Interesting approach to human differences - Your brain is a rain forest

[LanceGary]

see

http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/70/Yo...ain-forest/all

[danbaron]

[font=courier new][size=8pt]I basically agree with it. But, I'm worried that we're entering an era where the struggle for survival will again be primitive, mortal combat over water, food, and good land. I think those with the money will be the safest. And how do people acquire lots of money? My bias, is that they usually do not get it fairly - if one person has a lot more, then usually many others must have less - money is an abstraction for resources, and resources are limited. In that case, maybe the most devious, political, and ruthless brains, those not bothered by conscience, will flourish. On the other hand, throughout history, in every era, they have flourished, if I am correct. Usually, those with scruples, who desire only what they need, have little power. In the future I envision, the flower who needs a special environment to blossom, will have trouble surviving, unless her daddy has lots of money. Money fixes all kinds of problems, yes?

I think one problem with psychiatrists, is that, they have the same emotional problems as everyone else. They also have subjective viewpoints, like everyone else. Therefore, in my opinion, every analysis they make, is partly distorted by their own problems. So, two psychiatrists might make different diagnoses of the same patient. Hopefully, the diagnoses would be similar. But, I don't think there's any guarantee. Western society still puts medical doctors on a pedestal, probably especially psychiatrists, who many seem to think are infallible. My experience with medical doctors generally, is that they are very similar to lawyers in both intelligence and personality. Do you think my observation is intended to be complimentary?


Dan

[LanceGary]

I don't know that parents who have money always give the best to their children. Wasn't a child of the Kennedy's one of the first to be given a lobotomy?

Psychiatrists and Psychiatry have been in a state of crisis for a long time. Thomas Szasz and R D Lang and others launched an attack on Psychiatry in the 1960s and I think that attack continues to linger in the popular mind (think 'One flew over the Cucoo's nest'). Personally I have no doubt that mental suffering is amongst the worst suffering there is and I think most Psychiatrists are at least trying to alleviate that suffering. I think that the effort to extend mental disorders to all sorts of everyday problems is mistaken though. I also think that there should be far more review before pharaceutical companies are allowed to launch new drugs for mental disorders...

Lance

[danbaron]

[font=courier new][size=8pt]Absolutely, Joe Kennedy had his first daughter, Rosemary, lobotomized, in 1941, when she was 23. It's painful to read about. I think that Joe Kennedy was a really bad guy; often, crap rises to the top, yes?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Kennedy

But, usually, I think, children of wealthy parents do have a better chance of survival. Rosemary Kennedy lived until she was 86. I bet that if she wasn't a Kennedy, she would have been long gone, by 2005, when she died.

I do think that on average, psychiatrists care more and have more value than other types of doctors. They don't earn as much, and it cannot be easy dealing with the emotional problems of people, 40 hours per week. I think that generally, they want to help people, do the best they can, and often alleviate suffering. It seems to me that in order to go into that medical specialty, they must have the caring type of personality, similar to those who go into social work. Concerning psychiatrists, I guess what I meant to say is that, because they have been trained in psychiatry in no way makes them immune from the same psychological problems that their patients have, and that it might be much easier for them to help a patient, than to help themselves. Isn't there a saying, "Physician, heal thyself."? Most other types of doctors, I view similarly to lawyers, and car salesmen.

Boy, do we get the commercials for new drugs here! All day, every day! Stuff like, "Can't hold your bladder for more than four hours? Ask your doctor about new, Prychoria! (Prychoria may cause brain tumors, liver failure, or sudden death. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your doctor.)".

We also daily get actors and actresses in their 50s and 60s, advertising Cialis, for erectile dysfunction. It seems that each day they have a new couple saying the exact same words. To me, the people who perform in these commercials have no shame, they will go before a camera and say anything for money.

Dan