What do you think of psychologists?

[Lisa!]

I just don't know why all crazy , annoying and indecent people come to my way. It used to be funny but now I'm assuming that there must be something wrong with myself that attracts insane peopel to me as soon as we meet!

Now do you think psychologists can help me?

 

[Kurdt]

Well if you merely attract insane people I think there's no need for a psychologist. Perhaps you need a bio-chemist to see if you produce a special pheromone.

 

[verty]

"I'm normal, everyone else is insane."

 

[0rthodontist]

Interpreting your question more broadly than you intended...

I once read a quote by someone famous, though I have been unable to find who said it, that goes something along the lines of "you never really understand something until you can explain it to a computer." I believe it is 100% true.

Psychologists are fumbling in the dark. They have vague notions that they can't quantify. If they knew what they were doing, they would have already created a humanlike AI. The only solid part of psychology is the part directly reflected in statistics, which is notoriously inconclusive in the social sciences. Psychologists have nothing but a bunch of opinions, ingrained in them by tradition.

 

[Moonbear]

Now do you think psychologists can help me?

Sure, they might even treat you to dinner for all the referrals you send their way.

 

[verty]

Psychologists have nothing but a bunch of opinions, ingrained in them by tradition.

I wouldn't say that is true of all psychologists. I'm sure there are many psychologists that moved the bar forward. The primary value of psychologists seems to be that they know what questions to ask. I think of a psychologist as a catalyst more than an agent.

 

[arildno]

The so-called "theories" of psychology most often do not deserve that name.

However, that does not mean you won't find practitioners with a sincere wish to help, and sufficient human insight to actually provide that help.
But, and this is rather important:
If you ask such practitioners whether the theories they learned during their training are central tools in their work, most of them will say "no".
Effectively, they are on their own, and must do their best to understand and help the individual in front of them.

This is TOTALLY DIFFERENT from the importance the training has for other medical personnell in their daily work, and for that matter, the role of theories other scientists learn during their education.

 

[loseyourname]

I get the feeling that people don't realize there are psychologists out there that are not clinical psychologists. Frankly, the world's best psychologists are marketing gurus and salespeople.

 

[physics girl phd]

If you don't want the crazy people to hang around you... you might have to learn to be mean. I think even most crazy people don't like MEAN people. Could a psychologist to help you learn how to do that?

 

[Math Is Hard]

I get the feeling that people don't realize there are psychologists out there that are not clinical psychologists.

Thank you for saying that. I completely agree. I think too many people have this picture of a tearful patient on a couch that pops into their heads when they think of psychology. They don't consider how broad the field is and how many different disciplines there are within it. For example, people typically don't consider things like psychologists working in human factors research
http://acb220.tc.faa.gov/default.htm
and as you mentioned, they don't consider the crossover into sales and marketing.

 

[Kurdt]

While a lot of theories of psychology are a bit flimsy one has to realize that the science is really in its infancy, and the complexity of the thing they're studying is enormous. I think there is also a lot of difference between what is behavioural biology and true psychology.

 

[SpaceTiger]

I just don't know why all crazy , annoying and indecent people come to my way. It used to be funny but now I'm assuming that there must be something wrong with myself that attracts insane peopel to me as soon as we meet!

You sound like my shrink.

 

[Moonbear]

I think a lot of the problem is that people don't know the difference between therapists (anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves a therapist, and since people assume they have a psychology degree, they give the whole field a bad rap when the flakes start calling themselves therapists), and psychologists, who do have psychology degrees and have extensive training in human behavior, and psychiatrists, which are M.D.s specializing in neurological/behavioral disorders with an organic basis.

 

[Cyrus]

I just don't know why all crazy , annoying and indecent people come to my way. It used to be funny but now I'm assuming that there must be something wrong with myself that attracts insane peopel to me as soon as we meet!

Now do you think psychologists can help me?

we'll discuss this over dinner, honey.

 

[Lisa!]

I'll reply to other posts later!

we'll discuss this over dinner, honey.

We have more important things to discuss, sweetie!:!)

 

[hl_world]

"I'm normal, everyone else is insane."

Opinion is divided over the hue of the sky. I say it is green, everybody else says it is blue.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

You would have to be insane not to be attracted to Lisa!. I would be myself if I weren't already attracted to my wife.

 

[lisab]

...yet another walking dead thead...spooky !

 

[rootX]

psychologist + engineer + economist/sales/business == > :!)
Now, that's what I want!

psychologist + economist/sales/business + politician == >

 

[September]

I wouldn't say that is true of all psychologists. I'm sure there are many psychologists that moved the bar forward. The primary value of psychologists seems to be that they know what questions to ask. I think of a psychologist as a catalyst more than an agent.

I think that's completely true. I talked to two psychologists, one of them talked in cliches, and used some standard schemes, which put me off at once, but the second person was a real specialist. He didn't try to explain anything, but somehow made me understand myself better. One of the results is that now I clearly see the reason why I'm attracted to a certain kind of people, and why they feel attracted to me. With this knowledge I can change a lot in my life!

 

[Lacy33]

If you don't want the crazy people to hang around you... you might have to learn to be mean. I think even most crazy people don't like MEAN people. Could a psychologist to help you learn how to do that?

Perhaps you meant to say mentally ill people instead of "crazy." They may not like mean people as not many people with or without problems will put up with them, however I think that a person with a mental illness might tend to "use" a mean person rather than move away from them. Even if they may not respond right away. The results of course vary depending on the ugliness embedded in both. This may be particularly true of a person with a mental illness due to abuse from a mean person.
Though not a very good movie, The Dark Knight is a good example of how a mentally ill person will use the evil in others all the while despising them. I lost count how many times the Joker asked people, "Do you know how I got these scars?"
I think that "being mean" makes one a target for many unpleasant things. Not to mention dragging down one's own spirit.
I have serious doubts that the average therapist will "help" a person to develop the "mean" side of themselves for protection or for any reason.
You are the PhD. I am not. Your education has given you the proper edge to make such statements. But from a simple perspective it seems to be for these reasons wrong.

 

[cristo]

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