2018/09/21 12:11, Roadkill: |  | Here's an example which I hope may serve to clarify things a bit, with regards to diagnosing mental illness.
Take a couple of your standard, run-of-the-mill conspiracy theories. Like, say, that the earth is flat, and the round-earth thingy is just a conspiracy between NASA, the CIA and all the worlds' governments. Or that the moon landings were faked, by more or less the same actors, and the Rotschilds.
Now take Guy A, who believes these things, but apart from participating in a few forums online, he spends his days otherwise peacefully, and does not feel a need to Preach the Truth to the Masses. He goes to work, spends time with his family and helps his kids do their homework in the normal way (not forcing them to incorporate his own belief into their school science essays).
Then take Guy B who also believes these things, and, in addition to preaching online, pickets in front of parliaments, government agencies, forms his own political party to bring attention to these issues, and tends to crash science conventions to shout his message. When this happens, he usually has to be led away by security and/or police.
Finally, take Guy C who believes these things also. He organizes a band of like-minded people to sabotage any organizations and/or persons he believes to be involved in the conspiracy, and threatens anyone who gets in his way with violence, which he fully believes is justified in his fight for The Cause.
All three of these guys have a Fixed False Belief. But only two of them have it to such a degree that it disturbs their function, and one of them has it to such a degree that it makes him potentially dangerous to not only himself, but others as well. We might expect both Guys B and - especially - C to get diagnosed with a mental illness, due to the extent of their dysfunction.
As for Le Pen, I don't care. Whether or not she is mentally healthy, she is hateful and prejudiced, and I have better things to do with my time. |
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