These are time sensitive. You do not receive credit if you write them after the deadline each week.
First, there's a blog entry (about 250 words) which will have you respond to a hopefully thought-provoking question. Each week, you must do the blog entry with enough time left in the week to be able to enter into dialogue online with your classmates. Write, reply, write more, reply more, and then write and reply more.
Second, there's a reading. There’s no blog entry associated with this. Just read.
Third, there's a written response to the reading. Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the SATURDAY (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. This entry should be a long paragraph. YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESPOND TO OTHER STUDENTS' PART THREE EACH WEEK.
Monday, October 19, 2015
WEEK SIX WRITING ABOUT WHAT YOU READ
Is original thinking a mental disorder? What does it mean to be unique?
I feel anything in excess is negative. If we never question anything, then we are bound to be taken advantage of. If no one ever questioned Hitler, than who knows how much farther he would have gotten with his genocide. That's a scary thought. On the flip side, if you question everything and have absolutely no trust, that can work against you as well. You are constantly swimming against the stream, if you just follow the crowd things can go much more smoothly, and you can avoid unnecessary stress. I believe there is a healthy balance, and I feel like that's what we have brains for. We can discern the difference, and we know when we need to take a stand, or when we can simply follow the crowd for our own survival. However, if we are going to validate that extreme defiance is a mental disorder, then we should also conclude that extreme obedience is a mental disorder as well, and in my opinion a much more severe one that takes away your humanity. If you never think for yourself, then you are like a robot that can't think for yourself. In all cases, everything in life that I sit down and really try to contemplate and understand, I come up with the same conclusion. Balance is in everything. If we strive for balance then we are able to objectively see both sides and make truly educated and beneficial decisions both on a personal level and as a group.
I think that original thinking is a mental disorder, though many may not think it isn’t. Original thinking should be done all the time. Sometimes original thinking can be over taken and can be taken for advantage. Today, people misdiagnose and use these diagnoses to have individuals on medications. For example, my younger brother who is 16 and is in high school was diagnosed with ADHD and ADD. ADHD stands for Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. My brother was diagnosed with this as a child. This is a common metal disorder that many psychiatrists misdiagnose in children at an early age. Throughout my education I have learned that this is common thing that occurs daily. A child should be able to not sit still, not pay attention, run around like crazy, and more. Apparently to society they shouldn’t. Today my little brother is out of special education classes and is sitting through college prep classes. I agree with the part “It can easily become a weapon in the arsenal of a repressive state.” I agree because as it states that it can be easily become a weapon, which is has before. It has become harder to not have a healthy mind and be original and yourself. Everything is now an illness, disease, and other horrible things. Being unique means that you can be yourself and being one of a kind. It doesn’t mean that you have something wrong with you or your personality. People should stand up for this and be able to fight for what’s right.
Original and free thinking is not a mental disorder because every individuals is free to think what they desire. People can't think for others because everyone has their own ideas of how to deal with things, how to solve things, or what to say. This is the reason why people are unique because they have different ideas as others. Imagine all those ideas each individual thinks about each hour. For example when they daydream or dream at night. Another example would be when children are at school. Each student is unique because when they are asked to write an essay, a writing assignment, or in their journal everyone has their own ideas on how they approach the writing. Therefore each individual is unique in their way of thinking because everyone approaches things differently or similar but never exactly the same. Unless they are twins they make think almost alike but they still come up with their own ideas thinking freely and original. A mental disorder is a bad condition that affects a person's behavior and mood. Therefore free and original thinking is not a mental disorder unless individuals don’t think wisely or correctly. For example those who think about crime is obviously not good and can be categorized as a mental illness. Free thinking is something impossible to stop someone from doing. This is where psychology comes into play. For example a psychiatrist will help individuals who are having problems, psychological issues, phobias, and with traumas. Individuals shouldn't take advantage of free thinking and commit crimes or suicide because it does not only hurt others but themselves. Individuals who think about suicide themselves should not have privilege of free thinking although of course this is not possible because everyone thinks no matter what. When individuals think about suicide they need therapy because this is classified as a mental disorder.
