Why Everyone Should Take a Psychology Class at Least Once in Their Lives
Warning, this post may be slightly biased as it was written by a Psychology major. That being said, hopefully you’ll still take these points into consideration. While not everyone is going to feel inspired to study psychology in depth, knowing a little bit about it can make a world of difference. Regardless of your chosen profession, at some point in your life you’re going to have to deal with people. The purpose of psychology is to better understand why those people are the way they are, and the most effective way to approach them.
Understanding Others
While there’s so much to learn regarding things such as personality, development, and the way people thing, a beginner’s psychology can at least introduce you to a few ideas that you can use in your interactions with people. Such learning can also be helpful when dealing with people struggling with common mental illnesses, such as depression or anxiety. These disorders are becoming more and more widespread, resulting in a need for increased understanding. The more you know about these conditions, the better you will be at dealing with them in others.
Understanding Yourself
Perhaps the more beneficial reason for taking a psychology class is the new perspective you gain of yourself. The more you understand why you do the things you do, the better you’ll be able further develop your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. It can feel a little uncomfortable at times, but the growth of character that can come is worth it.
It Won’t Give You All the Answers
While studying psychology is helpful, regardless of what you choose to do in life, it won’t give you clear cut answers to everything. Human beings are complex, with many different influences involved in making them who they are. While math involves equations with one outcome, such as 2 + 2 = 4, psychology involves many inputs with a wide range of possible outputs. However, the better you understand it the more you’ll be able to narrow those outputs down.
Psychology really is a subject that can be useful in any area of life. Whether you’re a doctor, a businessman or woman, a chef, a teacher, or a stay at home parent, you can use psychology to improve your relationships with others and yourself. If you’re unable to take a class, try reading a book or watching some lectures or other videos on YouTube. The more you can learn, the more beneficial it will be for you.