Are gun-owners "paranoid"... or is the opposition mad in a slightly different manner?

my own personal "paranoia" | 10 Feb 04 | King Prout

[King Prout]

It is as sure as the tides: In any gun discussion, sooner or later, someone will feel obliged to suggest that desiring to be free to choose to be armed implies paranoia.

I can - and do - easily counter this silly digression into armchair psychoanalysis (merely asking any who suggest this "You wear a seatbelt when you are in a vehicle... does this make you paranoid?") but I am left to wonder... is there a term for the polar opposite of "paranoia"?

Paranoia is defined as "a mental disorder typified by an irrational belief that one is being persecuted, often accompanied by delusions of grandeur." Clinical paranoia is a medically diagnosable dementia often closely associated with schizophrenia - where there is a clear disconnect in the patient's mind between his perceptions of reality and the reality a sane person perceives. It is believed to be commonly caused by psychological trauma, but can be brought on by indoctrination, chemical induction, and neural trauma. In common discourse, the term "paranoia" is often used colloquially (if a tad too freely) to mean "an habitual tendency to mistrust and suspect others of malice or of intending harm."

Now, though I don't know what to call it, I know very well that an opposite dementia surely exists, and it can be defined thusly: "A mental disorder typified by an irrational belief that one is either immune to (or will never be the target of) persecution, often accompanied by delusions of unworth or a religious mania revolving around some notional "universally held intrinsic value of every life" - such belief projected upon all others." The clinical version of this bizarre contrary-to-fact mindset may be a dementia closely associated with schizophrenia. I am not aware that this dementia has been clinically studied, so I cannot state what its etiology might be (though I suspect prolonged indoctrination and a very sheltered life might play a common and significant role). Similar to the vulgar use of "paranoia," in common discourse the term for this clinical condition could be used colloquially (if a tad too freely) to mean "an habitual tendency to overly trust others and ascribe to them nearly angelic benevolence or inherently good intentions."

In the realest of real terms - aggregate body counts through recorded history - at least two orders of magnitude more people have wound up face-down dead in a ditch through the latter failure of imagination than have through the former. Thus, again in real terms, paranoia of both the clinical and casual varieties is LESS INSANE than the clinical and casual flavors of trusting too damned much.

What follows are some very basic guideposts of real-world reality:

Reality check#1: There is always crime, given enough humans living in the same region over enough time. Some of this crime is violent. Some of this crime is lethal.

Reality check#2: There are always natural imbalances between individuals in respect to native physical power and aggression. Such imbalances for many reasons often lead to rapacity, or a predatory pattern of attitudes and behaviors, on the part of the strong and aggressive and at the expense of the weak and retiring.

Reality check#3: Agents of the government cannot be surely relied upon to intervene in the course of an ongoing violent criminal act. Even if those agents and the government itself are to be implicitly trusted as paragons of virtue (you may laugh now, if you wish... I shall)... AND assuming for the nonce that such agents are under legal obligation to put themselves at risk in order to prevent or halt a crime (they are not, at least not in the USA), there is absolutely no reliable method to summon them to the rescue for them to be guaranteed to be there in enough numbers, with enough force, and in a short enough time, to prevent a criminal perpetrator from committing whatever horrid act he so desires upon an unarmed and unaided victim. The results of a violent criminal encounter are usually decided within 10 seconds after the initiation of the event. Barring telepathy and teleportation, don't expect shepherds to rescue you when the wolf comes through your door.

Reality check#4: It is the nature of a ruling body to stay in power and to expand the reach and depth of its power. The host body - the common citizens - are ALWAYS at risk of being treated as and reduced to serfs.

If your perception of reality does not match these four basic summaries of all human history, you may wish to seek professional psychological counselling, as you are very definitely showing signs of suffering from the (far-less-sane-than-mere-paranoia) dementia I have postulated above.

On the other hand: If your perception of reality, like mine, is in full agreement with the guides above, do as I do - own and carry, and resist any nanny-state attempt to render you weak and helpless prey.

[King Prout]

Considering the leftist media propaganda wave I expect to see as the AWB sunset date draws near, I have prepared a bit of counterirritant. Do with it what you will.

[King Prout]

submitted for your enjoyment.

[demlosers]

They are paranoid about AWB not sunsetting.

[SunStar]

In any gun discussion, sooner or later, someone will feel obliged to suggest that desiring to be free to choose to be armed implies paranoia.

Without the 2nd Amendment, there is no freedom. Period.

Being labeled "paraniod" is hardly an insult.

[King Prout]

they (fineswine et alia) should be, but that does not address the mental affliction endemic among the rank-and-file antigunners.

[King Prout]

to allow them to portray us as unhinged works against us in the short and long runs - this is a conflict of generations, and we MUST prevent them from poisoning the next generations against our constitutional position.