Being opposed to different situation or thinking in a different manner is not a mental disorder. I think that everyone withholds different opinions about what they think of different situations. One individual may be for or against something for completely different reasons. However this does not mean that differential thinking patterns are the cause of a mental disorder. This simply means that people are different and depending on how you were raised you develop an opinion about a certain topic. For example when someone tells you something opposite to what you think you got to analyze what they are saying and try to comprehend why they think the way they do. I think it’s a good thing to form different opinions not because it could form arguments, but because there is a balance of ideas in which form uniqueness and creativity. If everyone shared the same world view this place would be a completely different one. It is important to have a diverse form of ideas that formulate different opinions in order to have uniqueness. Everyone is unique in many ways. People have different ways of doing certain activities. Just because people are unique does not make them mentally ill or categorize them with a disorder. Indeed people should stand their ground and do what is correct in their mind in order to achieve happiness. Not everyone in the world is the same but together we bring different ideas that can be admired and listened to. Uniqueness and original thinking is a good thing.
I do not believe that freethinking and nonconformity is a mental disorder. Everyone has their own way of thinking and unfortunately sometimes people will disagree with the way another person thinks. I definitely believe everyone has their own unique way of doing things. Unique to me means someone who isn't afraid to be themselves or just isn't like anyone or anything else I have ever seen. I think everyone is unique in their own way or has unique characteristics about them. I do not agree with psychiatrists making free thinking a mental disorder. The problem that I see with this is anytime you disagree with another persons thinking someone is going to refer to that person as nonconforming or defiant. People in society want someone else to see and think the same way they think so there isn't any complications or arguments, so it makes everything much more simple. The problem with making freethinking a mental disorder is that people are going to be afraid to speak their mind and say how they really feel in fear of someone else disagreeing with them. Individuals should all be able to speak their mind without any repercussions; however, I do believe people need to consider how other people feel as well just to be fair. Not every person is going to agree with how another person does things, but that's what makes life interesting. If we all agreed about everything, then what would we talk about or discuss? Just imagine how boring that would be.
I don’t believe that every person’s original thinking is a mental disorder but I do believe that there are certain people who can be diagnosed with a mental disorder based on their original thinking. The way people think shows the way people are. By knowing how a person is and thinks, doctors can diagnose if a person has a mental illness. For example, people who show aggressiveness and are disobedient are more likely to commit crimes. Most of the time these people suffer from a mental disorder. Professional doctors diagnose them by studying the way they think. For example, people who are murderers are usually studied by professionals to understand why they committed the crime they did. There are times when these criminals show no emotion or empathy for the person they killed. It is as if what they did was right in their mind. In my own opinion, people who think and feel this way have a mental illness. They have a problem and need help because the way they are thinking is harmful and dangerous. Overall, I believe that a mental disorder can be diagnosed by the way people think. People who are unique usually have a certain trait, personality, behavior, or act that sets them apart from people. They are different and creative in their own way. I believe it is important to be unique because it allows you to be yourself and express who you truly are.
I believe that original thinking is not a mental disorder because we think all the time about various things in our lives. The ability for us to think and not be heard by others is amazing because certain things we think about are private to ourselves. Sometimes we stay up hours thinking about our future and that is important because our future is creating itself while we are in the present. Yes, sometimes we have individuals who think in certain ways that are dangerous to others but we cannot prohibit someone the rights of thinking. The thinking process takes place in our brains and I know that it is impossible to prohibit anyone from thinking. Sometimes our thinking enables us to create different things while thinking creatively. It is amazing what the mind can do. I agree that sometimes people are mentally ill as mentioned in the article because they are the ones that do that to themselves and think a certain way that is a danger to others. To be unique is to think a certain way unlike others that makes you different. We are all unique in our different ways of thinking and that is needed in this world. Diversity and being unique create a world of happiness and different ways to create new things and visit different places and meet new people.
I do not believe that original thinking is a mental disorder. Can you imagine a world where there was no originality? Let’s imagine it as a matter of fact. Think about a world where you are not allowed to question authority. Everything that authority does is correct and you should not question it no matter what the circumstance is. You cannot be different because it is not considered the “norm” in society. Kiss away any good talents you have in the arts, sciences and anything else because heaven forbid you do something different. Now stop and think…how does this make you feel? If original thinking is a mental disorder then where do we stand as a whole? What does it mean to be normal then? What IS normal? Think about the most creative minds in history like Voltaire. Voltaire was French Enlightenment writer who spoke out against the established Catholic Church (which had major authority at the time). He fought for freedom of speech, freedom of expression and separation of church and state. He must have been considered “normal” at his time…not. Does this seem familiar? According to the reading questioning authority is a mental illness. Does this mean that one of the most appreciated enlightenment writer had a mental disorder? I think not…we do not know what normal is, so how can we label what is not original? We are all original.
