4 ms·

I think it's important to remember what mental illness is, at it's core- an important organ that isn't working correctly. The brain is the thing that tells you

by mabbo 4y ago

I think it's important to remember what mental illness is, at it's core- an important organ that isn't working correctly. The brain is the thing that tells you what is and isn't right. It provides motivation, impulses, everything. And it can break in any number of ways- depression is merely one of them. This person is ill. That doesn't excuse them, but it does help explain them.

barry-cotter 4y ago
People have different values and desires. That you cannot imagine doing something without being mentally ill doesn’t mean others can’t. The world is much more diverse than the upper middle class of early 21st century Anglophone progressive culture.
heavyset_go 4y ago
I do think some stalking cases can be explained by conduct disorders, where people are significantly impaired to the extent that they aren't capable of understanding or controlling antisocial behavior. However, I do not think the vast majority of stalkers are impaired in that way. If you're so impaired that you're stalking others, the rest of your life will also be a shitshow because of your impairment. Holding down a job, maintaining friendly and familial relationships, securing housing, staying out of prison, etc are going to be out of reach for people who are genuinely that impaired. The vast majority of people who abuse and stalk their love interests are not that impaired. They're able to have real careers and relationships that would otherwise be prevented from real impairment. These people don't stalk or abuse other people in their lives, just the people they believe they're entitled to stalk and abuse. They are not impaired, they are selective about their actions and successfully compartmentalize those behaviors in ways that prevent them from negatively affecting the rest of their lives. That shows planning, intent and control, not impairment from illness.

by mabbo 4y ago

barry-cotter 4y ago

People have different values and desires. That you cannot imagine doing something without being mentally ill doesn’t mean others can’t. The world is much more diverse than the upper middle class of early 21st century Anglophone progressive culture.

heavyset_go 4y ago

I do think some stalking cases can be explained by conduct disorders, where people are significantly impaired to the extent that they aren't capable of understanding or controlling antisocial behavior. However, I do not think the vast majority of stalkers are impaired in that way. If you're so impaired that you're stalking others, the rest of your life will also be a shitshow because of your impairment. Holding down a job, maintaining friendly and familial relationships, securing housing, staying out of prison, etc are going to be out of reach for people who are genuinely that impaired. The vast majority of people who abuse and stalk their love interests are not that impaired. They're able to have real careers and relationships that would otherwise be prevented from real impairment. These people don't stalk or abuse other people in their lives, just the people they believe they're entitled to stalk and abuse. They are not impaired, they are selective about their actions and successfully compartmentalize those behaviors in ways that prevent them from negatively affecting the rest of their lives. That shows planning, intent and control, not impairment from illness.