Strengths and Weaknesses /// Emily Thullesen

 After reading the 1998 APA President’s Address, the second main focus of the address stood out to me. Seligman’s emphasis on rebuilding the positive aspects of psychology through understanding how to better the human life overall revealed a different perspective that what is typically associated with psychology. Ordinary people without much knowledge of psychology view studies surrounding mental health as how to fix the negative aspects and weaknesses of people. Psychologists are known for wanting to help people who are mentally ill and weak minded, having conditions that have a crippling hold on their entire lives. With all this being said, Seligman brought forth a different connotation of psychology than what many people like myself would assume the focus of the study is. 

Because we assume so much about the negativity behind mental health, we forget that the positives are just important. In his address, Seligman emphasizes many areas of life in which people should be able to fulfill themselves even more. Psychology is not just useful to the severely ill-minded, but also to the people who struggle on a day to day basis with seemingly ordinary problems in life. The second half of this address introduced the significance of psychology in a new light for me, as it revealed how it can apply to fulfilling the lives of ALL people to make this world better overall. 

I commented on Emily Otts and Emmett Bryant’s posts. 

Comments

  1. Emma LandryApril 4, 2022 at 10:41 PM

    What you wrote made me realize that this misconception is one that I have held myself. The fact that helping one to solve serious mental issues is the main thing that comes to my mind when I think of psychology/psychologists proves the prevalence of this association in culture. I really like the concept of striving for the well-being of all people, not just those with severe mental conditions or difficulties. The ideas of psychology should be accessible to all.
    -Emma Landry

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  2. Emma LandryApril 4, 2022 at 10:41 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Emily OttsApril 4, 2022 at 10:47 PM

    Hearing Seligman explain the positive aspect of psychology really changed my perspective on it. I agree with you in how it can really impact all people's lives for the better. Psychology really is a powerful tool that, when used correctly, can better the lives of so many people, not just the mentally ill.

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