Aug 19 2011: To me, "crazy" is not a fact. It is an idea. A man may think he is insane; therefore, to him, he is. Everyone else may think he is insane; therefore, to everyone else, he is. You're right about eccentric behaviours being defined by culture. A man termed schizophrenic here may be hearing angels somewhere else.
I see sanity as a scale. There's a range that is called normal. When someone steps outside of that range, either he or somebody else is going to feel uncomfortable.
Craziness is usually defined by the people who aren't crazy. It's something we decide for ourselves. We invented tests to decide it for us, so instead of simple observation, we get it all down on paper.
Wondering if someone has a mental illness? Does it interfere with their life and with other people's lives?
Did you know that if you have an illness, but it is not in the DSM book, insurance won't pay for it because it's not "official"? Addiction to TED videos could end up in there someday, and then great! Won't that be an excuse for money?
Craziness is indefintely in our minds, but like the great Professor Dumblore once said "Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
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A comment on Conversation: Can we really identify if someone is crazy or not?
I see sanity as a scale. There's a range that is called normal. When someone steps outside of that range, either he or somebody else is going to feel uncomfortable.
Craziness is usually defined by the people who aren't crazy. It's something we decide for ourselves. We invented tests to decide it for us, so instead of simple observation, we get it all down on paper.
Wondering if someone has a mental illness? Does it interfere with their life and with other people's lives?
Did you know that if you have an illness, but it is not in the DSM book, insurance won't pay for it because it's not "official"? Addiction to TED videos could end up in there someday, and then great! Won't that be an excuse for money?
Craziness is indefintely in our minds, but like the great Professor Dumblore once said "Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"