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I have this idea that I want to graduate college, go to grad school and become this great social psychologist. I have this idea that as a psychologist I will help to make all this social change and hopefully have a part in making the lives of people in America, especially black people, better. So, as I'm sitting here I am asking myself what would make our lives better??? Is it more jobs?? Okay, jobs doing what?? Will these jobs require degrees which will require degrees or trade school skills? How do we want these jobs to pay?? Is it better access to resources?? Okay, what resources?? We have to be clear on what we want. I state this because how many of us are able to state specifically what we want? It's easy to say what's wrong .. but can we really express what we desire that will make it right? Not concepts or buzz words but specifics. Do we leave it up to community "leaders",etc... to figure it out?? Okay, so if we do that, and we never are clear about what we really want then how are we sure that the destination that we are being "lead" to is a place we really want to go??
Posted By: Andrea Parker
Thursday, January 13th 2011 at 9:59PM
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I applaud your noble intentions, Andrea, and sense that you will do very well in a "helping" profession like psychology. However, I would suggest that you go back a little further to understand what "Happiness" is to you. I have recently started reviewing the work of author and psychologist MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI and his writings on the concepts of "FLOW" and "Happiness." I believe that it is important to really understand YOUR concept of Happiness as you determine what you want to do in life. "Finding Flow" in our work is something that I think we all seek because it is inextricably bound to our happiness and almost all that we do seems to be a walk toward happiness. Mihaly has several books but the first one I would recommend is "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" You, like many others today, Andrea, are looking for more meaning in your life and your work. I would also recommend Daniel Pink's book, "A Whole New Mind; Why Right-Brainers will rule the future." This is one of my favorites. You may also consider reading Howard Gardner's "Five Minds for the Future." You will not be disappointed.
I truly believe that the solutions to our problems are all in our heads, and these solutions lie side by side with thinking and thought processes that are crippling and paralyzing us. As a good...no...a GREAT Psychologist, you will have the power to help people release those solutions locked up in their heads while also helping them destroy the paralyzing thinking that is crippling their progress. Psychology, I believe is a great way to address the list of challenges in our society that you listed above. Good Luck, Andrea, on your quest to change the world for the better. Thanks, Ray
Thursday, January 13th 2011 at 11:04PM
Raymond Lucas
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Our babies are dying, families are homeless, unemployed and suffering while they do nothing but make excuses. The Black Community is in a Depression and we need new and old leadership ready to solve problems, provide innovative solutions, instead of the same old excuses and blame game. If you consider yourself a leader, then lead or get the hell out the way. The mark of insanity in 2011 is to keep the same people as our leaders, doing the same things, with no new ideas or solutions and expecting, hoping, praying that things will get better. You got to be crazy as hell, if that's your mindset. Eventually, things will get better, after all history tells us that, but how bad can you stand it to get before then. What are you personally willing to sacrifice? For some who are unemployed, lost their home and health insurance, on welfare and food stamps and suffering depression, things are already too bad.
The solutions is for people in your town, neighborhood or community to come together at your local mosque, church, library or recreation center to discuss the skills, talents and ideas that you collectively have. The goal should be to create economic opportunities for yourselves within your community. Focus on products and services to the elderly, young, hospitals, transportation and delivery, cleaning services, music, publishing, healthy foods, technology and renewable energy areas. Plan to Collectively Compete!!!!! Pool your resources to established community cooperatives. Move at the speed of business and think creatively and innovatively. Create something by competing collectively. Where there is a Will, there's A Way, but where there is No Will, there are Excuses and if you really don't want to do something, any excuse will do. For those tired and want take back control of your community and future, I offer respectfully offer my two cents for your consideration.
Friday, January 14th 2011 at 12:27AM
DAVID JOHNSON
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If they don't or can’t, we must never vote for them, acknowledge them or recognized them as our leaders. My mentor and role model the late William "Bill" Moss exemplified courage in action as a Black Man, and he said in his book “Enough Is Enough”. Enough of the high paid religious, political, nonprofit and social Poverty Pimps in the Black African American Community who refuse to address the needs of the Black Community, even offer solutions. They must be identified, told to change their behavior or made irrelevant.
Friday, January 14th 2011 at 12:30AM
DAVID JOHNSON
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Hello Ms. Andrea,
You said this, "I have this idea that as a psychologist I will help to make all this social change and hopefully have a part in making the lives of people in America, especially black people, better."
What is most important about your comment is when you said, "especially black people" since I am a Black American. You ought to know that our problems are divine. Psychology and the books that Mr. Raymond suggested cannot help you and Black Americans. Our situation is very similar to that of the children of Israel in the book of Exodus. That is how you must see and understand Black America's plight. Our problems are not solvable by a man. If they were our problems would have been solved long time ago.
Our only permanent solution is that we must desire to become a sovereign people or have complete independence from White America on a fertile portion of this continent that we could call our very own country with borders to worship God, pursue life, liberty, happiness and prosperity in our own way. We need a genuine prophet and we have one. It will take an act of God to make Black Americans real people in this world. For instance, a portion would be from the borders of South and North Carolina to the Canadian border and from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean. Now, do you have an idea of what I'm saying?
Tell me what you think.
Friday, January 14th 2011 at 1:58AM
Harry Watley
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What do we really want???
*********Andrea Parker********Thank you
--- I applaud YOU because I believe YOU have Developed into a "great social psychologist"
I Pray that All America 2008-2016 has got what we really want
.....I got the CHANGE that I had been dreaming The GREAT President Baraaka Hussein Obama
In 2017 I pray we Work as hard as YOU have and Develop the Courage that CHANGE has meant to America....
Monday, January 2nd 2017 at 9:12AM
robert powell
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