demonization of mental illness
Aug. 8th, 2015 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kengrI think a lot of the association of "mental illness" with bad people is because since Joe Average can't see himself shooting up a theater or whatever, then anybody who does must be "crazy".
This is an extension/elaboration of the idea that people who don't agree with you on anything important must be deliberately being contrary (as opposed to using different starting postulates or different "logic").
"Deliberately contrary" easily becomes bad/evil.
I also think people are more comfortable thinking of mass shooters and the like as crazy than as "normal" people who are actually that "evil".
Heck, I think they want to go with "evil" because they don't want to have to look at the idea that the only difference between them and a terrorisat or that guy that killed those people in that church is Charlotte is a few beliefs or postulates that they base their reasoning on.
Having to consider that you might be able to do things that are bad just because you accepted the wrong idea is *not* a cvomfortable concept.Far more comfortable to consider that bad acts come from insanity or being evil.
This is an extension/elaboration of the idea that people who don't agree with you on anything important must be deliberately being contrary (as opposed to using different starting postulates or different "logic").
"Deliberately contrary" easily becomes bad/evil.
I also think people are more comfortable thinking of mass shooters and the like as crazy than as "normal" people who are actually that "evil".
Heck, I think they want to go with "evil" because they don't want to have to look at the idea that the only difference between them and a terrorisat or that guy that killed those people in that church is Charlotte is a few beliefs or postulates that they base their reasoning on.
Having to consider that you might be able to do things that are bad just because you accepted the wrong idea is *not* a cvomfortable concept.Far more comfortable to consider that bad acts come from insanity or being evil.
