Posted by GLYN on October 20, 2000, at 7:21:59
In reply to Re: SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT US ALL » GLYN, posted by shar on October 20, 2000, at 2:12:23
Thanks for all of the responses which I found fascinating. I of course intended no offence (though I see you are all also the type to not take offence easily) by stating that there
appeared to be a degree of introspective fascination which we all share. What I wonder about is whether this is indeed a response or in fact a personality trait which we all share and is perhaps more causative - its a tentative conclusion and so I dont add much credence to it - but hear me out (sorry if I ramble as these meds are slowing me mentally).Also,as I said, so many of the people on this site strike me as not only very well informed but remarkably intelligent (whatever that is). I'm an educational sociologist by trade and I can't help thinking in terms on personality and cognitive "Types" when I observe the commonalities of behaviour (if indeed this is a form of behaviour) that a group display. Of course, some of that will be learnt from our similarly-afflicted contemporaries (certain protocols etc) and some will be characteristics of our conditions (if indeed they are anything other than part of our grossly misunderstood personalities) and our common pursuit to understand and treat them.
HOWEVER, what I can't seem to help also noticing is what appears to be the result of more fundamental and intrinsic aspects of character/peronailty traits which we all share and MAYBE (just maybe) are mistaken as mental illness when in fact they are a form of outstanding,atypical mental capacity. Lets remind ourself of a few things here, its already been stated earlier on this site just how many geniuses and astonishly high achievers throughout history have displayed some form of what "others" have termed as illness on the grounds that they deviate from the common understanding of what it is to be "normal" (which usually follows the lowest common denominator). Its been said before that this idea of normaility evolves and shifts depending on whichever particular subculture we belong to and where we find ourselves in history. Therefore as many postmodernists have concluded of late, the value of these constructions as a measure of objective reality or normality is defunct and instead relies on the masses subscribing to them - either voluntarily, or more typically, from fear of being otherwise - as any teenager in school how much freedom they have to express their individuality and you will soon see the power of these pressures to conform. However, those considered to be mentally ill share some traits which dont seem to have varied nearly as much throughout history and between individuals (on a fundamental level).
If there is one consistent thread of belief to be seen amongst the masses it is this: "Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to do and die." ARe we all people whose metal capacity will not allow us to do otherwise than to "reason why" and question the (utterly illfounded in my opinion) excuses and constructs which society has developed to make excuse for the otherwise meaningless, dangerous and remarkably subjective world that we all live in - but few share.
Here's a few ideas which are probably utterly heretical and totaly wrong but I'm going to state them anyway:
Depression and Anxiety
BELIEF OF THE NORM (just my definition and its poor): Depression is an illness in which the ability to enjoy the "good" things in life is lost and the motivation and "normal" abilities of the individual are affected. Anxiety is the constant state of alarm in response to percieved danger or insecurity that is beyond and above that which is reasonable.
MY HYPOTHESIS: Depression is a quite understandable response of the person who is equipped with sufficient intelligence to find flaw in the mechanisms that society clings to in order to deny and alleviate an otherwise pointless existence and painfull world. We live in a world of pain, death, sorrow and few meanings - why aren't we all depressed? Anxiety is also a normal response as we live in a constant state of danger in which the promises of saftey which the world offers us are only believable by those who choose not to dare examine them.I cant speak for other illnesses as I have never had them but maybe they too are quite justified responses for people incapable (through analytical reasoning and mental ability) to subscribe to artificially and incidental constructed values and beliefs which would make us "normal". Afterall, what is cognitive behavioural therapy if not a retraining on the mind to conform to these ideas - I'm not having a go at CBT as it works very well (90% of time in many cases such as agorophobia) but it is pure brainwashing and self dellusion through repetition.
Anyway, I'm rambling and I can't think clearly due to the drugs I'm on but what if.....
We embrace our uniqueness and stop fearing it as "abnornmal" but recognise it as a form of genius - yes, genius - we are genetically incapable of delluding ourselves and can't help but "reason why"???????
We recognise that we do live in a world where meaning, contentment, happiness and security are based on mass dellsuion which our minds are incapable of purchasing wholesale and so we must seek out our own meanings and wrestle with them.
I should say though that perhaps religion or belief in a transcendant and intelligent God offer many solutions to our problems - though unless we buy our own bible and explore them for ourselves we simply embrace another set of contructions - however, if you can embrace them then this is probably not such a bad thing.
One thing that set me off thinking was Freud's statement towards the end of his career that he now realised that psychoanalysis was itself the very disease is sought to cure - in other words, an analytical fascination and sometimes morbid concern with our mental processes, their meaning and their relationship to the "norm" may in itself be the root of many of our problems and a symptom which sustains them.
PS - I know I'm talking rubbish and others such as the philosopher Foucault have said it all much better - in fact, I'm going to read his works on madness now!
Love to hear your ideas....
poster:GLYN
thread:46800
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001012/msgs/46857.html