Hello everyone and welcome to The Psych Era! I’m ecstatic to kick off the year with a blog that will make you ponder about your tendencies and behaviors. Here, we are going to cover multiple topics that concern the most complex creatures on the planet- human beings. Humans are the worst, like seriously we can be AWFUL. Before you say anything, yes, I am human as well. I’m not some extraterrestrial  species, all I want to convey is that humans suck yet, they are amazing at the same time? Sorry, it’s hard for me to have hope in humanity but, it’s true! Despite the fact we are hypocritical, judgemental, rude, etc we are also loving, kind, and nurturing creatures. Is it not fascinating how someone you love can fill any gap or void in your life with such ease? This is due to something known as our affiliation need. Moving in groups has prolonged human existence. Hunter-gatherer societies moved in groups because they knew if they didn’t they would drop like flies! If someone in that society got up and decided they wanted to fight a bear 1 on 1, that would be their last sentence ever spoken before getting diced up like onions by that very bear. That was a bit too graphic… but you get the point, humans are social creatures.

Studies have shown that a grand majority of our flashbulb memories involve social settings. We crave acceptance so much that no matter how bad something may be for us, we will go running back if the opportunity presents itself; I know you’re thinking about that one ex, me too. Without affiliation, we feel like a tabula rasa (blank slate- John Locke) and that is how powerful social acceptance is.

At some point in our lives, we have all felt unwanted. The feeling of being ostracized literally feels like an elephant sitting on your chest, or a feeling described by some as “worse than death”. As dramatic as it may sound, it is the truth. The fear of being alone is a real thing that exists within all of us therefore, make an effort to be kind to others. A simple “hi” can be so impactful on someone’s life because you never know what one may be going through. “A  study on incoming college freshmen found that social support was effective in reducing depression in both those who have healthy self-esteem and those with a poor self-image. (Cohen, Sherrod, & Clark, 1986)”. I don’t know about you guys but that is exactly how I felt. As soon as my mother dropped me off for college I felt an immense heartache. The woman who I looked up to was gone and now I had to take care of myself. I felt confident I would be able to handle it until I realized that I have no cooking skills whatsoever. I was in a crisis until my friend from orientation texted me asking if I was on campus. A form of relief came over my whole body knowing I was not the only one feeling lost. Humans are despicable creatures (sorry) however, it warms my heart to see how much happiness we bring to one another. Hold that thought, if we yearn so dearly for social needs, why do things such as racism and discrimination exist? Well.. you’re going to come back next time to find out.