What did I learn that I might carry on with me? Honestly it's hard to say...and not because I didn't learn anything, because I did! There were lots of little interesting comparisons, factoids, and tidbits of psych-pop history and color, like a VH-1 Pop Up Video for psych 101. But nothing was super personal or life changing....and not because I wasn't trying. Heck, I love that kind of stuff!!
I just didn't get that much from this class or the book. Mostly because the format for the class and book were so overly generalized and impersonal that I couldn't possibly produce anything other than just that...generalized fluff.
It was jumping through the hoops and I'm not feeling as young and spry as I once was (and I'm not even 30, oofta!). Far from jaded, I think it's perfectly reasonable for me to be a bit peeved that the education I'm paying for isn't really living up to my expectations.
Sure I could make something up about how super awesome it is too be self aware and able to think critically about confirmation bias or affective forecasting. I could probably easily b.s. my way through how important the whole developmental chapter was because I might someday want a family and now I have the tools to understand the stages of my future children. Shucks, I could kill it with a heart breaking story about pain and recovery, family addiction and mental health and end it with a picture of all of us smiling, and it would all be true too.
Really I'm not trying to undermine those stories or ideas, because they are all valid and equally important. Maybe I'm just taking what Gonzales discussed about the dangers and powers of ambiguity and deindividuation and using that to fuel my rant? Maybe I'm breaking the conformity model cause I'm just too damn bored not to (and maybe I'm experiencing a little enlightenment effect?).
I realize this is an entry-level class and book and that the point is to be broad and all-inclusive, but the whole tone of everything was so entirely alienating and sad. And damn do I feel sorry for those who might have had a language barrier in this class. I can only imagine what a whirly ride that's been.
All in all what concept in psychology will I remember five years from now and why? That apathy is contagious, the conditioning caused by the internet is one helluva drug and I'm so so so glad I'm done with generals and giant inattentive lecture halls.
