"The Psychology Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained"

Just finished another Bathroom Book, which Sam bought for me nearly 3 years ago when I was experiencing a life slump where I felt like I was boring and never had anything to talk about. (Does this make you wonder whether Sam agreed, or whether it was just a sweet way for him to cheer me up? Part of me knows Sam well enough to be sure it was the latter, part of me says "don't go there.")

As per usual for DK books, this book is a good, broad (if not especially deep) overview of the history of psychology, broken down into manageable (bathroom session-length) sections. It starts with the very roots (Galen, Descartes, Herbart) and hits all the big names in psychology chronologically, describing each one's main ideas. 

I was probably about halfway through the book when I realized I really wasn't retaining any of it. Should I start taking notes? Should I go back and review? Then I came to my senses. I wasn't studying for an exam. I wasn't even looking for gems to incorporate in my life (and if I did come across one, I would be happy to record it). I remembered my purpose in reading this book (a prompt to think, and therefore a prompt for discussion) and realized that--much as I love the idea of Knowing Everything (while, hopefully, avoiding the pitfall of being recognized by others as one who thinks I Know Everything), it's never gonna happen. And if I really need to know the specifics of a particular era in human psychology, there's always Wikipedia. 

I did note two parts that stood out to me. First: Karen Horney (1885-1952) said there is a "real self" (your authentic desires), an "ideal self" that strives to fulfill demands (those things you think you "should" do--often based on external pressure, which is internalized), and the "despised self," which is what develops when you fail to meet the expectations of the ideal self. Therapy might help with discovering your real self and putting off your ideal and despised selves, allowing you to find goals and aspirations that are authentic to you, not just things you feel like you "should" do.

Second, I noted the work of Carl Rogers (1902-1987) which ran along very similar lines and can in part be summarized this way: "Resentment can be buried deep within us when we act in accordance with someone else's wishes rather than our own. If our actions are free of external influences, we feel more authentic, more solidly in control of our own destiny, and more satisfied with the results."