Dastardly Stubborn Mean IV Revised

The DSM IV R lists some standard personality disorders, yet it ignores others – I plan to fill the PD gap with some unclinical analysis.

Here's the lay-clinical version for reference:

"Personality refers to a distinctive set of traits, behavior styles, and patterns that make up our character or individuality. How we perceive the world, our attitudes, thoughts, and feelings are all part of our personality. People with healthy personalities are able to cope with normal stresses and have no trouble forming relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

Those who struggle with a personality disorder have great difficulty dealing with other people. They tend to be inflexible, rigid, and unable to respond to the changes and demands of life. Although they feel that their behavior patterns are “normal” or “right,” people with personality disorders tend to have a narrow view of the world and find it difficult to participate in social activities."

Source National Mental Health Association.

Quo Vadis?
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[sick]

From the Latin for "thus", [sic] is used to indicate that the preceding is intended to be read as it is written. In an age of politically correct language, [sic] is employed more frequently than it was in the days when 'man' was an accepted term to indicate 'humankind'.

From the English for "sick", I use [sick] to indicate that the preceding is definitely not intended to be accepted as it is written.

Thus, intelligent [sick] design theory is written to indicate that there is nothing intelligent (logical, reasonable, intellectually acceptable) about the contention of of our Special Creation by an "intelligent [sick] designer". Heck, we aren't even particularly well designed!

Quo Vadis?
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Aginner Syndrome

Motto: "If an expert states something, I'm against it."

This cognitive disorder is characterized by a refusal to accept propositions founded in expert knowledge. Those exhibiting this disorder are often embittered individuals with a pronounced tendency to attach inappropriate blame for their personal misery onto authority figures. Their anger and bitterness is typically displaced from the actual root cause of their discontent. Aginners lack insight into their own dysfunctions or exhibit denial concerning their emotional dysfunctions.

Aginners are typically passionate and obdurate concerning their mistaken beliefs and inaccurately regard their alternative thinking as indicative of their superior intellect, insight, intuitiveness, or spirituality. In fact, Aginners are typically poorly educated and ill-informed. They exhibit a clear preference for biased information and adopt opinions selected for anti-authoritarian content. Having adopted an ill-informed opinion, Aginners resort to vehement denial of any facts that run counter to their beliefs and/or employ illogical arguments to dismiss facts and justify their mistaken beliefs. Aginners commonly resort to blanket ridicule of the experts whose opinion they wish to deny.

Aginners are often socially inadequate and have a history of failed relationships. As with their other cognitive errors, Aginners blame their social difficulties on others, taking no responsibility for their own contribution to relationship difficulties.

Quo Vadis?
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hate tanks

I believe that those who make a mission of targetting the rights of others or of denying facts in order to promote a rigid, hateful agenda are suffering from either: a personality disorder, a characterological defect, some degree of psychological damage, the aftermath of indoctrination unopposed by reason, or a combination of these.

Some seriously damaged individuals, like Cho Seung-hui, resort to overt violence when overwhelmed by internal demons. Others resort to hate propaganda, often taking advantage of the Internet, principles of free speech, or rap music to spread their antisocial message.

Let's start with the Internet, which provides inexpensive opportunities for hate-propagation crawled blindly by search engines. Some websites are set up so as to appear to be the e-carnation of legitimate organizations promoting something positive. Closer scrutiny typically reveals that these websites focus only on attacking the rights of minority groups or of belittling science in the name of religious dogma.

It could be argued that my mimbling and wimbling provides yet another example of hate-propagation. I readily admit that I am irritated by illogic, ignorance, and bigotry. However, all of these irritants are correctible negatives – that is, illogic ought, for the sake of society and the responsible individual, to be replaced by logic, ignorance by knowledge, and bigotry by tolerance.

As for religious practice, there are milder forms of religious belief that are compatible with logic and tolerance. If individuals need some form of spiritual succor, denominations exist that are not associated with literal insistence upon rigid dogmatism and intolerance, and that permit a peaceful coexistence between logic, knowledge, and spiritual comfort.

Here's an example:
"founded in 1982 with one overriding mission: to generate empirical research on issues that threaten the traditional family, particularly homosexuality, AIDS, sexual social policy, and drug abuse . . . published scientific material."

Positive buzz-words: empirical research, published scientific material, traditional family.
Negative buzz-words: homosexuality, AIDS, sexual social policy, and drug abuse.
Secondary gain: "donations accepted"

The individuals responsible for these attacks probably delude themselves that they are acting in the interests of society and not out of hatred. Those who read and contribute to such sites may delude themselves that they are good, Christian people.

As a member of a traditional family, I am in no way threatened by homosexuality and much less at risk from AIDS than from the traditional killers (heart disease, cancer, etc.). The hate tank in question appears to be promoting only an anti-gay message, and shows no signs of promoting legitimate, empirical, scientific research.

Quo Vadis?
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