Generally speaking, psychology concerns the study of human behavior
and the processes and functions of the mind, especially related to the
social and physical environments in which humans live and work. There are
many branches of psychology, some being behavioral psychology, clinical
psychology, humanistic psychology and even animal psychology. Psychology is
also a profession that involves studying how and why human beings act as
they do in specific social situations as either individuals or groups.
Personally, psychology is one of the most fascinating of all the
social sciences, due to three important reasons. First, it reveals the
inner workings of the human mind which once understood can help a person in
many ways, such as interacting with other human beings in a social setting
or coming to understand why people behave as they do. Second, psychology
can be used in almost any human situation to help solve particular problems
related to the social environment. Third, psychology helps a person to
understand the complexities of man's interactions with the world he has
created, such as with humanistic psychology which emphasizes a person's
struggle to develop and maintain an integrated and harmonious personality
as the primary motivational force in human behavior.
On a personal level, by utilizing the principles of psychology as
they relate to the operation of the human mind, it is obvious that on a
daily basis most people (as well as myself) encounter individuals which
they do not fully understand, especially if these individuals react to a
situation in a very different manner. For example, some people have phobias
or intense fears of various things and objects which most people do not
find frightening nor disturbing. But by understanding the psychology of
such fears, they become less mysterious and may even inspire a person to
explore his/her own mind in order to become a better person, both mentally
and socially.