It is crazy to think that we are labeling what were once personality traits, as diseases. Freethinking allows us to be able to express our mind. So, according the DSM-IV, if we are freethinkers, we have a mental illness? Being able to express ourselves is healthy, but with everything there should be a limit. I can see how being defiant often enough can lead people to think you have ODD; however, just because you are defiant a handful of times, it should not be considered a symptom of such disease. Also, the fact that there are trying to medicate people to relieve them of their disease, is going too far. Today's society is trying to fix every problem by handing out a prescription. Instead of realizing that narcissism, or arrogance is something to accept as a personality trait, people want to fix it by giving a prescription to control the behavior. I do agree that they may have too much time on their hands to consider any of those behaviors, an illness. I believe that by diagnosing people with such illnesses, it enables people to act that way, and get away with it because they have an excuse. There are better things to diagnose than to diagnose traits as a disease.
I don’t believe original thinking, when defined as being new, fresh, or inventive is a mental disorder. To “think outside the box” is what drives people to try something new or to be different. If it weren’t for our founding fathers to think differently, and people creating inconceivable feats to most human beings, then we’d still be living in caves and eating with our hands. People who think differently are considered to be unique in that they interpreted and manage information differently than someone else would. To be unique, I believe means a million different things. Someone who’s unique can have something very small or something very big that’s different about them. I believe that every person possesses something that is unique about them, if we didn’t then we’d all be alike. Little things like a freckle on your face can make you unique from someone else. To show someone’s unique in a bigger fashion, some perform artistic behaviors like dancing or playing an instrument. Physical characteristics and mental traits can also be what defines someone as being unique. Like stated before, someone who thinks differently than other people is considered a unique person. I believe everyone is unique in their own way and is what sets us apart from one another and is ultimately what draws us together.
Labeling "original thinkers" as having a mental disorder is completely insane to me. People who think differently are the people who have changed the world and the people who will change the world in the future. As much as people like to think of themselves as original or free thinkers, most people are not. Most people live day by day doing the norm, living their lives the way they are told to do so or following other peoples paths. So is thinking differently a disorder? I do not think so. As stated earlier, I believe that the people who have different ideas are what changes our world every day. Why would doctors try and put these original thinkers on medication and limit their potential? That is the opposite of what we should be doing. We should be supporting them instead of telling them there is something wrong with them.
I was astounded to read that nonconformity and freethinking is considered to be a mental illness, nor do I believe original thinking is a mental disorder. Everyone is justified to have their own opinions or say on different subjects, but that doesn’t necessarily make them have a mental disorder. What would our world be if people weren’t original? Would there be the inventions there are today if people weren’t original thinkers? Not everyone has the same perspective on how things should be, how things should work, or what objects we should have to suffice each individual’s wants. Granted there are so many inventions out there that are similar to one another, but are manufactured by different companies. But without that one person who initiated that the company should put that type of product on the market, there wouldn’t be such inventions we have today. A great example of this, are the creations of Steve Jobs and his apple products. Him and his partner had created the first computer ever. From then on, things started spiraling upwards in light of success. Although having original thinking may be taken into a negative effect, such as using what you know to create harmful things towards people or things, I still don’t believe that individual has a mental disorder. If the manner is ongoing, excessive, difficult to change, and having a that specific harmful action make that individual happy, I would then consider that individual to have a mental disorder. Overall, without original thinking or being unique, each individual would have to conform to one or a limited amount of thoughts; which would probably drive everyone crazy.
As I read this article I questioned, is free thinking really a disease or just another excuse to diagnose someone wrongfully? Is it an excuse to diagnose someone as mentally impaired? In my opinion I believe that original thinking is not a mental disorder. On the contrary I think free thinking is very important because everyone is allowed to think freely, form opinions and question whatever they desire. I mean this is what makes all of us unique. Each and every one of us are entitled to our personal opinions. Each individual is different from one another therefore, for obvious reasons this makes us think differently. You make think of a scenario differently and classify it as a positive thing, but there might be someone that doesn't agree with you which may cause them think of you as “disobedient”. If there would be no free thinking there would be no originality. Imagine a world where all opinions are the same and thoughts are the same or imagine a world that would isolate us and medicate us to force us to all think the same. I mean if that was the case, there would be no advancement in this world. If there was no free thinking there would be no inventions. There would be no Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham, Benjamin Franklin and so forth. As i am writing this response I am thinking freely and giving my personal opinion, but that doesn't mean it is okay to classify me as mentally impaired. We are all different in every aspect and we are all allowed to think however we like even though some may disagree with us.
