The Importance of Reasons.

When I was little, I didn't know what psychology was.  I didn't even know something called "psychology" existed. Little did I know that it was incorporated into my daily life. There were times I'd get upset when my brother called me fat, when I'd use convincing tactics on my mother to buy me my that beautiful, blue-eyed Barbie perched on a shelf at the toy store and the times I would go the local library to read the "these-aren't-for-kids-your-age-books" behind my parents' back. I never thought that such small things could have a long lasting effect on my personality or the way I would look at the world when I came of age. The more I delve into the subject of studying human behaviour, the more I realise that every little event that takes place in your life (whether you're a 6-month old baby or a 60-year old veteran), somehow or the other, has an impact on you and the way you behave, analyse and react to everything around you.  This is why I'm a staunch believer in the clichéd saying, "Everything happens for a reason". The connotation that I personally derive from it isn't in reference to worldly events, but is with respect to individual differences. So here's an example.

I started working somewhere a couple of years ago, where I met this boy (let's call him X). X was really out-going and fun...but a little annoying. Actually, let's get real. He made me want to rip my brains out. And I wasn't the only one who felt this way. Despite his hit-the-roof confidence, X had a queer side. He'd gossip about people in a menacing way, narrate odd stories about himself having tea with the Queen of England, and spread false rumours about himself engaging in sexual acts with other colleagues, to list a few. Unfortunately, when it came to X, my patience was nil - and I let that show. Eventually, not only was X left ostracised, but was also the guy no one wanted to befriend. The outcast, to sum it up. A month after his social exclusion, I heard that X had resigned from his post. As shameful as it is to admit, the truth was that I was happy. Ecstatic, actually. However, it was months before I found out that not only was X from a broken home, but had also been diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder several years earlier. It was then that everything fell into place.

While I don't think that it is humanly possible to be perfect, I do believe that it is possible to give people chances...to analyse others before you judge them...to put yourself into the other person's shoes before prompting attitudes and conclusions, or even worse, behaviours, to get the better of you. We can only narrate our life stories and understand where we're coming from, but it's harder to do so for a stranger we meet on the bus or at school. If a person behaves a certain way, whether it's following or rebelling against the norm, there's always a reason for it. It may not be a psychological disorder, per say, but at the end of the day, we are all products of our experiences and encounters.

That's the beauty of psychology- it's real, it's never-ending and it's unique to each individual.