The psychology of *man is no easy or quick study. Many an acclaimed and lauded individual gained credit for great thinking, by ascribing their own thoughts or behaviors (or the behaviors of a limited population) to all of mankind. This is an easy trap to fall into, so please do not view these people too harshly. The same issue occurs in the realms of science, the study of medicine, and other such disciplines by individuals ascribing the attributes of a limited group or population to the entirety of mankind or a discipline of study.

Another pitfall is the attempt to judge people from another time or country with current or local expectations of a standard of “normal” or “right” behavior.

Example:

Christopher Columbus owned slaves. The view of this behavior by today’s standards holds this behavior or activity as abhorrent and inhumane, yet it was not only accepted, but an expected practice during his lifetime.

☼ Man – Short for mankind, human, or homo-sapiens, the male or female of the species.

☼ Psychology: The study of the behavior of living organisms: the interactions of mind and body, the effects of ingested and absorbed substances on the mind and body, how an individual acts/reacts, and how a group acts/reacts.

+ Psychology cannot truly be called a science, because we simply do not know enough about the subject, as of yet.

Webster’s Definition