This is a very hard subject to write about because I fully believe that all people should have freedom of thought and speech however a strong argument can be made that free thinking is a form of mental illness. Freedom of thought could be considered to be a weakness in the human makeup because it divides the species. Insects have what is called a hive mind, this could be very useful because with one common goal with no thinking of personal gain humans would be much more evolved then they currently are today. Wanting to better ones self is not a bad thing but when it affects others in a negative way you become the problem directly. The real problem with the hive mind is that there has to be a “queen” to govern the hive. This is very problematic because it sounds exactly like a dictatorship. But if there was one being who was perfect the system would work perfectly. This to the Christians would be called the second coming. But sense this is not empirically true, even if one is a believer, then this would be a failed system and we as humans would have to keep freedom of thought alive. Yes it can create problems but the good outweighs the bad in this scenario. And so with this really no one is really unique but at the same time are exactly perfectly unique.
Original thinking is not a mental disorder. Different ideas and opinions can be very problematic in societies like communist Russia, as the paragraph was explaining. However, these new views and philosophies are what allow for societal growth and expansion. This is how new governmental structures were created. Someone had a different view of how things should be and took initiative to create and implement the new structure. This requires innovative and unique thinking and cannot be accomplished while conforming to old, traditional standards. Being unique means that you are willing push boundaries for the sake of societal growth. When I think of being unique, I am reminded of how musicians have to always compose something that is totally different with a melody that hasn’t been used before. It seems to be very hard to create something that no one else has thought of and make it familiar to others. Not just with specific songs, but with new genres and styles. Like the introduction of alternative rock music or disco. No one could have guessed that these types of music would be popular, someone took a chance and were able to create some traction. I feel that being unique also means not necessarily giving a crap about things that do not matter and prioritizing the things that do. I do not mean being lazy and never taking chances, but putting your neck on the line and trying something new by not giving a crap about adversity. This is what true unique people do. They are not afraid of what people will think about their new ideas or musical expressions, they simply do them anyway. This is common amongst every huge historical figure and I feel that it will stay consistent through future generations.
I don't think original thinking is a mental disorder or a problem. I think it is actually a beneficial way of thinking. Some people think that it is a problem because original thinking sometimes goes against what is normal. People dislike to be confronted about certain ideas and they also dislike their ideas to be challenged. I think that these new "illnesses" are a way to scare people into not questioning what is already established. There has been many conspiracy theories brought to light about the government controlling people. These new "illnesses" are not real problems. I think that they are labeled this way to keep people from having those personality traits that eventually lead to original thinking. All of these personality traits might be the symptoms of original thinking.
I do not believe that original thinking is a mental disorder, unless it is taken to the extreme. I only believe that original thinking can be a mental disorder if that person is willing to harm himself/herself, people, or animals. Just from what I have read in this article, it seems like the DSM-IV psychiatrists are confusing personality traits and mental disorders. I do not understand how someone who had defiant behavior has ODD. I would think that they just have a lot of anger built up because something could have happened to him/her in the past that is causing him/her to lash out in life. This article also mentioned that narcissism and antisocial behavior are two other mental illnesses. I feel like those two are still character traits and came to be because of social environments and how they were raised. I do not think that it is plausible for them to be mental illnesses. However, I do not have the qualifications to argue with professionals. I trust what they are doing, and hopefully, what they are doing is correct. In my opinion, each individual human is unique. All of us are different—there is no one like us out there in the world. Therefore, we are unique. However, if you were to have some kind of special trait or skill that is very hard to come by, you may also be labeled as unique. Some examples would include having photographic memory, speaking more than 5 languages fluently, being able to run really fast, etc.
Haven taken previous courses that have actually gone in depth on some of the illnesses written in the article, the topic is something I can recall. While I do believe a large portion of the mental diseases are ligit, I have to strongly disagree with the concept of original thinking being a mentall disorder. I consider a mental disorder to be a mental state that interferes negatively with their everyday living. Original thinking does not interfere negatively with an individual's life; in fact, it actually enables the individual to become more creative. If free thinking leads to creativity, then how can it be a mental illness? Psychologists overreact about certain mental traits people tend to have (in my opinion). Being unique is about have distinguishing characteristics that make someone standout in a positive way. A person with original thinking is very unique and deserves to be positively recognized not negatively recognized.
What is a free thinker? Since we are all different individuals we all have different perspectives in life according to what we went through. I don’t think that being an original thinker is a mental disorder. I believe that in our life we have had some free thinkers that have change the way we think today. For example, Albert Einstein, César Chavez, Martin Luther king, just to mention a few. The article mentioned, “People who didn’t accept the beliefs of the Communist Party developed a new type of schizophrenia… They were isolated, forcefully medicated, and put through repressive “therapy” to bring them back to sanity.” I can’t imagine what type of society we would have today, if the people who I mentioned before would have had this “therapy” for questioning the authority and for being argumentative when it came to defend the rights of the minority groups. New ideas and creativity are necessary in life. Like they say, thinking out of the box is sometimes very difficult, because we are so just to depend on someone else’s ideas and beliefs.
