Contemplations of an Air Headed Aquarious

Rebel. Free spirit. Non-conformist.

That's me, an Aquarian.

Or maybe, like Kelly Bundy from that old classic Married With Children, I'm just an Aquarium, half empty.

Humanitarian. Revolutionary. Egalitarian.

Few people are qualified to assess themselves, for good or bad. We tend to inflate our skill levels, exaggerate our positive traits; conversely, we'll deprecate ourselves despite evidence that we aren't really that bad.

Stubborn. Sometimes aloof. Despises authority.

When I was 17 taking an introductory psychology course at my local community college, our professor began a lecture asking how many people believed in astrological influences of their zodiac, how many followed their horoscopes, how many believed that our signs dictate who we are and what we can accomplish and with whom we'll get along best (or least) while doing so. We gave him our birthdates while he leafed through a thick file folder and passed out astrological handouts for each person’s sign. He emphasized that we not look at it until everyone had theirs. Flipping our sheets over simultaneously, read a rather flattering description, some humorous idiosyncrasies natural to my dispositions, areas of my strengths, areas of weaknesses. Most people chuckled and murmured how much this or that fit their own personality or interests; I had come across my horoscope in the paper plenty of times, and had read some generalities about Aquarians before, but I admit I had never found something that described me, my passions, and my ambitions so clearly as that handout. Even my personal faults fit that Aquarian narrative so perfectly. We all turned over the sheet once done, and waited. He polled how many people agreed, or disagreed; while few people believed that every characteristic described them perfectly, overwhelmingly we said that most of it did, and most of us admitted degrees of truth in whatever didn't strike us as strongly. He feigned a bit of surprise. Appeared thoughtful. Then he had us exchange handouts with a neighbor, instructing us to read it and decide if we agreed, based on however much we picked up from one another through previous class discussions and group work, that the descriptions pretty well matched what we see in the other. It was not long before eruptions of embarrassed giggling and surprised “Oh!”s filled the room. No one bothered reading the entire sheet. Soon we sat there laughing and discussing the results, shaking our heads and feeling a little foolish.

Every handout was identical.

Unpredictable. Irrational. Detached. (But not all of the time!)

Some turn to astrology in response to anxiety and emotional turmoil. Others reference their astrological traits to validate their self-concepts. Generalized and nonspecific, astrology helps people see where they fit in the world, feeding hope and offering an illusory sense of control.

Unconventional. Eccentric. Independent.

But we're human, right? Since when does it matter what's rational?

Derailed or distracted easily. Unfinished projects. Inefficient choices.

Unsupported by science or evidence doesn’t mean untrue. Even as a coping mechanism or a kind of placebo-effect meets self fulfilled prophecy, astrology offers real therapeutic and psychological benefits.

Honest. Imaginative. Creative.

Psychologists explain that people with an internal locus of control attribute successes and setbacks to their own efforts, and recognize even intrinsic abilities as growing or floundering due to self-effort. Often highly motivated to learn and succeed, they’re likelier to set goals and work toward achieving them. Psychologists laud internal locus of control personality traits leading more often to higher achieving high performers whose self-efficacy and self-reliance make them less prone to burn out, and who seek and ponder information better, leading to better decision-making, adaptability, and happiness.

Phew! That was a mouthful of awesomeness.

Am I the only one noticing this is starting to sound like a list of trending astrological sign characteristics? But… what are these people higher than? Who are they less like, more like, or fill-in-the-blank-er? What are these descriptors being compared against? Well, frankly, they're being compared against people most likely to believe in and seek guidance from their zodiac or other fate-based belief systems.

Opinionated. Overthinking. Temperamental.

Many psychologists contrast this strong, awesome, happy, internally locused fella against people with external locus of control who, being externally controlled, believe their lives are due to chance, opportunities, karma, and outside factors that control their destiny. Psychologists explain that people with an external locus of control attribute successes and setbacks to fate, and delegate even intrinsic abilities as growing or floundering due to individuals or circumstances beyond their own control. Often intolerant and anxious since they believe they're not in control of their lives, they’re less likely to set goals or work toward achieving them. Psychologists caution external locus of control personality traits lead more often to lower achievements, higher burn out rates, and being less likely to make efforts into learning or acquiring skills thereby leading to poor decision-making, rigidity, blaming others, and less happiness.

Commitment issues. Lack of trust. Won’t take a chance at getting hurt.

So much for trending astrological sign characteristics.

Gives the benefit of the doubt. Gives second chances. Doesn't sweat the small stuff (Unless provoked).

But don't worry. There is a positive side to external locus of control-prone astrology believers. Basically, just grab from that long list of traits the internal guy has. He won't mind sharing.

Optimistic. Courageous. Reliable.

Astrology rejects fatalism, the belief that everything is predetermined and inevitable. Astrology tells us not what we are, but what we're made of: talents, character traits, personality flaws, potentials. Astrology and horoscopes are guides identifying our weak and strong areas, not pre-written history. They help us understand differing personalities, help us understand ourselves and those we meet, encourage reflecting on the whys of the past and the hows of the future. Freewill exists, and astrology helps us make meaningful and practical changes. We can improve our interpretations of events, our interpretation of people in our lives, our understanding of people in general and most importantly of specific people in our relationships. Understanding our relationships along with insights into others' mindsets helps us avoid conflicts, and adapt to one anothers' strengths and weaknesses, idiosyncrasies and personality traits. With this understanding from studying ourselves and others, we can alleviate and (even better) avoid strains in our relationships, overcome disagreements, and seek healthy and prosperous growth in all areas of our lives. And since not knowing what is going to happen is harder to cope with than having at least a basic indication of what our future holds for us, we can make decisions with less hesitance—contrary to the notion held of external locus of control.

Loves learning. Loves teaching. Thoughtful.

From validation of our self-conception to a sense of belonging, from a coping device to a self fulfilling prophesy, from self-reflection that enhances intrapersonal skills to social observations that enhance interpersonal skills, knowing about our signs can benefit humankind. Not knowing about our signs but still practicing intra- and inter-personal skills benefits humanity as well.

Needs time for reflection. Passionate. Sincere.

Do I believe my astrological outlooks? Does it even matter? The generalities our star signs portray are universal human characteristics, flaws, ambitions, fears, strengths, and weaknesses. That's why it is so easy to find ourselves within the descriptions. If your horoscope additionally cautions you to be careful, can greater vigilance really be a bad thing? If your horoscope additionally tells you something positive is coming, does an anticipatory positive outlook really hurt?

Inspiring. Unique approaches to problems. Innovative.

I like how my natural character traits as well as character flaws are written in the stars. They are who I am, and who we all are.

Empathetic. Affectionate. Strong moral compass.

Twinkle, sparkle, shimmer, shine; the stars above are yours and mine.