Abnormal Psychology (09/22/2005)

[crazyvampchick]

Class Roster. Signups are now CLOSED.

The classroom is dark, with the shades pulled down and the windows underneath it painted black. The electric lights have not been turned on, but instead candelabras have been lit and placed throughout the classroom. On the desk sits a blonde, fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked porcelain doll in a black dress. The doll is missing its eyes. Behind the desk is a chalkboard that has been covered completely with scribbles of various colors of chalk.

Drusilla stands in the front of the room, waiting for her students to attend.

"Lesson one," she says simply as they walk in and take their seats. On each desk is a photocopy of a chapter of a psychology text on various psychological disorders and a sheet entitled "HOMEWORK: Find a picture of insanity."

"Understanding insanity. How do you understand it? How do you define it? Discuss. Ask questions of each other and of me. And remember--" She gestures to the doll and smiles. "Miss Edith will be watching for troublemakers. And I'm absolutely brutal about detentions."

Comments

[the4thsister.livejournal.com]

*Paige enters the classroom and begins to consider the question*

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

Duce considers the question and asks, "Would you consider the side effects of long-term drug use to be a form of insanity, or merely a brain injury?"

[anextimeagent.livejournal.com]

*decides that holding a mirror up to reflect his teacher's face would be a bad idea for "picture of insanity"*

How would *you* define insanity, Professor?

[addams-daughter.livejournal.com]

"Insanity is nothing more than a mode of perception, isn't it?" Wednesday was frowning at the photocopy. "That what I see when I look at something is labeled as 'sane' until it deviates too far from the perceived normal."

She glanced up at Miss Edith. "I understand insanity as that unfortunate two months wherein my cousin Elberton took to wearing a suit with an orange tie and insisting that the family needed life insurance. Luckily, he recovered before Grandmother discovered that you aren't allowed to collect your own, even if you are clinically dead." Wednesday bit her lip, showing uncharacteristic indecision. "I am not certain how I would define insanity... because it would be different for everyone, wouldn't it?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

"Insanity is just behavior that doesn't match with what society accepts as normal. Now, this picture? Can it be of an insane individual around here?"

[persian-eunuch.livejournal.com]

*comes in* *stares at doll with a little unease*

[alchemy-4-arson.livejournal.com]

Roy takes a seat, thinks over the assignment.

"Why do some people become mad out of the blue one day, with no previous mental history?"



((OOC: just ignore that last comment, I had forgotten to log in))

[aka-vala.livejournal.com]

*steps in hesitantly, eyeing the set-up*

*takes a seat a bit closer to time_agent than she might normally have*

Uh... insanity is when you do things that make no sense?

[thedarkchylde.livejournal.com]

Illyana doesn't seem phased by Miss Edith as she looks around the class. She sits towards the back and listens to the discussion. At one point, she shakes her head.

"What if insanity is the state we're in all of the time? I mean, people talk about insanity and dementia like it's this forbidden force of nature that you have no control over. What if it's sanity that is the real illusion?"

Illyana is rubbing her head and blood is showing through on the white bandge located on one side. Her eyes are still troubled from Professor Jareth's class.

[pure-blooddraco.livejournal.com]

"Insanity is just a term used for someone who doesn't think and act in a way society accepts. It's a matter of opinion. One person can be deemed insane by one person and be completely normal by the next. The same goes for sanity. It's all a matter of opinion. And usually the person who has the most power has the final say in whether someone is insane or not.

Insanity.

[2ls-in-oneill.livejournal.com]

Insanity

[pure-blooddraco.livejournal.com]

[alchemy-4-arson.livejournal.com]

pictures of pure insanity:

Picture of insanity

[medusae-x.livejournal.com]

[conathon.livejournal.com]

[lady-jessica-bg.livejournal.com]

I would look at insanity from a slightly different angle. Sanity, most people would agree, is the opposite of sanity. If sanity is the accurate perception of truth, than it is perfectly possible that everyone is insane and unable to perceive this because universal insanity is the truth.

And after this circular argument, my homework:
Personally, I think that this proves that most people are insane.

And this if you accept the conventional view of insanity.

(ooc: I used the second pic for journalism once, so if it looks familiar, it probably is.)

[dorky-broots.livejournal.com]

"Um, insanity is when your brain functions in a way that is wrong. Or, different from what it's supposed to."

After a quick bit of surfing, he brings up Van Gogh's self portrait.

[julian-lawless.livejournal.com]

Insanity, as I define it, is two things--when one's point of view differs so radically from the prevailing point of view that one is ostracized or otherwise made mock of, and when that POV is irrational or based on an irrational theory.

For example, I might study a 16th-century Italian inventor who made predictions and prophecies and simply be considered an eccentric scholar. But if I began to truly believe that his prophecies will come to pass and bring about utter desolation, then likely I would be considered insane. Though I'm not.

[psycho-barbie.livejournal.com]

Insanity?

Insanity is this place.

[master-of-fear.livejournal.com]

Salad fingers embodies insanity. If you haven't seen this flash video, go see it now. I just love insanity. It's so very fun