This one, this subsequent hate message that you are about to be subjected to, is for all the aunties, uncles, highly educated academicians, under educated students and all those out there who think that I can,
a. read their mind
b. see the future
c. tell their personality/psychology/or any other variant.
This is also for those people who want to stay away from me because they think I am secretly psychoanalyzing them. So, before I begin, I just want to say, that psychology, psychiatry or any other field of behavioral science does not make psychics, palm readers, lie detectors. My bachelors degree in psychology will not give me any superpowers. ( although, I hope it gives me the power to ignore)
Psychology is a science.
So, which one is it? Absence make the heart go fonder. or out of sight out of mind? Opposites attract or birds of a feather flock together? Do I only live once or better be safe than sorry? If you want to read more on how these proverbs measure up in psychology, go here; http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199711/folk-wisdom-was-grandma-right
Another problem that I have is that the under reliance, yet over usage, of psychology principles in economics, political science, public policy or any thing else that involves human beings and their behavior. The consumer's equilibrium, Keynesian theory, rights and citizenship are all based on assumptions that are psychological in nature. The applications of such principles then becomes dicey because we are relying on well, assumptions. The onus here lies primarily on psychologists, but is awesome to see fields like political psychology and neuroeconomics( go away red squiggly line, it really is a field of study) burgeon.
So, the next time you ask me to read your mind or hand or body language or anything else, I will say to you what Shakespeare so succinctly wrote:
" Give me your hand.
I can tell your fortune.
You are a fool."
( Two Noble Kinsmen, Act 3, Scene 5)
a. read their mind
b. see the future
c. tell their personality/psychology/or any other variant.
This is also for those people who want to stay away from me because they think I am secretly psychoanalyzing them. So, before I begin, I just want to say, that psychology, psychiatry or any other field of behavioral science does not make psychics, palm readers, lie detectors. My bachelors degree in psychology will not give me any superpowers. ( although, I hope it gives me the power to ignore)
Psychology is a science.
It is not a perfect science. ( thank you for pointing that out, mom and dad)
As a science, it tries to objectively measure, analyze, study, observe behavior and mental processes. Yes, I said objectively. And this is where the problem lies. Psychology gets misunderstood as a field because what it studies, that is behavior and thoughts and feelings, is something we ALL study and understand on a daily basis. And we need to be our own shrink because we need to function and survive with all these people around us.
Therefore, since everyone is a shrink, the value of the real shrink is pretty much shrunk.
This would have remained the case had there not been so many conflicting views on life in folk psychology.
( yes, you common folk, we like to give you your due;
turns out philosophers have argued over you.
and ceteris paribus, you cannot be true,
there is only so much you can construe.)
So, which one is it? Absence make the heart go fonder. or out of sight out of mind? Opposites attract or birds of a feather flock together? Do I only live once or better be safe than sorry? If you want to read more on how these proverbs measure up in psychology, go here; http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199711/folk-wisdom-was-grandma-right
Another problem that I have is that the under reliance, yet over usage, of psychology principles in economics, political science, public policy or any thing else that involves human beings and their behavior. The consumer's equilibrium, Keynesian theory, rights and citizenship are all based on assumptions that are psychological in nature. The applications of such principles then becomes dicey because we are relying on well, assumptions. The onus here lies primarily on psychologists, but is awesome to see fields like political psychology and neuroeconomics( go away red squiggly line, it really is a field of study) burgeon.
So, the next time you ask me to read your mind or hand or body language or anything else, I will say to you what Shakespeare so succinctly wrote:
" Give me your hand.
I can tell your fortune.
You are a fool."
( Two Noble Kinsmen, Act 3, Scene 5)
