Okay, let’s talk about this whole ‘think psychology’ thing I’ve been messing around with lately.
Getting Started
It wasn’t like I woke up one day and decided to become a psychologist or anything. Nah, it started way simpler. I just kept noticing weird stuff, you know? Like why my neighbor argues about the exact same thing every Tuesday, or why I procrastinate on tasks I actually like doing. It just got under my skin. I figured, there’s gotta be some reason behind all this, right? People aren’t just random.
So, I thought, maybe this ‘psychology’ stuff everyone mentions has some answers. Didn’t want to dive into heavy textbooks, that’s not my style. I’m more of a hands-on, figure-it-out-myself kind of guy.
The Process – Trying Things Out
First thing I did was just start paying attention. Like, really watching. Not in a creepy way, mind you! Just observing everyday interactions. At work, in the grocery store line, watching my own family. I tried to spot patterns. Why does Dave get defensive when you mention deadlines? Why does Sarah always apologize even when it’s not her fault?
Then I started reading some basic stuff online, avoiding the super academic articles. More like blogs, simple explanations of common ideas. Stuff like:
- Confirmation bias – seeing what you expect to see.
- Cognitive dissonance – that weird feeling when your actions don’t match your beliefs.
- Basic defense mechanisms – like blaming others when you mess up.
I wasn’t trying to diagnose anyone, just trying to get a handle on the why. I started applying these ideas, gently, to what I was seeing. Like, okay, maybe Dave feels insecure about his performance, so mentioning deadlines feels like an attack? Maybe Sarah learned somewhere that being agreeable keeps the peace, even if it means taking blame?
Big part of it was watching myself too. That was harder. It’s easy to see patterns in others, much tougher to admit your own weird habits. I started asking myself: why did I really snap at that slow driver? Was it just them, or was I already stressed about something else? Why do I need that extra cookie when I’m not even hungry?
What I Found Out
It wasn’t some magic bullet. Didn’t suddenly understand everything. Actually, sometimes it made things more confusing! You see one pattern, then something happens that completely breaks it.
But overall? It kinda helped. Helped me be a bit more patient, maybe. When someone’s acting difficult, instead of just getting annoyed, I sometimes pause and think, “Okay, what might be going on behind this behavior?” Doesn’t mean I excuse bad behavior, but it changes my immediate reaction.
And for myself? Recognizing my own patterns, like why I avoid certain conversations or tasks, gave me a starting point. Sometimes just knowing why you do something makes it a tiny bit easier to change it. Or at least, to catch yourself doing it.
So yeah, that’s my journey with ‘thinking psychology’. No expert here. Just a regular person trying to make a little more sense of the complicated humans around me, including the one in the mirror. It’s an ongoing thing, really. Still observing, still learning.