I feel anything in excess is negative. If we never question anything, then we are bound to be taken advantage of. If no one ever questioned Hitler, than who knows how much farther he would have gotten with his genocide. That's a scary thought. On the flip side, if you question everything and have absolutely no trust, that can work against you as well. You are constantly swimming against the stream, if you just follow the crowd things can go much more smoothly, and you can avoid unnecessary stress. I believe there is a healthy balance, and I feel like that's what we have brains for. We can discern the difference, and we know when we need to take a stand, or when we can simply follow the crowd for our own survival. However, if we are going to validate that extreme defiance is a mental disorder, then we should also conclude that extreme obedience is a mental disorder as well, and in my opinion a much more severe one that takes away your humanity. If you never think for yourself, then you are like a robot that can't think for yourself. In all cases, everything in life that I sit down and really try to contemplate and understand, I come up with the same conclusion. Balance is in everything. If we strive for balance then we are able to objectively see both sides and make truly educated and beneficial decisions both on a personal level and as a group.
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ReplyDeleteI think that original thinking is a mental disorder, though many may not think it isn’t. Original thinking should be done all the time. Sometimes original thinking can be over taken and can be taken for advantage. Today, people misdiagnose and use these diagnoses to have individuals on medications. For example, my younger brother who is 16 and is in high school was diagnosed with ADHD and ADD. ADHD stands for Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. My brother was diagnosed with this as a child. This is a common metal disorder that many psychiatrists misdiagnose in children at an early age. Throughout my education I have learned that this is common thing that occurs daily. A child should be able to not sit still, not pay attention, run around like crazy, and more. Apparently to society they shouldn’t. Today my little brother is out of special education classes and is sitting through college prep classes. I agree with the part “It can easily become a weapon in the arsenal of a repressive state.” I agree because as it states that it can be easily become a weapon, which is has before. It has become harder to not have a healthy mind and be original and yourself. Everything is now an illness, disease, and other horrible things. Being unique means that you can be yourself and being one of a kind. It doesn’t mean that you have something wrong with you or your personality. People should stand up for this and be able to fight for what’s right.
ReplyDeleteOriginal and free thinking is not a mental disorder because every individuals is free to think what they desire. People can't think for others because everyone has their own ideas of how to deal with things, how to solve things, or what to say. This is the reason why people are unique because they have different ideas as others. Imagine all those ideas each individual thinks about each hour. For example when they daydream or dream at night. Another example would be when children are at school. Each student is unique because when they are asked to write an essay, a writing assignment, or in their journal everyone has their own ideas on how they approach the writing. Therefore each individual is unique in their way of thinking because everyone approaches things differently or similar but never exactly the same. Unless they are twins they make think almost alike but they still come up with their own ideas thinking freely and original. A mental disorder is a bad condition that affects a person's behavior and mood. Therefore free and original thinking is not a mental disorder unless individuals don’t think wisely or correctly. For example those who think about crime is obviously not good and can be categorized as a mental illness. Free thinking is something impossible to stop someone from doing. This is where psychology comes into play. For example a psychiatrist will help individuals who are having problems, psychological issues, phobias, and with traumas. Individuals shouldn't take advantage of free thinking and commit crimes or suicide because it does not only hurt others but themselves. Individuals who think about suicide themselves should not have privilege of free thinking although of course this is not possible because everyone thinks no matter what. When individuals think about suicide they need therapy because this is classified as a mental disorder.
