life.

For example, let's say you have a friend named Sarah. You might sort her based on things like whether she makes you laugh, whether she likes the same things as you, or whether she's kind to others. These are all things that matter to you when it comes to deciding how you feel about Sarah.

Now imagine that someone else has a different set of rules for sorting out their world. They might value different things about Sarah, like whether she's good at sports or whether she's smart in school. This doesn't make their way of sorting things wrong - it's just different than yours.

Personal construct theory is all about understanding how you sort out the world around you, and how other people have their own unique ways of doing the same. By recognizing these differences, we can better understand ourselves and others, and learn to appreciate and respect the ways we all see the world.