We spend a lot of time psychologizing people. But we spend very little time psychologizing the people who psychologize people—that is, psychologists. What’s up with these people? What’s in it for them? The conventional story is that they’re trying to help. They’re looking for “interventions” to make us less stupid and bad. They’re hoping that their research will have “policy implications” designed to
Two counterpoints - happy people are "nice" -- maybe not so much. Hermits are "happy" when left alone and grumpy when disturbed when they don't want to be. Too, a person who is "happy" in a marriage may find themselves blindsided when dumped by their partner, more common than not, because the "happy" partner is oblivious to their spouse's needs.
Second, there is some evidence that groups self select into the political parties in the US. Our right wingers are more likely to want an authoritarian system. Those same studies (you make this point convincingly) may be designed to make the left wingers feel good, but there seem to be persistent, epigenetic or genetic links to the group self selection.
"That’s why we need to study our deceptive brains: to prevent them from tricking us into thinking we’re awesome when we’re actually crappy."
Is this actually possible? Have people as a whole become smarter and more thoughtful about their cognitive biases and distortions as we've uncovered them? It's definitely nice to believe that uncovering these things will make us smarter as a species but is there any actual evidence for it?
We've arguably known about our biases and misapplications of thinking since ancient times - buddhism, stoicism, etc. - but it doesn't seem like there's any real progress made other than when ideologies overwhelm societies and dramatically change norms and behavior but not because any of us is self-aware of it. Maybe it's just the case that a couple of self-aware individuals will stumble into acting in a more thoughtful manner whether they come to it through reading William James or Buddha or modern social science pop books, but most of us are just doomed to be bullshitters
Vanity. Most it just comes down to vanity. The extreme vanity of the elites was clearly exposed in the responses to the pandemic. Experts from all fields revealed they are more susceptible to their vanities than maintaining any actual intellectual integrity. So psychology is not alone.
I’m curious to know if psychologists ever ask if they are causing more harm than good. Curious correlation: the number of psychological services have increased manifold in the last 20-30 years. At the same time, the level of victimhood as well as narcissism has also gone through the roof. Are psychological services contributing to the high level of victimhood?
Psychologists could have a very beneficial impact on humanity if instead of pandering and coddling, which they do to make themselves feel better, they confronted the many claims of oppression and victimhood and told people to get a back bone, they are not oppressed and not victims. Indeed, there seems to be more and more mental health problems towards which we send in more psychological counselors to no apparent benefit.
I’m not sure if psychology has been a net positive for humanity.
you are so cool and I love your thinking
Two counterpoints - happy people are "nice" -- maybe not so much. Hermits are "happy" when left alone and grumpy when disturbed when they don't want to be. Too, a person who is "happy" in a marriage may find themselves blindsided when dumped by their partner, more common than not, because the "happy" partner is oblivious to their spouse's needs.
Second, there is some evidence that groups self select into the political parties in the US. Our right wingers are more likely to want an authoritarian system. Those same studies (you make this point convincingly) may be designed to make the left wingers feel good, but there seem to be persistent, epigenetic or genetic links to the group self selection.
"That’s why we need to study our deceptive brains: to prevent them from tricking us into thinking we’re awesome when we’re actually crappy."
Is this actually possible? Have people as a whole become smarter and more thoughtful about their cognitive biases and distortions as we've uncovered them? It's definitely nice to believe that uncovering these things will make us smarter as a species but is there any actual evidence for it?
We've arguably known about our biases and misapplications of thinking since ancient times - buddhism, stoicism, etc. - but it doesn't seem like there's any real progress made other than when ideologies overwhelm societies and dramatically change norms and behavior but not because any of us is self-aware of it. Maybe it's just the case that a couple of self-aware individuals will stumble into acting in a more thoughtful manner whether they come to it through reading William James or Buddha or modern social science pop books, but most of us are just doomed to be bullshitters
Great read! Entertaining and blunt!
Vanity. Most it just comes down to vanity. The extreme vanity of the elites was clearly exposed in the responses to the pandemic. Experts from all fields revealed they are more susceptible to their vanities than maintaining any actual intellectual integrity. So psychology is not alone.
I’m curious to know if psychologists ever ask if they are causing more harm than good. Curious correlation: the number of psychological services have increased manifold in the last 20-30 years. At the same time, the level of victimhood as well as narcissism has also gone through the roof. Are psychological services contributing to the high level of victimhood?
Psychologists could have a very beneficial impact on humanity if instead of pandering and coddling, which they do to make themselves feel better, they confronted the many claims of oppression and victimhood and told people to get a back bone, they are not oppressed and not victims. Indeed, there seems to be more and more mental health problems towards which we send in more psychological counselors to no apparent benefit.
I’m not sure if psychology has been a net positive for humanity.