Nature,... Or nurture?

[Prototype]

I try to understand what it is that makes others the people they become, and where within the puzzle I fit...

Most of the time life is a blur for me, I always see myself as misunderstood by most, mainly due to the fact that I've unintentionally confused others about my true self,... Externally, I can be seen as lazy, selfish, hyper-vigilante, shy, very distracted, and pretentious, but,... Internally, I'm always in 5th gear, I've always thought of others opinions as valuable perspectives of the main scheme of things, and I feel that internally I actually know nothing, and that it's all in how I express myself, and how to push the envelope to learn more.

Around every corner there is always a way to change the outcome of what anything becomes, whether it's maintaining healthy career choices, or continuously modifying oneself to remain stable in a quickly changing society.

Now that I'm a parent, I know how challenging it can be to do the right thing, to ensure that my children will have happy, and prosperous futures in a forever changing world.

... How would society behave today, without it's current understanding of psychology?

Did we change, only due to our current understanding of psychology?

 

[MonkeyGrass]

Are you asking if knowledge of what makes the individual tick (psychology) is the main catalyst for personal growth and maintaining health? I'm not convinced that it is, at least not as a rule. I think some people are born with the drive to better themselves, or to morph themselves to fit what life or duty requires. On some level, even our dysfunction is an unconscious effort to keep ourselves in some functioning order in the world, as a means of coping with conflicting outside and inside demands.

As an anecdote, as a child, before I really had any understanding or real guidance towards what a "healthy" individual looks like, I was already striving to change myself in ways that would keep myself happy/safe while contributing to the world around me. I think that drive and awareness can exist in some individuals through nature alone, though they may lack the tools of knowledge to make their journey less frustrating.

That said, I think self-knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of one's own mind and emotions are key in maintaining health and making decisions that allow for self-preservation and the meeting of personal goals.

So, a little of both.