Spin-Off: Mentally Unstable People with Advanced Degrees - Page 3

Senusret I · #31 01-30-2009, 12:42 PM

Whoops.

Munchkin03 · #32 01-30-2009, 01:37 PM

It's always a timely topic!

SWTXBelle · #33 01-30-2009, 02:19 PM

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 · #34 01-30-2009, 03:03 PM

Quote:

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.

nittanyalum · #35 01-30-2009, 03:14 PM

"Dr." Phil (not you, Chaos!

)
"Dr." Laura

SWTXBelle · #36 01-30-2009, 03:20 PM

Quote:

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.

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #37 01-31-2009, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

Here is my take on it. I know many socially awkward people (some mentally ill, as well) who stay in school to avoid working with other people.

I know quite a few non-mentally ill people (mentally healthy?) who are staying in school to avoid working with people, responsibilities, and adulthood. Usually they go to law school because they can't think of what else to do.

My family says people who do that are "on the Campaign to Avoid Life".

AnatraAmore · #38 02-01-2009, 12:25 AM

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 · #39 02-09-2009, 02:13 AM

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 · #40 02-10-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

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.

Quote:

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.

Quote:

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"?

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #41 02-10-2009, 01:16 PM

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

SWTXBelle · #42 02-10-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu

I know quite a few non-mentally ill people (mentally healthy?) who are staying in school to avoid working with people, responsibilities, and adulthood. Usually they go to law school because they can't think of what else to do.

My family says people who do that are "on the Campaign to Avoid Life".

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

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #43 02-10-2009, 01:25 PM

TRUE. I hadn't thought about it like THAT.

AGDee · #44 02-10-2009, 01:42 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if the book is by Temple Grandin, but I'll let carnation answer. When I was an OT, I went to several Sensory Integration training courses where she spoke and I know she's done a lot of public awareness stuff.

epchick · #45 02-10-2009, 02:49 PM

When I was a sophomore in college, the professor I had for Calculus 2 was CA-RAZY! He taught at my high school & had left a year before I took HS Calculus. He always wanted us to write "in complete sentences." How you do that with math, I have no idea---and he didn't ever tell us.

He was always talking about clouds. When he would get frustrated with us, he's stare out the window mumbling to himself, then he'd walk to the chalkboard and put his head on it (while still mumbling). He would do this all the time!

He refused to actually teach us the material because he told us that we should already know the information. One test we took, was a take-home test and he allowed us to work in groups. But when we got the test back, everyone in my group had a different grade (although our tests looked identical), and then bitched at everyone for working together.

I love math, i'm good at math, and I passed with a 70. I was one of the lucky ones.