What is insanity?

[Big Jon]

Inspired by Currerbells post on the Barnett thread, let us ask ourselves what it is to be insane.

According to my dictionary of Psychology it is a noun defined as

Another name for mental disorder, especially in legal contexts, where it refers specifically to conditions that impair one's ability to discharge one's legal responsabilities.

Do we feel this definition is quite concise, or is it rather broad? What if Jack the Ripper did not have a mental disorder in the legal sense of the term - could he still be considered insane because of his actions? Discuss.

[How Brown]

Funny you bring this up, since I just made the remark that I knew of someone who was "insane" and now in retrospection,don't think that insanity was the issue in that person's case. You sumbitch you,Jon !!

No,I have doubt that the Ripper was insane in the sense that he didn't have an idea of what he was about to do on the streets of Whitechapel ( sorry A.P. !)...but was more like an extremely manipulative bastard with a black heart and a sense of his inferiority when face to face with his fellow man/woman who took these feelings out on them in one 70 day span in 1888.....and maybe beyond:tape:

[Sam Flynn]

According to the psychiatrist RD Laing, insanity is a "sane reaction to an insane world". Mind you, soundbites like that are the sort of thing that gives psychology and psychiatry a bad name.

[Currerbell]

Im more interested in how they managed to put so many away in Colney Hatch for example, assuming there was obviously some medical staff there, how did they decide?

Did people just turn up at the asylum and were allowed in? Were any turned away and why? Did some people pretend to be insane to get away from street living, knowing they would get food and bed...

[Currerbell]

Does anyone know how Kosminski was admitted?

[SirRobertAnderson]

Inspired by Currerbells post on the Barnett thread, let us ask ourselves what it is to be insane.



To attempt to moderate discussion at a Ripper site ?

[Currerbell]

LOL, surely its not that bad!!!

[Nemo]

I'd like to see a definition of "Sane"

What is "normal" nowadays?

There are many bad people who do things we describe as wicked and evil, without thinking the perpetrator insane

I just think there is a lot of violence in man's history. In the past, and up till quite recently, violent men survived whereas the meek did not. So if there is any hereditary violence present, humanity must be riddled with it

To be a "normal" member of society, you need to be able to control the violence, which the majority does - but it is still present in the psyche I think and is quite possibly a reasonable/normal reaction to a number of circumstances that may occur

[Currerbell]

You can be insane and be gentle though, insanity doesnt always equal a ciminal...its almost seen as an excuse for some I think...pleading insanity for pity...