Psychology: strategies, part 1

Self-tutoring about psychology: the tutor begins about how people process their environments.

The following is according to my understanding.

Some of my best days were spent in school, and some people might say I never really left. Yet, I’ve come to suspect that, for many, it’s the other way: they were already thinking past school, even in their elementary years.

I recall other kids who weren’t very concerned about their academic strength – for instance, their math or spelling. Rather, they were much more concerned with either their artistry or their athleticism. To the art-focused ones, it was much more important how their art projects presented. The sports-focused students put more emphasis on being good at sports and being on a team.

At the time, I failed to see the validity in either the artistic approach or the sports-focused approach to school. However, it seems the joke was on the academics rather than on the artists and athletes, in many cases. If you look at career success, what seems to lead there? Two things seem very important: being attractive, and being good with people.

Presenting oneself in an attractive way is art. It’s a talent for some, but even for them, years of practice really helps. Most people who are good at presenting themselves started working on it years before adulthood. They may have seemed awkward at times, and even been made fun of for some experimental “look” they tried on. Yet, that’s far behind them by, for example, age 25. Conversely, they are far ahead of people who failed to read the writing on the wall: that knowing how to present oneself is a big advantage in the job market.

The people who focused on sports, got on teams, etc, learned how to be team players. Moreover, they developed a lot of connections while on sports teams. Common experience during a tough game proves a lot to other people – people who will be hiring or serving as references later on.

Therefore, I’ve come to suspect that people who did “okay” in school and graduated, but focused more on art or sports than on academics, may have done so strategically as much as due to interest. Yet, how did they know, even perhaps in grade 5 or 6, to be so strategic? To me, that’s as expansive a question as how the pyramids were built.

Source:

Carlson, N.R (1988). Discovering Psychology. Allyn and Bacon, Inc.