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In the US there was an experiment where a bunch of healthy people were sent for a temporary hold and evaluation, and something like half of them were declared i
by fjsolwmv 7y ago
In the US there was an experiment where a bunch of healthy people were sent for a temporary hold and evaluation, and something like half of them were declared insane for refusing to admit they were insane, and trapped until the experimenters intervened.
- ThrowawayR2 7y agoThat's the Rosenhan experiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment Rosenhan's paper itself ("On Being Sane In Insane Places") also makes for fascinating reading and is very readable even for laypeople.
- droithomme 7y agoYes, it's well established that sane people are routinely labelled as insane when it suits the predispositions of the accusers. Even more interesting is those that are clearly insane who are never institutionalized. For example, not too long ago there was a man who authorized the vaporizing using nuclear bombs of two Japanese cities consisting of almost entirely civilian targets. If that's not pure insanity what is? Along with all his advisors. Yet rather than acknowledge that this man was clearly a deranged madman, the preponderance of the public celebrates him as a hero and call his critics mad. Leaving no possible conclusion other than that most of the public is mad. What treatment is possible for madness? None that has been demonstrated. Is mental health treatment a myth? Yes. Is insanity caused by chemical imbalances in the brain? Perhaps, though there is no evidence whatsoever supporting this claim. Are those that continue to promote this hypothesis as fact insane as well? No doubt some of them are.