Sanity Is Relative
March 2nd 2009 14:31
Category: No Category
Up till 1972, homosexuality was regarded as a mental disorder. People were placed in psychiatric institutions for displaying love and affection towards the same sex.
Workaholicism, an 'llness' which can result in early death, is often celebrated and encouraged by unscrupulous employers who prioritise a firm's productivity over their employees' mental health.
Two psychiatrist frequently do not agree on a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Meanwhile, Thomas Szasz, a key figure in the anti-psychiatry movement, had this to say about the S word: "If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia. If the dead talk to you, you are a spiritualist; If you talk to the dead, you are a schizophrenic."
Szasz goes on to say that what psychiatrists label mental illness is in fact nothing more than a deviation from the consensus reality or common morality.
Some might argue that David Irving is psychotic for denying the Holocaust. Others just think he is offering a dissenting opinion, and even celebrate his views.
Amy Lee sings 'It's true, we're all a little insane', but the sane/insane distinction is actually the problem- it's not like people switch from one to another with the flick of an internal switch. I like the 'spectrum' theory, where all experiences are placed in a continuum, treated as completely relative to the experiences of that person, and others around them.
Psychosis is frequently defined as a mental state which marks a departure from reality. But who is to say what is reality? Reality is whatever you make it, and no-one can claim the right to an existing within an objective one. 'Reality' is the wildest fantasy. And I think the people who believe in this 'mass delusion'/'consensual hallucination' should seek professional help. Most psychiatrists and scientists ought to be the first in line...
What do you think?
Workaholicism, an 'llness' which can result in early death, is often celebrated and encouraged by unscrupulous employers who prioritise a firm's productivity over their employees' mental health.
Two psychiatrist frequently do not agree on a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Meanwhile, Thomas Szasz, a key figure in the anti-psychiatry movement, had this to say about the S word: "If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia. If the dead talk to you, you are a spiritualist; If you talk to the dead, you are a schizophrenic."
Szasz goes on to say that what psychiatrists label mental illness is in fact nothing more than a deviation from the consensus reality or common morality.
Some might argue that David Irving is psychotic for denying the Holocaust. Others just think he is offering a dissenting opinion, and even celebrate his views.
Amy Lee sings 'It's true, we're all a little insane', but the sane/insane distinction is actually the problem- it's not like people switch from one to another with the flick of an internal switch. I like the 'spectrum' theory, where all experiences are placed in a continuum, treated as completely relative to the experiences of that person, and others around them.
What kind of statement does turning the i in Sanity on its head point towards? 
Psychosis is frequently defined as a mental state which marks a departure from reality. But who is to say what is reality? Reality is whatever you make it, and no-one can claim the right to an existing within an objective one. 'Reality' is the wildest fantasy. And I think the people who believe in this 'mass delusion'/'consensual hallucination' should seek professional help. Most psychiatrists and scientists ought to be the first in line...
What do you think?
| 48 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Morgan Bell
Science News
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
Comment by Postmodern Critic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
Comment by Banana Mango
Quotable Quips
Banana and Mango
An insane person is different from a sane person - do you agree?
Comment by Postmodern Critic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc
You can't define anything objectively, so what exists and what does not is up to you.
I'm saying that it's not as simple as a binary distinction between sane and insane. These labels are not particularly helpful, actually. Every person should be evaluated individually.
What is schizophrenia anyway? (I read somewhere that experts disagree on the presence of schizophrenia at least 1/3 of the time.) It's just a series of letters, which mean different things to different people. Just like any word.
Thanks for stopping by.
Comment by Banana Mango
Quotable Quips
Banana and Mango
btw the person who invented the microscope and found a whole world of micro-organisms WAS considered crazy... (or maybe "stupid" the better word)
Comment by Postmodern Critic
Postmodern Critic
Relativity Watch
Padsoc