Self-regulation as a resource: Reading Kalam’s Wings of Fire

Pages: 414-418
A. Radhika (Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi)

Self-regulation can be conceptualized as an ability to regulate one’s emotions, desires and action for the successful pursuit of one’s life goals in socio-cultural context. It is a complex concept which includes regulation over a variety of processes such as emotion in the form of emotion regulation, motor in the form of behavioral control and cognition in the form of cognitive regulation or executive function. It is an important skill and value, which contributes to social harmony and world peace. According to Bauer and Baumeister (2011), for leading a cultural life i.e., to live in groups, it is important that people change self-centered desires into behaviors that enhance group interests, convert aggressive behaviors into pro-social behaviors, and obey legal framework which is functioning of the society. Consequently the cultural life is also influenced/impacted by self-regulatory skills. Hence, the individuals have to develop the skills in order to live harmoniously and enjoy the advantages of cultural life. Thus the pro-social behaviors need a large amount of self-regulation. On the basis of the theoretical concepts reviewed, a pilot study was undertaken to contextualize the concept of self-regulation in Indian Context. Result of the pilot study indicated that Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam was the highly self-regulated person in Indian context. Hence, the present study is an attempt to understand the personality of Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam through auto-biography analysis in the light of socio-cultural aspects of his life which guided him to become a self-regulated person.