Steven Pinker, a renowned experimental psychologist (with credentials) once argued that it is not only the scientists, professionals and academics who study the mind. He asserts that instead, we all do. I would agree with him. In a lifetime, we amass countless experiences interpreting interactions and intentions in our relationships with others, both positive and negative, which feed into the conceptualization of ourselves. Depending on who you are, this process may be more or less of a conscious or intentional study. I am not saying that we are all great psychologists, but that we are all psychologists.

In particular, Pinker credits great poets and novelists in their ability to “create representations of our general nature” (Pinker, 2002). Do you remember English Lit from high-school / secondary school)? I remember hours combing through Golding or Steinbeck,  or theorizing why George finally shot Lenny, simultaneously wondering just how this was supposed to prepare me for life. I'm now beginning to see it a little differently.

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What does it take to write a compelling story, to create an imaginable context in which we can relate to the characters and their predicaments? A writer's ability to elicit our empathy for characters unlike ourselves or to draw us into unfamiliar territories might suggest an impressive knowledge of what it means to be human. Yes, a story may not offer us facts or tangible conclusions. But hopefully it casts light on a nuance or offers some semblance of validation, enough to inspire questions about our own experiences. A well written story leaves just enough space for a reader to exercise their intuition or imagination while remaining connected to the intended narrative (White, 2007). Interestingly, how we relate to one another also involves a balance between taking in information while allowing for our own interpretation.

Literature and Psychology have been trading notes for a while. The great works of Dostoevsky have continued to feature in psychology academia. Jung, Adler and other notable figures have referenced literary works in their study of the mind . For Freud and Lacan, even coined terms also have their literary roots (Emir, 2016). On the other side, distinguished authors like Ian McEwan (Parker, 2019) and Virginia Woolf (Johnson, 1994) are famous for their astute psychological study in the portrayal of characters and their dispositions.

There are many additional examples of analysis of the human psyche embedded in other professions, not necessarily held as hallmarks of psychological expertise. So they cannot provide us with an accurate diagnosis, but watch how actors and comedians speculate the nuanced problems of a culture, engage audiences, evoke emotion and tactfully offer us a grain of relatable truth.  Car salesmen and real estate brokers who navigate the push pull dynamics of incentivizing. 

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I invite you to dive into how other fields of study offer their own gifts of psychological wisdom. Pick up a novel, watch a drama or listen to a love song, see what you can get from it. Hopefully, you will feel more inclined to dig for meaning behind the text now that there is no essay or chapter summary to hand in. See if it makes you a better psychologist.