###### We all have Parts > “We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.” > ― [[👤 Anaïs Nin]] One of [[⭐️ Internal Family Systems|Internal Family Systems]]’s most basic assumptions is that the human psyche is made up of an “internal family” of sub-personalities called [[💡 Parts|Parts]] — that each of us has what Schwartz calls a "mosaic mind." Everyone, traumatized or not, has Parts. We're born with them either manifest or with the potential to manifest[^1], and they help us engage with the world. Our multiplicity is obvious, even intuitive, after thinking about it. Parts are the reason we are all complex and contradictory, why we experience inner-conflict. Probably everyone has at some point said, "part of me wants this, but part of me wants that." We're accustomed to the idea of "wearing many hats," or having multiple "sides" to our personality that arise depending on where we are or who we're with. We sometimes surprise ourselves with our own thoughts and behavior and ask, "Why did I do that?" or "Where did that thought come from?" Sometimes we behave in ways that seem totally out of alignment with our own values. How would this even be possible if we were truly singular? We might have [[💡 Parts|Parts]] that are easy to appreciate, like our artistic, funny, loving, or charismatic parts. Then there might be others which inspire fear or even disgust like self-[[🛡️ Criticizing]] or [[🛡️ People-Pleasing]]. From the perspective of [[⭐️ Internal Family Systems|Internal Family Systems]], the only difference between a so-called “normal” mind and that of someone who might be diagnosed with [[💡 Dissociative Identity Disorder|Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)]] is that someone diagnosed with DID would have experienced [[💡 Trauma|trauma]] severe enough, and at a young enough age, that their parts were pushed so far apart that they don’t know each other at all. Otherwise, they aren’t much different from anyone else. [^1]: [[📖 ✅ IFS Online Circle]] Month 1: Overview of IFS and The Flow of the Model