ReplyDeleteBeing opposed to different situation or thinking in a different manner is not a mental disorder. I think that everyone withholds different opinions about what they think of different situations. One individual may be for or against something for completely different reasons. However this does not mean that differential thinking patterns are the cause of a mental disorder. This simply means that people are different and depending on how you were raised you develop an opinion about a certain topic. For example when someone tells you something opposite to what you think you got to analyze what they are saying and try to comprehend why they think the way they do. I think it’s a good thing to form different opinions not because it could form arguments, but because there is a balance of ideas in which form uniqueness and creativity. If everyone shared the same world view this place would be a completely different one. It is important to have a diverse form of ideas that formulate different opinions in order to have uniqueness. Everyone is unique in many ways. People have different ways of doing certain activities. Just because people are unique does not make them mentally ill or categorize them with a disorder. Indeed people should stand their ground and do what is correct in their mind in order to achieve happiness. Not everyone in the world is the same but together we bring different ideas that can be admired and listened to. Uniqueness and original thinking is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that freethinking and nonconformity is a mental disorder. Everyone has their own way of thinking and unfortunately sometimes people will disagree with the way another person thinks. I definitely believe everyone has their own unique way of doing things. Unique to me means someone who isn't afraid to be themselves or just isn't like anyone or anything else I have ever seen. I think everyone is unique in their own way or has unique characteristics about them. I do not agree with psychiatrists making free thinking a mental disorder. The problem that I see with this is anytime you disagree with another persons thinking someone is going to refer to that person as nonconforming or defiant. People in society want someone else to see and think the same way they think so there isn't any complications or arguments, so it makes everything much more simple. The problem with making freethinking a mental disorder is that people are going to be afraid to speak their mind and say how they really feel in fear of someone else disagreeing with them. Individuals should all be able to speak their mind without any repercussions; however, I do believe people need to consider how other people feel as well just to be fair. Not every person is going to agree with how another person does things, but that's what makes life interesting. If we all agreed about everything, then what would we talk about or discuss? Just imagine how boring that would be.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe that every person’s original thinking is a mental disorder but I do believe that there are certain people who can be diagnosed with a mental disorder based on their original thinking. The way people think shows the way people are. By knowing how a person is and thinks, doctors can diagnose if a person has a mental illness. For example, people who show aggressiveness and are disobedient are more likely to commit crimes. Most of the time these people suffer from a mental disorder. Professional doctors diagnose them by studying the way they think. For example, people who are murderers are usually studied by professionals to understand why they committed the crime they did. There are times when these criminals show no emotion or empathy for the person they killed. It is as if what they did was right in their mind. In my own opinion, people who think and feel this way have a mental illness. They have a problem and need help because the way they are thinking is harmful and dangerous. Overall, I believe that a mental disorder can be diagnosed by the way people think. People who are unique usually have a certain trait, personality, behavior, or act that sets them apart from people. They are different and creative in their own way. I believe it is important to be unique because it allows you to be yourself and express who you truly are.
ReplyDeleteI believe that original thinking is not a mental disorder because we think all the time about various things in our lives. The ability for us to think and not be heard by others is amazing because certain things we think about are private to ourselves. Sometimes we stay up hours thinking about our future and that is important because our future is creating itself while we are in the present. Yes, sometimes we have individuals who think in certain ways that are dangerous to others but we cannot prohibit someone the rights of thinking. The thinking process takes place in our brains and I know that it is impossible to prohibit anyone from thinking. Sometimes our thinking enables us to create different things while thinking creatively. It is amazing what the mind can do. I agree that sometimes people are mentally ill as mentioned in the article because they are the ones that do that to themselves and think a certain way that is a danger to others. To be unique is to think a certain way unlike others that makes you different. We are all unique in our different ways of thinking and that is needed in this world. Diversity and being unique create a world of happiness and different ways to create new things and visit different places and meet new people.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that original thinking is a mental disorder. Can you imagine a world where there was no originality? Let’s imagine it as a matter of fact. Think about a world where you are not allowed to question authority. Everything that authority does is correct and you should not question it no matter what the circumstance is. You cannot be different because it is not considered the “norm” in society. Kiss away any good talents you have in the arts, sciences and anything else because heaven forbid you do something different. Now stop and think…how does this make you feel? If original thinking is a mental disorder then where do we stand as a whole? What does it mean to be normal then? What IS normal? Think about the most creative minds in history like Voltaire. Voltaire was French Enlightenment writer who spoke out against the established Catholic Church (which had major authority at the time). He fought for freedom of speech, freedom of expression and separation of church and state. He must have been considered “normal” at his time…not. Does this seem familiar? According to the reading questioning authority is a mental illness. Does this mean that one of the most appreciated enlightenment writer had a mental disorder? I think not…we do not know what normal is, so how can we label what is not original? We are all original.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy to think that we are labeling what were once personality traits, as diseases. Freethinking allows us to be able to express our mind. So, according the DSM-IV, if we are freethinkers, we have a mental illness? Being able to express ourselves is healthy, but with everything there should be a limit. I can see how being defiant often enough can lead people to think you have ODD; however, just because you are defiant a handful of times, it should not be considered a symptom of such disease. Also, the fact that there are trying to medicate people to relieve them of their disease, is going too far. Today's society is trying to fix every problem by handing out a prescription. Instead of realizing that narcissism, or arrogance is something to accept as a personality trait, people want to fix it by giving a prescription to control the behavior. I do agree that they may have too much time on their hands to consider any of those behaviors, an illness. I believe that by diagnosing people with such illnesses, it enables people to act that way, and get away with it because they have an excuse. There are better things to diagnose than to diagnose traits as a disease.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe original thinking, when defined as being new, fresh, or inventive is a mental disorder. To “think outside the box” is what drives people to try something new or to be different. If it weren’t for our founding fathers to think differently, and people creating inconceivable feats to most human beings, then we’d still be living in caves and eating with our hands. People who think differently are considered to be unique in that they interpreted and manage information differently than someone else would.
