Personal Statement:Psychology and Philosophy

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Psychology and Philosophy Personal Statement

My love for psychology stems from a lifelong fascination with the diversity of people and the mystery that surrounds the mind. This interest in people and the psyche was deepened immensely a few years ago by moving to Spain, and being able to observe as an insider the fundamental displacement of the expatriate community and the effect of this on the individual. My experience as a British expatriate in Spain, and as a member of a diverse ethnic community in my boarding house in the UK inspired me to carry out my first research study on the displacement of young people living away from home and the theory behind their coping mechanisms and behaviour. My school submitted this research for the Cambridge Psychology Essay Prize.

I am interested in the psyche of individuals from all aspects of society, but specifically in those from the edge of society and those from unusual backgrounds. This fascination with those who live divergent lives and in abnormal psychology has manifested itself in the time I spend as an observer of life in the cosmopolitan streets of Brighton, and in my volunteer work with Age Concern, and my work as an online mentor on Horsesmouth. These experiences have allowed me to explore Abnormal Psychology in different contexts, in how this affects those afflicted, and how it is possible to give support in these situations. Age Concern has given me an invaluable insight into some of the mental illnesses and trials the elderly face, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia and depression. It has also provided an interesting juxtaposition with the elderly homeless I have encountered in Brighton. The visitors to the day centre were mainly middle class and given support in the forms of social activities, councelling and medical treatment. In contrast, the homeless people I have spoken to get no such support, nor do they receive the help that they so desperately need. These interests have allowed me to explore social standing as a factor in the treatment of mental illness.

I have always been driven by a thirst for knowledge and an enthusiasm for learning, and it is this, along with my interest in Psychology that has inspired me to read around the subject. This has exposed me to a wide range of ideas and fields in psychology, such as the psychoanalytic approach in “The Uses Of Enchantment” by Bruno Bettleheim, and the anti-psychiatry movement in R.D. Laing’s works. I am a voracious reader of all literature, but my favourite authors are Kafka, Orwell, D.H. Lawrence, Henry Miller and Lawrence Durrell, for their ability to capture the human psyche from different angles through their explorations of the human condition. I have also enjoyed reading the recent psychological findings and questions posed in the BPS Reader’s Digest, which serves as a reminder that we have only scraped the surface of what there is to know about the human mind.

My quest for knowledge has also manifested itself in debating. I am chairperson of the Debating Society at my school, and head of the English Speaking Union division of the interscholastic competitive debates, where I prepare and train debaters for the trials that debating poses. I competed in ESU Debating Competitions, a first for my sixth form. I have found that debating is a form of self-development and learning like no other; there is a definite thrill at the fast-paced exchange of arguments and the challenging of ideas, encouraging the analysis of all aspects and viewpoints in an argument.

I am also a member of the Charity Committee, and of the Social Committee, both of which I believe have taught me to organise my time better and to work to deadlines and play an active part in school life. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying Psychology this year as it has condensed what I was looking for in a subject and broadened my perspectives, and look forward to pursuing it at a higher level.

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