The first question people have when someone tells them they are studying psychology is, ‘can you tell what I’m thinking?’ The answer to that question is no because psychologists are not mentalists. Nor can they ever be.
Psychology is the science of understanding the how’s and why’s. How they think, how they work, how they behave and most importantly, WHY they think, WHY they work and WHY they behave as they do.
Human species is a complexity at best. We are paradoxical beings. Saying something and doing something entirely different. Psychology helps us bridge the gap between the saying and doing. Moreover, after you study the subject, get a look at the theories that have been proposed, you start applying it to the situations around you. You start understanding the reasons behind the sly smiles and the meaningful looks. You begin to understand that every person in this world has a reason and a past. The reason for their behavior and their past which has shaped them into the person that they have become. It gives you a brilliant glimpse of life through the other person’s eyes. You become more empathetic, instead of sympathizing, you connect with another soul on a level so as to understand them better. You become more open and loving because you understand that every person in this world is fighting their own battles so you want to do everything to help. That’s the good part. Now, the paradox.
You can never truly be pissed off at someone. You can never truly be angry because you will be bound to rationalize their actions and invariably find a logical theory to support their behavior. This may seem like ideal behavior in print but not being angry or not taking out your anger is as dangerous as the next viral outbreak. It rots you from inside until you become a chamber of nothingness.
So you see, herein lies the problem. Psychology is a field of tremendous irony and in this irony, we, as humans can only hope to not get lost because it makes us better humans for one yet vials of emptiness for others.
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