Essay On Intellectual Wellness

Intellectual Wellness & Me:

I am a very open and fair minded individual. I respect everyone as people who are doing the best they can, and who, for the most part, could have only become what they currently are. This frame of mind helps me to forgive others and separate those who have different beliefs from me from those who actually wish others harm. I believe a small amount of people cause a widely disproportionate amount of pain to many people, and that some of these are psychopaths with no conscience, but the majority are people who were failed by their families, schools, and/or the justice system and do not know how to live a different life. We all began life in the same predicament of not even understanding what was going on and having

to figure it out as we went along, but not everyone had the biological predisposition or guidance from others to make transitioning to a self-aware, conscientious person a seamless occurrence. I include myself in that latter group.
Some of these people end up in jail, where they are warehoused only to come out and commit more crimes against people.

Many are mentally ill and/or addicted to drugs. There is very little rehabilitation. So what does this have to do with intellectual wellness and me?

My major is psychology, and I plan to become a Clinical Psychologist and work in the prison system. It’s my belief that those who commit crimes deserve rehabilitation and a way to express themselves and perhaps find a way to forgive themselves and change. Not only would this help them, but it would reduce recidivism, thereby helping EVERYONE in society.

So how do I plan to do this?

- Graduate this December with my AA.

- Continue to FAU and become a research assistant in an area related to developmental psychology and/or forensic psychology.

- Go on to receive a Doctorate, hopefully from a school in S. FL, where I plan to stay for at least the next few decades.

What will I do during college to start the track to work in the prison system?

- Intern in forensic facilities and psychiatric hospitals throughout my years in college.

- Maintain excellent grades.

- Do an undergraduate honors thesis related to psychology and the prison system.

- Create excellent relationships with professors.

- Take advantage of

mentoring.
- Keep up to date on scientific literature.
- Continue my own personal therapy

Doing this type of work will help others and society in general, but it will also be very personally fulfilling to me. I’ve had periods in my life where I did things like abuse drugs heavily and could have ended up in prison myself. I would have deserved therapy and to learn ways to forgive myself, just as I’ve had outside of prison. Doing this work will keep me intellectually curious and compassionately engaged with those around me, which is my ultimate goal as a person.