Getting Started with Myers and DeWall
Okay, so I decided to finally pick up this big psychology book, the one by Myers and DeWall. Heard a lot about it, you know, people saying it’s a good starting point. Didn’t really know what to expect, just wanted to understand people a bit better, maybe myself too. Found a used copy, looked pretty thick, honestly. Felt a bit heavy in my hands.
I didn’t have a grand plan. Just thought I’d start from page one and see how it goes. Poured myself a coffee, sat down in my usual chair, and just opened it up. The first few pages, well, they lay out what psychology is all about. Seemed straightforward enough, not too scary with jargon right off the bat, which was a relief.
Digging In – The Actual Reading Part
So, I started reading it chapter by chapter. Didn’t rush. Some nights I’d only get through a few pages, other times, maybe a whole section if it really grabbed me. I made sure to actually read it, not just skim. You know how sometimes your eyes move but your brain is somewhere else? Yeah, tried hard to avoid that.
What I did was keep a little notebook next to me. Not for fancy notes, just scribbles. If something made me think “huh, that’s like my neighbor” or “oh, I do that,” I’d jot down a word or two. Made it feel more like a conversation, less like homework. Some parts were fascinating, like the stuff about memory or how we think. Other bits, maybe the brain biology stuff, were a bit tougher. Had to reread those paragraphs sometimes. It wasn’t always easy going, but I kept at it.
- Read a bit almost every day.
- Kept a simple notebook for thoughts.
- Reread the tricky sections.
- Tried to connect concepts to real life.
What Stuck With Me – The ‘Aha!’ Moments
After plugging away for a while, some ideas really started to sink in. It wasn’t like one big revelation, more like lots of little clicks. The way they explained biases, you know, how we think we’re right even when we’re not? That hit home. Started noticing it in myself, in conversations I heard. Pretty eye-opening.
Also, the social psychology bits were great. Why people act differently in groups, conformity, obedience – fascinating stuff. Made me look at news stories or even just office dynamics a bit differently. It wasn’t about judging, more about understanding the forces at play. The book didn’t give me all the answers, obviously, but it gave me better questions to ask.
Thinking About It Afterwards
Finishing the book felt good, like climbing a small hill. But the main thing wasn’t just finishing. It’s how I find myself thinking about its ideas randomly. Like when someone cuts me off in traffic, instead of just getting mad, sometimes I think, “Okay, maybe situational factors?” Ha, sounds silly, but it’s true. It changed my internal chatter a bit.
I didn’t suddenly become a psychologist, far from it. But going through Myers and DeWall, page by page, writing my little notes, just spending that time… it definitely broadened my perspective. Made me a bit more curious about why people, including myself, do the things we do. It was a worthwhile slog, I’d say. Glad I picked it up and actually worked through it.
