Spin-Off: Mentally Unstable People with Advanced Degrees

[Benzgirl]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

Are television majors telepaths?

Television major? Is that the proclaimed Couch Potato?

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Television major? Is that the proclaimed Couch Potato?

LOL

At some schools I'm familiar with, there is an RTVF major (Radio, Television, Film) in the school of communications.

[Senusret I]

Whoops.

[Munchkin03]

It's always a timely topic!

[SWTXBelle]

My daughter is taking the same learned professor I took for Logic some 24 or so years ago. She asked me if he was awkward or insane. I answered I thought it was some of both.

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

My daughter is taking the same learned professor I took for Logic some 24 or so years ago. She asked me if he was awkward or insane. I answered I thought it was some of both.

My experience has been that most logicians have advanced Philosophy degrees. And most philosophers are a bit odd (awkward, insane, what have you). So, it makes sense that your logician is awkward and insane.

I could argue that you'd have to be insane to teach logic for 24 years, but then I'd be making a case for my own (inevitable) insanity. Tell you what, though, you can learn a lot about people by teaching logic. It's truly amazing to see some people's thought processes in action. But that's another thread.

[SWTXBelle]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

My experience has been that most logicians have advanced Philosophy degrees. And most philosophers are a bit odd (awkward, insane, what have you). So, it makes sense that your logician is awkward and insane.

I could argue that you'd have to be insane to teach logic for 24 years, but then I'd be making a case for my own (inevitable) insanity. Tell you what, though, you can learn a lot about people by teaching logic. It's truly amazing to see some people's thought processes in action. But that's another thread.

I believe you can make a fairly convincing argument for insanity being the result of teaching ANYTHING for 24 years. (And when I took this professor, he had probably been teaching 10 - 14 years - so think about teaching logic for 32 - 38 years!) FWIW - my daughter is a philosophy major. She was in the philosophy library, looking woebegone. An upperclassman asked her what was up, and she answered something to the effect that it was a shame the world didn't opperate the way it logically and philosophically should. "You must be a freshman" the upperclassman replied.

[nittanyalum]

"Dr." Phil (not you, Chaos! )
"Dr." Laura

[AnatraAmore]

I've met several "consultants" through work who have advanced degrees, but definitely are at minimum socially awkward. Many of them refer to themselves as "eccentric." Mentally unstable is probably more accurate.

[XOMichelle]

I went to a talk given by a Law Professor at USC about 6 months ago... she was promoting her book "The Center Can Not Hold", which talks about her experiences with schizophrenia.

I think it's nice to see that mental illness doesn't have stop you from getting an advanced degree.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

I've found that most psych majors have some serious problems themselves...

I've worked with lots of psychologists, and I always said that people go into that field for one of two reasons: A sincere desire to help others or to figure out what's wrong with themselves.

Originally Posted by carnation

Having several students with Asperger's, I recently read a great book about the condition that was written by a woman who has it. She felt that many academics had it and I believe this was confirmed by other people involved in writing the book.

We've had several really odd people on the faculties of colleges where I've taught and they were probably affected. Of course, Asperger's isn't a form of mental illness per se but if a victim is odd enough, it could certainly look like it.

Carnation, what's the book you read?

And yes, please let's not confuse Aspergers with mental illness, much less mental instability.

Originally Posted by AnatraAmore

I've met several "consultants" through work who have advanced degrees, but definitely are at minimum socially awkward. Many of them refer to themselves as "eccentric." Mentally unstable is probably more accurate.

This is what I'm talking about. Why on earth would "mentally unstable" probably be a "more accurate" description of someone who, in your words, is "socially awkward"?

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Graduate schools don't ask questions about mental stability.

When I was applying for my Master's, one application had a full page asking about my mental health history (e.g., Where you ever under a mental health professional's care? For what? Where you taking medications?) Trust me, there are people out there asking, whether it's ethical/legal or not.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I've worked with lots of psychologists, and I always said that people go into that field for one of two reasons: A sincere desire to help others or to figure out what's wrong with themselves.

There's always D. All of the Above.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

When I was applying for my Master's, one application had a full page asking about my mental health history (e.g., Where you ever under a mental health professional's care? For what? Where you taking medications?) Trust me, there are people out there asking, whether it's ethical/legal or not.

That's relatively rare. Perhaps that is more common with certain psychology and medical progams (e.g. a degree specialization in mental health may receive questions about the applicants mental health and overall medical history).

I'd be interested to know more about the context in terms of the particular graduate program, the year that you applied, and the detailed questions asked. One issue with those types of questions is in what the institution will do with the information.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

But just think - if you get a really big engagement ring, then you win at life!

Originally Posted by alphagamzetagam

OMG KSUViolet's gonna have a heart attack when she reads this thread.

It wasn't me this time!

LOL.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

Carnation, I want to know the title of that book, too, please.