APA Dictionary of Psychology

n. in theories and clinical approaches derived from existentialism, the particular type of being characteristic of humans, in contrast to the type of being of nonhuman animals, inanimate objects, or abstractions. The term is roughly synonymous with Dasein, the term used by German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976). The word being is meant to emphasize that human existence is an activity more than a state or condition. Similarly, world is meant to convey a much richer and more meaningful ground for human life than would be conveyed by a more sterile term, such as environment. Being-in-the-world is by its very nature oriented toward meaning and growth; while it characterizes the type of being of all humans, it is also unique for every person and can be seen to be offering an explanation of what in other psychological traditions might be called identity or self. Compare being-beyond-the-world. See also world design.