ReplyDeleteTo be unique, I believe means a million different things. Someone who’s unique can have something very small or something very big that’s different about them. I believe that every person possesses something that is unique about them, if we didn’t then we’d all be alike. Little things like a freckle on your face can make you unique from someone else. To show someone’s unique in a bigger fashion, some perform artistic behaviors like dancing or playing an instrument. Physical characteristics and mental traits can also be what defines someone as being unique. Like stated before, someone who thinks differently than other people is considered a unique person. I believe everyone is unique in their own way and is what sets us apart from one another and is ultimately what draws us together.
Labeling "original thinkers" as having a mental disorder is completely insane to me. People who think differently are the people who have changed the world and the people who will change the world in the future. As much as people like to think of themselves as original or free thinkers, most people are not. Most people live day by day doing the norm, living their lives the way they are told to do so or following other peoples paths. So is thinking differently a disorder? I do not think so. As stated earlier, I believe that the people who have different ideas are what changes our world every day. Why would doctors try and put these original thinkers on medication and limit their potential? That is the opposite of what we should be doing. We should be supporting them instead of telling them there is something wrong with them.
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ReplyDeleteI was astounded to read that nonconformity and freethinking is considered to be a mental illness, nor do I believe original thinking is a mental disorder. Everyone is justified to have their own opinions or say on different subjects, but that doesn’t necessarily make them have a mental disorder. What would our world be if people weren’t original? Would there be the inventions there are today if people weren’t original thinkers? Not everyone has the same perspective on how things should be, how things should work, or what objects we should have to suffice each individual’s wants. Granted there are so many inventions out there that are similar to one another, but are manufactured by different companies. But without that one person who initiated that the company should put that type of product on the market, there wouldn’t be such inventions we have today. A great example of this, are the creations of Steve Jobs and his apple products. Him and his partner had created the first computer ever. From then on, things started spiraling upwards in light of success. Although having original thinking may be taken into a negative effect, such as using what you know to create harmful things towards people or things, I still don’t believe that individual has a mental disorder. If the manner is ongoing, excessive, difficult to change, and having a that specific harmful action make that individual happy, I would then consider that individual to have a mental disorder. Overall, without original thinking or being unique, each individual would have to conform to one or a limited amount of thoughts; which would probably drive everyone crazy.
As I read this article I questioned, is free thinking really a disease or just another excuse to diagnose someone wrongfully? Is it an excuse to diagnose someone as mentally impaired? In my opinion I believe that original thinking is not a mental disorder. On the contrary I think free thinking is very important because everyone is allowed to think freely, form opinions and question whatever they desire. I mean this is what makes all of us unique. Each and every one of us are entitled to our personal opinions. Each individual is different from one another therefore, for obvious reasons this makes us think differently. You make think of a scenario differently and classify it as a positive thing, but there might be someone that doesn't agree with you which may cause them think of you as “disobedient”. If there would be no free thinking there would be no originality. Imagine a world where all opinions are the same and thoughts are the same or imagine a world that would isolate us and medicate us to force us to all think the same. I mean if that was the case, there would be no advancement in this world. If there was no free thinking there would be no inventions. There would be no Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham, Benjamin Franklin and so forth. As i am writing this response I am thinking freely and giving my personal opinion, but that doesn't mean it is okay to classify me as mentally impaired. We are all different in every aspect and we are all allowed to think however we like even though some may disagree with us.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very hard subject to write about because I fully believe that all people should have freedom of thought and speech however a strong argument can be made that free thinking is a form of mental illness. Freedom of thought could be considered to be a weakness in the human makeup because it divides the species. Insects have what is called a hive mind, this could be very useful because with one common goal with no thinking of personal gain humans would be much more evolved then they currently are today. Wanting to better ones self is not a bad thing but when it affects others in a negative way you become the problem directly. The real problem with the hive mind is that there has to be a “queen” to govern the hive. This is very problematic because it sounds exactly like a dictatorship. But if there was one being who was perfect the system would work perfectly. This to the Christians would be called the second coming. But sense this is not empirically true, even if one is a believer, then this would be a failed system and we as humans would have to keep freedom of thought alive. Yes it can create problems but the good outweighs the bad in this scenario. And so with this really no one is really unique but at the same time are exactly perfectly unique.
