What interests us in psychology articles? If you mention that you are interested in psychology, you are likely to receive a response like: “Oh, are you going to analyze me?”
Psychology is the tool we use to find answers about our own psychology, but is there a point where too much knowledge becomes dangerous? Getting to know ourselves helps us understand our strengths and weaknesses, but can we get so immersed in theories and diagnoses that we start to overuse this knowledge in our daily lives?
Being well-read is certainly a good thing, but if you suspect that everyone you meet is a psychopath, or you start making assumptions about your partner’s behavior because you’ve diagnosed them as a narcissist, it may be time to wait a while.
But how do you know if you’ve read too many psychology articles?
Check if you’re doing any of the following:
- You suspect that everyone is trying to manipulate you
Knowing how people use manipulation techniques as a means of controlling you, and believing that everyone you meet is trying to manipulate you, are two completely separate issues. Make sure not to overanalyze people’s actions and behaviors, otherwise you may end up with crazy behaviors.
- Try to guess each person’s personality type
When we meet people in a daily environment, we tend to ask them about their family, their work, and what they like to do as a hobby. A person who is obsessed with psychology articles will ask these questions so that they can build a profile of their personality type.
- You suspect that someone is a psychopath/mentally ill
Do you observe someone’s behavior and review the Hare Psychopathy Checklist to see if they have psychopathic tendencies? Or do you know exactly what the difference is between a psychopath and a psychopath? If you can recall the 20 criteria that make up the Hare Checklist, you’ve probably read a lot of psychology articles.
- Diagnosing someone with a mental disorder
Do you feel you have the insight to be able to diagnose someone’s mental state? Do you look for signs in their behavior and believe you have the answers that can help them improve? Only qualified people can make a diagnosis and have the knowledge and tools to help someone solve complex problems in the mind. It’s not something you can pick up from some blog on the internet.
- Look for hidden motives behind people’s actions
Being wary of people’s motives is necessary and natural in society. It keeps us from falling into the trap of fraud and from being seen as fools. But constantly looking for hidden motives in everyone you meet is a sign that you have an unhealthy interest in reading about psychology.
- Assuming things about people based on their personality traits
Do you look at someone’s personality traits and assume things about them without any basis in reality? When we constantly read about psychology and theories, we can start to think that we are experts on the subject, when in reality, we are just dipping our toes into a wide-ranging topic.
- You think you can tell if someone is lying or not
If you have a penchant for reading psychology articles and watching behavioral shows, where criminals are profiled, you may think that you have all the tools you need to spot liars.
In reality, it is very difficult to tell if someone is lying or not, and only people trained in that specific field are able to correctly and consistently spot lies.
- You try to help people with your “psychological” knowledge
You may not have an actual qualification in psychology, but that doesn’t stop you from adding your opinion to help those around you. Whether it’s diagnosing their mental disorder or suggesting a course of treatment, you know that you’ve read enough psychology articles to point them in the right direction.
- You Predict “Who Did It” in Psychological Thrillers
People who read psychological articles are also likely to love watching psychological thrillers, whether in the form of movies or TV series. One thing they will always be proud of is predicting the hero before anyone else.
- You Love Classifying People into Behavioral Groups
It’s human nature to categorize, it’s how we make sense of the world. But if you’re constantly grouping people together based on your own assumptions, you’ve probably reached a point where you should stop reading so many psychological articles.
Psychology interests us because it’s about us. And in a world where we’ve become increasingly self-obsessed, delving into our own psyches and discovering more about our favorite subject, us, this should lead to more useful discoveries. However, if you find yourself doing any of the above, give the subject a break for a few days. That’s after you’ve finished the subject, of course.
