Psychologists - The new Politico Wonder Weapon?

Conspiracy much? Disagree with authority?

You may find yourself “typed.” Fear not… pharma has treatments.

Gulag anyone?

It may be later than you think….

Sometimes things catch the corner of my eye and inspire me to glance. Sometimes when I glance I become riveted. Sometimes the object of notice is worthy of chronicle…

I saw two psycho-babble things today… which in combination red flagged my discernment….

The first a “mental illness” article called  Oppositional Defiance Disorder! Initially this disorder was concocted to “type” children, particularly boys, with a “condition label” of rebelliousness against authority.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), or social aggression, is defined as a pattern of disobedient, negativistic, and provocative opposition to authority figures.

In the old days I suspect  this natural phase of development was referred to as “little hellion” or “brat.”

As I remember the phase passed with some encouragement to do so and the “afflicted” matured and moved forward.

Now the phase behavior is called ODD, ostensibly so big pharma can get a piece of the action. There are huge profits in doping down kids.

The disturbing thing is… certain adults who may have a penchant for challenging up, against authority figures when warranted,  are now being looked at as similarly suffering from a mental disorder.

In other words, disagreement with psychopathic leadership may earn the distinction of  mental illness. 

Why Anti-Authoritarians are Diagnosed as Mentally Ill

The second article is about Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories

A predictable little mainstream piece which notes in part….

Psychologists aren’t sure whether powerlessness causes conspiracy theories or vice versa. Either way, the current scientific thinking suggests these beliefs are nothing more than an extreme form of cynicism, a turning away from politics and traditional media — which only perpetuates the problem.

I think what causes conspiracy theories is the dull and monotonous daily stream of proven cases. 

It is understandable that when prevailing evidence routinely uncovers plots to conspire for personal gain, it is natural to expect more of the same, especially when these errant behaviors are left unchecked, unchallenged and even condoned by said authority figures, (whom must not be challenged apparently.)

The author calls this… perpetration of the problem. I call it a prudent exercise with given cause.

A reader responded to the article by saying…

Part of the conspiracy cohort is made up of those of us who grew up during Watergate; the lies told about the number of enemy deaths during the Viet Nam war; the actions of major corporations in places like Chile in the 70′s and 80′s. 

Some of us stood in public spaces in the heart of our universities with the guns of the National Guard trained on us.

These were all factual happenings, many uncovered and reported on by this very paper. Our childhood was built upon the illusion that America was mostly just a large Mayberry. These revelations shook our basic beliefs right to the ground, 

It’s hard to step back from that cliff once you’ve been pushed to the edge of it.  

To which I say “Bravo!”

So there we have it, unless you are completely docile, compliant, servile, complacent and generally intellectually  comatose… your are a candidate for state mental evaluation and rife for attitude reprogramming.

Why does that prospect seem so familiar?

It would not surprise me if an entirely new psychosis is coined in the near future…. one that combines both suspicion of conspiracy and anti-authority traits, it will have some sort of fancy name…. so it is eligible for treatments no doubt.

I suppose the qualifying observation should be…

… if elitist conspiracy would cease and leadership acted in a sane fashion… we would all be cured…. for free.

Stay tuned….