| | === Psychology ===
Psychology is the body of knowledge about the workings of our minds, our motivation, emotions, memories and recall, and all of those processes by which we reason, or engage in irrational flights of fantasy. It tells us about the causal agent of our every action. It deals with the strength of our will or failures thereof. Our psychic pains like the grief from a terrible loss, the shame of failing important standards, guilt for behaving badly, depression, irrational fears, out of control angers. Psychology deals with the best path for maintaining relationships and important understandings for raising children. And so much more.
It makes no more sense to throw out psychology because it contains idiots or frauds than to throw out medicine because of quacks or incompetents. If health of the body is important than so to is health of the mind. If there are stupid or wrong philosophies we don’t declare that it is an unnecessary body of knowledge.
Yes, we live in an age where victimhood is worshiped and where people parade their shortcomings like badges of honor. But thats just grist for the mill - a good therapist would start to strip a client of that defense right away - it is harmful to self-esteem and mitigates against any worthwhile success in life.
When people go "ick - all that touchy-feely stuff" they raise the question of where they stand in relation to there own emotions. A hero is no more afraid to look inside than outside.
If too much of what passes for psychology is psychobabble how is that different from saying too much of philosophy is pure mysticism. Yeah, if its bad psychology or if its bad philosopy.
When people rant about 'evils' or 'incompetence' of psychology and tell all the reasons why it is not necessary or doesn't work or what to use instead - they are giving us THEIR psychological principles.
So long as our minds are the way we apprehend existence and the way we experience our successes and failures we need this body of knowledge - Objectivists should be at the forefront of that awareness.
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