It is inevitable
Have I told you about this yet? I get this a lot at parties:
So psychology deserves study if anything does. But how? To answer, we must become more precise about its definition. Most people on the street believe that psychology does indeed focus on human beings, particularly on the ‘mind’ and most particularly on its dramatic manifestations such as dreams, hypnotic states, and mental telepathy. Such beliefs are responsible for an experience that most psychologists sooner or later will have: Someone – perhaps the little old lady next to me on the plane – asks what I do. I grimace, knowing too well what will happen, and murmur, “I’m a psychologist.”
“Oh, my goodness,” she chortles, “I’d better watch what I say or you’ll analyse me.”
No, I won’t, lady! Not only am I not the least bit interested in doing so, I don’t know how! I know less about such things than advice-to-the-lovelorn columnists. (But I’ve learned my lesson. Now, when asked about my job, I lie. Extensive research has revealed that one way to discourage more unwanted questions is to answer, “I’m a pimp!”)
For variety, maybe replace ‘analyse’ with ‘reading my mind’. And, sometimes, you encounter the odd individual who actually wants you to analyse them.
Source: Abra, J. (1998). Should Psychology be a Science? Pros and Cons. London: Praeger.
Jane said,
May 10, 03:22 #
You’re a pimp! I knew it…Ben said,
May 10, 04:04 #
Does this justify me going out and getting some bling?(N.B. To avoid potential definitial ambiguity, let us define ‘bling’ as ‘large, gaudy gold jewellery’)
Jane said,
May 10, 05:29 #
You need a hairy chest and gaudy button up shirts to be able to justify that :PFrank said,
May 10, 15:51 #
I am sure I said that when I met you and you told me that you were studying psych. Although I use it as a really bad joke, which is to say that I need ‘Tank to load a new joke program’.Ben said,
May 11, 02:53 #
Nah, most people say something like this when I tell them I’m a psych student.I found the book this quote is drawn from in my reading for my major essay for a coursework unit on history and theory in psychology. So far, the two books I’ve read for this essay have been rather hyperbolic and histrionic in style – it’s more like having an elderly, cantankerous old psychologist sitting in my living room and having a one-sided debate with me than reading a well-thought-out, measured, carefully written argument as to whether psychology is a science.
Perhaps a post on this topic soon (I just got my Internet back, so my mind is abuzz with blog ideas)
Frank said,
May 11, 08:26 #
So much for essays not expressing a biased opinion.Although I must admit that I didn’t read that chunk of text critically the first time around.
Ben said,
May 11, 08:44 #
I must admit that I didn’t notice the tautology in my last comment (‘elderly, cantankerous old’).Rachael, et al said,
May 12, 13:44 #
“Oh, so you’re going to be a psychopath?”—comment made to a friend of mine who was also studying psychology.
-Don (I’m the ‘al’).
/Karen/ said,
May 12, 14:13 #
Question: What’s the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist?Ben said,
May 12, 23:00 #
Hello, Don. I’ve heard bits about you from your lovely wife. I’ve also heard that psychologists are dangerously close to psychopaths.Karen: Psychiatrists are medical doctors with a specialisation in psychiatric medicine. They are licenced to perform certain treatments, such as administering medication, electroconvulsive therapy (rare, but a good example), and so on. Psychologists have degrees in psychology plus a masters or PhD in psychology – they are licenced to administer therapy like counselling, cognitive-behavioural therapy, etc., but can’t prescribe and administer medications.
It’s more complicated, but thar’s the gist.
Haoran said,
May 18, 06:31 #
I just remembered that that was the clever question I was going to ask you on Saturday night that I completely forgot to ask.Oh well. such is life.