[Cindy]

The burglars staring in the face of my gun seemed paranoid.
Imagine that.
A mom holding her baby in one arm and the burglars downstairs trying to get in the sliding glass door.
Mom sneeks up on burglars, points her gun at one of the guy's crotch and says something meaningful to them in Engish and espanol.

Well, that's an old story, but for your survey, the burglars were paranoid.

[Cindy]

Correction: English

[archy]

Now, though I don't know what to call it

Grandiosity, the belief that one is so superior or omniscent that calamity cannot or will not come their way.

[SunStar]

If your perception of reality, like mine, is in full agreement with the guides above, do as I do - own and carry, and resist any nanny-state attempt to render you weak and helpless prey.

An armed intruder being able to commit a crime and leave before police arrive is absolutly plausible, and in fact, happens all the time. 1/2 of all murders in San Francisco, for example, remain unsolved.

I would like to be one of the few who don't need to rely on the police to protect the lives of myself and my family.

I am more concerned with this scenario than the government marching into my home with a gun confiscation order. And, even if they did, I know a place to buy a gun for $200.00 without the waiting period. :) Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

[SunStar]

to allow them to portray us as unhinged works against us in the short and long runs - this is a conflict of generations, and we MUST prevent them from poisoning the next generations against our constitutional position.

Agreed. I vote only for pro-gun rights and support groups who lobby for the same.

[Rocky Mountain High]

I buy mine from people advertising in the newspaper. I pay cash and go on my merry way.

Carry always - tell no one.

[King Prout]

and keep a small, rusted-solid capgun with you, in a plastic bag, too...

[Rocky Mountain High]

Now that's a good idea!

Or even an old crappy revolver...

[Atlas Sneezed]

Good article. The analogy I like for "gun paranoia" is that of fire extinguishers. They are rarely used, no one expects or wants to use them, and no one is considered paranoid even if they take the unusual precaution of having them in most rooms of the home, and in each vehicle.

The article covers crime well, but we need to be reminded that the protection against tyranny (from without or within) is the prime reason for the 2nd amendment. A similar article could be written about the history of governments, and the tyranny that seemingly inevitably befalls unarmed populaces.

[coloradan]

You raise an interesting lexical question, which is, what is the antonym of paranoia? A quick check on the web doesn't come up with anything.

Let's coin a new word!

The word has to have elements of denial and of obliviousness in it. Someone who really is paranoid sees things that aren't there - schemes, people following him, watching him. So the opposite would have to be someone who doesn't see things that really are there. The mindset of the 1940 Jews, who thought everything would be OK if they just complied. The Branch Davidians who thought they shouldn't shoot back, they can work it out with the ATF. The Warren Commission believers and TWA 800 NTSB report swallowers, the Vince Foster suicide subscribers, who deny the possibility of any government malfeasance whatsoever, and don't even bother them with evidence. (The magic bullet, the eyewitnesses, the lack of blood around the body.) Gullibility is also a component - one would accept at face value what people in authority say, no matter how facially wrong or mistaken those statements are.

Paranoia comes from para- "beyond," and noos or nous, "mind."

From: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000:

Pablum: Trite, insipid, or simplistic writing, speech, or conceptualization.

Credulous: 1. Disposed to believe too readily; gullible. 2. Arising from or characterized by credulity.

credulity: A disposition to believe too readily.

naiveté: 1. The state or quality of being inexperienced or unsophisticated, especially in being artless, credulous, or uncritical. 2. An artless, credulous, or uncritical statement or act.


Combining these roots into a new word, we get: SHEEPLE.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Without the 2nd Amendment, there is no freedom. Period.

Which is exactly the agenda of the gun grabbers. An unarmed population after all is a whole lot easier to control.

[AlaskaErik]

Reality check: I work in LE and I deal with bad people on a daily basis. I know what's out there, so when I carry, that's the reason. I also know that the police are not going to be there to prevent any kind of personal attack on me or my loved ones. Assaulting, mugging, killing, etc, are usually crimes of opportunity when the intended victim is a stranger. Criminals are going to commit them when there are no police around. Imagine that! So when I walk out the door with that pistol, I'm not being paranoid, I'm being prudent. The pants-soiling liberals can call me what they want, but they benefit from those who carry, because criminals don't know who is armed and who isn't. Unless you live in NYC, NJ or one of those other 2nd Amendment-hostile places. Just remember...it's better to be armed and not need your weapon than it is to be unarmed and suddenly find you do need a weapon.

[supercat]

You raise an interesting lexical question, which is, what is the antonym of paranoia?

Uh, liberalism?

[Nebr FAL owner]

An excellent bit of writing & FACTUALLY CORRECT!! That is what really bugs the left,factual accuracy.