--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It used to be that whenever I introduced…" description: "\"It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me. Because, quite rightly, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0c/martin-seligman-5268_american_it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced_9127.png" --- # It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people… ![“It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me. Because, quite rightly, the impression the American public has of psychologists is, 'You want to know what's wrong with me.'” quote by Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0c/martin-seligman-5268_american_it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced_9127.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0c/martin-seligman-5268_american_it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced_9127.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b0c/martin-seligman-5268_american_it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced_9127.png) > “It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me. Because, quite rightly, the impression the American public has of psychologists is, 'You want to know what's wrong with me.'” [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker notes that psychologists are often feared because people think they will expose personal flaws, reflecting a stigma that mental‑health professionals are intrusive or judgmental. **In simple terms:** Psychologists are seen as threat‑detectors of personal flaws. Key Takeaway Stigma around mental‑health professions. Themes Stigma Perception Professional Identity Fear Self‑Disclosure Mood Reflective Cautious Type Anecdotal Observational When to use this quote - Introducing oneself as a psychologist - Seeking therapy - Discussing mental health in social settings Key Concepts Psychology Public Perception Therapeutic Boundaries Practical Applications - Improving public education about mental‑health roles - Designing outreach to reduce fear Questions to Reflect On - How can psychologists reshape public perception? - What strategies reduce the fear of self‑disclosure? A Different Perspective Some view psychologists as allies who help uncover hidden strengths, not just flaws. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-public/) [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Impression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impression/) [Introduced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/introduced/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologist/) [Psychologist Shrink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologist-shrink-349189/) [Psychologists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologists/) [Psychologists Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologists-want-349195/) [Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public/) [Public Psychologists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-psychologists-349191/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Rightly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rightly/) [Shrink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shrink/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Told Psychologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-psychologist-349194/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Whenever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whenever/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [ Ten years ago, when I was on an airplane and I introduced myself to my seatmate, and told them \[I was a psychologist\], they'd… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/ten-years-ago-when-i-was-on-an-airplane-and-i-introduced-myself-to-my/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [Psychology is much bigger than just medicine, or fixing unhealthy things. 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