People Science

People fascinate me. All kinds of them. The lady who cribs about her mother in law all day but rubs her feet at night, the toddler who is fascinated by cars but hates noise, the hard worker who chooses to be a recluse and has a relationship with his computer, the loner who can't speak a word to girls but dreams of a fairy tale, the powerless leader who is forced to lead his country, the mysterious writer who only spins tragedy, the dynamic personality who oozes of ego concealing his bankruptcy, the delicate teen who is a misanthrope, the curious man who can only walk at right angles and the gorgeous TV star who eats tic-tacs only in pairs. These are only a handful of examples. People are more interesting than any story book. Every soul is fighting a battle and every battle has a unsaid story. It is the story that I am interested in.

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance" - Confucius

I've always believed that situations mould people to what they are today. I want to know the reason behind every emotion of a person. Believe me, it is fascinating. I have always been interested in people and their behaviour. I want to know every story that make a man. I want to read every face that has a hidden tale. I want to remove the veneer and see the truth inside. I want to understand people and their antics. I do not want to judge based on the external appearance, I want to know the saga behind a beautiful face or a scarred body.

Having being wanting to take up a Masters in Psychology since like forever, I came upon the concept on 'Behavioral Science' by accident. But I was hooked on to it the minute I read the first sentence.

"Behavioral science is a rapidly growing area for policy and business with fascinating insights into human behavior and wide-ranging practical implications."

A single course called 'Psychological and Behavioral Sciences' covers all aspects of psychology making it the perfect course for me to invest my money in. Upon more research, the University of Cambridge turned out to be the stepping stone that I was looking for. If given a change to go abroad and pursue a Masters in any subject of my choice I would close my eyes and land up all prepared at the University of Cambridge for a Masters in Psychological and Behavioral Sciences. It would give me the opportunity to study cognitive, social, developmental and biological psychology within the broader context of the behavioural sciences. 

"Knowledge is love and light and vision" - Helen Keller

I remember pretending to be a psychiatrist as a child and listening to people's problems with the anticipation of solving them. As luring as it sounds, I do not want to be confined to a room now. I would use my rich experience in more research and come out with thesis, white papers and books addressing some of the most common but unspoken issues of the world. This course would cover cognitive psychology, psychopathology, language, brain mechanisms, gender, family relationships and influences, personality, and group social behaviour. The University also offers a research project and a dissertation that would enable me to study in greater depth the topics that interest me the most. In addition, the University is known to have a large number of books in their departmental libraries amounting to around 50,000 books and over 150 periodicals. As well as other resources and computing facilities. Could a people enthusiast and a voracious reader ask for more?

"Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge" - Khalil Gibran

Like Plato said "Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind", I do not want to do something that people around me are expecting me to do. Since I write, people expect me to take up Literature. Since I have a good business sense, people push me towards Business Administration. I want to do something that I have a passion for, something that my soul craves for. I do not want to be over ambitious and try to save the world with my acquired knowledge. I want to satiate my inner thirst for knowledge by finding answers to the below questions.

What determines whether people are impulsive, take risks, or cooperate?

What factors influence behavioural change?

What influence do different cultures and societies have on human behavior?

"Doubt grows with knowledge" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Since my Bachelor's was done in Technology, I was skeptical about colleges allowing me to take up Psychology. Turns out, Cambridge does not ask for any pre-requirements for pursuing this course. This three year course would teach me everything that I have ever desired to know. Experimental Psychology from the second year course has already scored a special place in my brain and I've started reading up on it. My eyes grow wide with every word as I soak in brand new information with every paragraph. Ever since I've started looking up information about Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, I've started understanding people better. I also tend to not judge them and I'm more willing to accept them as they are. I cannot wait to take this up soon and turn my fascination into a fully fledged career.

"Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future" - Brian Tracy

This is my entry for the Knowledge is Great contest on Indiblogger in association with the British Council.

~ Soumya