Crazy is a lyrically overused term these days. Psychiatrists institutionally despise that word. Labels are passe in today’s enlightened society. Such antiquated terminology invariably foments subconscious bias.
What most people mean when they use the word “crazy” is psychosis. Distilled to its essence, this just means disconnected from reality. People with schizophrenia, for example, typically hear voices or, more rarely, see things that are objectively not real. The age of onset is typically late teens or early twenties. The experience is uniformly horrifying for all involved, particularly the patient.
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That is a good article. Will Dabbs usually has a really good perspective on such things.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I pack? I'm my own first responder and defender. I'm too old to fight, too old to run and too young to die.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I'm 77 - too old to get into a fist fight, much less a life or death situation. I carry because I don't want to be in a situation where I have to protect myself or some other person, and have to think about getting involved or running away.
DeleteWith my gimp leg, I cannot run away; I cannot stand and fight. At 71, I'm too young to die and too old to take and ass-kicking, especially the chemically-enhanced ones that today's Vibrant Urban Youths are handing out.
DeleteI once asked a fellow I knew why he carried. His answer was "I was in a situation where I need a gun, and I didn't have one."
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty scary answer.
John G.
Pretty scary situation.
DeleteAt the risk of being a pedantic nitpicker, that's not what a psychopath is, at all. A psychotic with a history of unpredictable violence and a specimen physique is not safe to be around, but he's not a psychopath.
ReplyDeletePsychopaths don't hear voices and they aren't confused about their own motivations. When a psychopath hurts someone, it is strictly according to his own will and intent.
This doesn't invalidate the basic point: there are some dangerous people out there.
Correct. The number is small but not zero; most people, most situations are not at risk. And then you are, and have nothing but yourself alone to answer a threat. You can either be prepared or choose not to be prepared. Even if you are, you may die.
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