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ReplyDeleteOriginal thinking is not a mental disorder. Different ideas and opinions can be very problematic in societies like communist Russia, as the paragraph was explaining. However, these new views and philosophies are what allow for societal growth and expansion. This is how new governmental structures were created. Someone had a different view of how things should be and took initiative to create and implement the new structure. This requires innovative and unique thinking and cannot be accomplished while conforming to old, traditional standards.
Being unique means that you are willing push boundaries for the sake of societal growth. When I think of being unique, I am reminded of how musicians have to always compose something that is totally different with a melody that hasn’t been used before. It seems to be very hard to create something that no one else has thought of and make it familiar to others. Not just with specific songs, but with new genres and styles. Like the introduction of alternative rock music or disco. No one could have guessed that these types of music would be popular, someone took a chance and were able to create some traction.
I feel that being unique also means not necessarily giving a crap about things that do not matter and prioritizing the things that do. I do not mean being lazy and never taking chances, but putting your neck on the line and trying something new by not giving a crap about adversity. This is what true unique people do. They are not afraid of what people will think about their new ideas or musical expressions, they simply do them anyway. This is common amongst every huge historical figure and I feel that it will stay consistent through future generations.
I don't think original thinking is a mental disorder or a problem. I think it is actually a beneficial way of thinking. Some people think that it is a problem because original thinking sometimes goes against what is normal. People dislike to be confronted about certain ideas and they also dislike their ideas to be challenged. I think that these new "illnesses" are a way to scare people into not questioning what is already established. There has been many conspiracy theories brought to light about the government controlling people. These new "illnesses" are not real problems. I think that they are labeled this way to keep people from having those personality traits that eventually lead to original thinking. All of these personality traits might be the symptoms of original thinking.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that original thinking is a mental disorder, unless it is taken to the extreme. I only believe that original thinking can be a mental disorder if that person is willing to harm himself/herself, people, or animals. Just from what I have read in this article, it seems like the DSM-IV psychiatrists are confusing personality traits and mental disorders. I do not understand how someone who had defiant behavior has ODD. I would think that they just have a lot of anger built up because something could have happened to him/her in the past that is causing him/her to lash out in life. This article also mentioned that narcissism and antisocial behavior are two other mental illnesses. I feel like those two are still character traits and came to be because of social environments and how they were raised. I do not think that it is plausible for them to be mental illnesses. However, I do not have the qualifications to argue with professionals. I trust what they are doing, and hopefully, what they are doing is correct.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, each individual human is unique. All of us are different—there is no one like us out there in the world. Therefore, we are unique. However, if you were to have some kind of special trait or skill that is very hard to come by, you may also be labeled as unique. Some examples would include having photographic memory, speaking more than 5 languages fluently, being able to run really fast, etc.
Haven taken previous courses that have actually gone in depth on some of the illnesses written in the article, the topic is something I can recall. While I do believe a large portion of the mental diseases are ligit, I have to strongly disagree with the concept of original thinking being a mentall disorder. I consider a mental disorder to be a mental state that interferes negatively with their everyday living. Original thinking does not interfere negatively with an individual's life; in fact, it actually enables the individual to become more creative. If free thinking leads to creativity, then how can it be a mental illness? Psychologists overreact about certain mental traits people tend to have (in my opinion). Being unique is about have distinguishing characteristics that make someone standout in a positive way. A person with original thinking is very unique and deserves to be positively recognized not negatively recognized.
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ReplyDeleteWhat is a free thinker? Since we are all different individuals we all have different perspectives in life according to what we went through. I don’t think that being an original thinker is a mental disorder. I believe that in our life we have had some free thinkers that have change the way we think today. For example, Albert Einstein, César Chavez, Martin Luther king, just to mention a few. The article mentioned, “People who didn’t accept the beliefs of the Communist Party developed a new type of schizophrenia… They were isolated, forcefully medicated, and put through repressive “therapy” to bring them back to sanity.” I can’t imagine what type of society we would have today, if the people who I mentioned before would have had this “therapy” for questioning the authority and for being argumentative when it came to defend the rights of the minority groups. New ideas and creativity are necessary in life. Like they say, thinking out of the box is sometimes very difficult, because we are so just to depend on someone else’s ideas and beliefs.
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