Posted on 02/10/2004 3:05:04 PM PST by 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.
In this case, it would be manifested as an abiding faith in the goodness of government. So long as it is run by "the right people", of course. In other words, the polar opposite of "paranoia" would be "liberalism".
It is a mental disorder, y'know...
Grandiose delusions tend to be a symptom of those who are bipolar, particularly those who feel a particular attraction or connection to prominent figures or celebreties, such as Democratic political candidates. Indeed, the political processes of the Democratic Pparty itself in recent years can accurately be said to have exhibited characteristics similar to those afflicted with a bipolar or manic/depressive condition:
Bipolar disorder is also known as Manic-Depressive Disorder. Patient suffer from alternating, prolonged episodes of extreme elation and depression. Periods of mania are characterized by hyperactivity involving excessive participation in multiple activities (sexual, occupational, political, religious, etc.) which is unrecognized by the patient. Speech is often pressured, loud, rapid, theatrical, dramatic, difficult to interpret, with abrupt changes in topic. The most common complications of manic episodes are substance abuse and the consequences of actions resulting from impaired judgement
Persons with bipolar disorder;
are easily distracted
display grandiose delusions in which they claim a special relationship to well known person
may go days with little or no sleep and not appear tired may have very labile mood with rapid shifts to anger or depression
Periods of depression are characterized by a loss of interest in almost all daily activitiesOral problems manifested during mania are abrasion of mucosa and teeth from vigorous brushing. During depression; poor oral hygiene, rampant caries, periodontal disease, and oro-facial pain.
See #35.
Carrying all the time will help bring about that sweet result!
Hoplomisophia comes pretty close, or is at least particularly intertwined. Since those so afflicted are unwilling to accept the possibility of particular threats to their existances, lives or way of life, they thereby develop a unnatural hatred for the inanimate objects that are tools for the protection of lives and self. The term is sometimes given as *Hoplophobia,* an unreasonable fear of weapoons or tools; but it is not just fear but hatred or contempt that is evinced, so that term is not entirely correct.
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