"No subject has promised more or delivered less than psychology". Any comments?

Question

I saw this quote - I don't promise it is word perfect - in an old copy of a serious weekly magazine. It addressed an issue which is of practical concern to me, so I would like to know what you think.

Answer 1

Eh, sounds about right.

Answer 2

Whether one agrees with the statement or not, it certainly signifies the writer's frustration with psychology. One can suggest he had good reason for it also, as the real beginnings of modern psychology promised to produce a real scientific endeavor, one with experiments and repeatable results. Instead we have evolved into diverse points of view that represent things we have named which are even more mysterious than what we started with, like the unconscious, subconscious, ego, self and all sorts of constructs.
The real value of psychology continues to lie in an individual's application of it; various approaches work for different people. More than anything else, understanding that one theory doesn't fit all people is at the heart of psychology's humility. Alas, for many psychologists, that concept remains in the unconscious stage.

Answer 3

I would disagree with your statement.

POLOTICS by far promises more and delivers less. I can't think of a single campagin promise that gets kept in the way it was ever meant to be. Poloticians promise and promise and promise while they are trying to get votes. Once the votes are read, everything they promised seems to go out the window, and we are fed a whole lot of excuses about why they were never kept.

Answer 4

I agree, there are only about 1 in 10 psychologists who are any good. The rest are dozy middle aged feminists who think that just because they can sort their friends problems out that they can extrapolate this to all those in need. They are dangerous people who do not want to listen, you have to speak their language, they will not (or cannot) speak yours. Look in yellow pages and you will find that they are all middle class feminist simpletons called Letitia or Fiona. The only thing they can talk about is sexual politics. Puhleeeze! Their motivations are 1. To have power over helpless people. 2. The maintenance of status. 3. To make themselves feel adequate.

Answer 5

Some of the expectations for psychology replacing the role of religion and spirituality were not founded in reality and led to unrealistic expectations of a science that could provide perfect inner peace. However, if one looks at your local yellow pages one would see a great many psychologist and psycologists. Most of them are being paid about $100 an hour. Most practices that produce nothing good in the lives of people go out of business. This would seem to indicate that some good is coming from this practice in our society. It would seem that since the begining of the the practice of psychology it has become established as a major part of our modern world and has provide many people who were seeking healing for their hearts and homes substantial relief. Now not all who practice psycology do it egually well and it is clearly as much of an art as it is a science. But if one finds a gifted person who is trained in psychological methods this can help many to find practical life answers and inner peace.

Many Christians have integreted the insights of psychology with the ancient practice of spiritual direction. This combination of spiritual coaching and seeking to understand the workings of the soul is seen by many to be the best way to avoid many of the worst aspects of secular psycology. I see psychology as part of our work to try to overcome the brokeness of our fallen world and seek God's grace in restoring people to their original purpose.

Everything we do to try to heal has the danger of being wrongly practices and used to manipulate. But this should not have us throw the baby out with the bath water.

Answer 6

Let's get to the point. Psychology is cotton candy, Looks good but when you bite it it has no substance. It is to be considered like a gas station road map,O.K. for a general idea of where you are going, but unable to provide specific destinations in detail.

Answer 7

My partner has the opinion that pscyhologists and counsellors are somewhat reminiscent of vultures and crows feeding off the dead and dying... making their fortunes through others misfortunes. Everytime there is a tragedy and the newsreader announces that counselling will be provided for all the victims he says "See they don't let people just get on with their lives, they want them to talk about it ad that make them weak."

I am of the opinion that after a tragedy some people are not able to simply get on with their lives... and they need someone to talk it through with.

Answer 8

I had to read that twice, Im that tired, but yes I agree with that statement, but maybe when they invent quantitative psychology things will change. As long as they is somebody else, Im too tired to... whatever I am thinking

Answer 9

You could replace the word 'psychology' with the word science, religion or politics.

Answer 10

I would have to disagree. Religion has both promised more AND delivered less than psychology.

-SD-