Wordology, Hysteria

From the Greek "hystera" = uterus. For a few thousand years until the late nineteenth century, hysteria referred to a medical condition thought to be particular to women and caused by disturbances of the uterus.

Definitions include: uncontrollably emotional; irrational from fear, emotion, or an emotional shock; very funny as from hysterical or uncontrollable fits of laughter.

In psychology they say it is a disorder in which a psychological conflict is converted into a bodily disturbance.

During the 1800s it was decided that men could also be hysterical. In time it could be applied to anyone as the definition expanded to be an emotional state, rather than a physical state.

Incidently, the Oxford English Dictionary says the colloquial term 'hissy fit' for someone would go into hysterics and throw a tantrum if they didn't get their way. comes from hysteria.

Psychologically Satisfying

PayScale surveyed 10,800 workers who graduated college between 1999 and 2010 on their level of job satisfaction. It found that only 26 percent of psychology majors are satisfied with how their career is going. It is the lowest satisfaction percentage among all college majors. The second-lowest-rated of the 20 majors surveyed were people who studied environmental engineering and economics. Forty percent of college graduates holding those degrees stated they were satisfied with their career.

The majors with the highest rate of career satisfaction were chemical engineering and management information systems, both at 54 percent. PayScale only included in its survey folks who actually had jobs. One of my degrees was in Psych and now I am glad I didn't pursue it as a career.