Bearded Lady Disease

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Gale Haut

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The Bearded Lady

I stumbled onto this site and found some of the quotes and insights interesting. The author rambles on in a fascinating way about how sexual repression causes paranoid schizophrenia. In this case he/she seems to think it's specifically bisexual repression (I don't know why it should have to be bisexual). I especially enjoyed the quotes on Chris McCandless and those on biblical figures.

Here's a sample of a quote:

Someone once asked what’s the difference between a Bible Prophet or Christian fundamentalist and a paranoid schizophrenic? Well, one hears voices in their head, has a heightened moral code, is judgmental yet can be very deceptive and manipulative, has delusions of being on a mission from God, sees things that no one else present sees, hears things that one else hears, sees lights in his head, is the center of the universe and has special knowledge that must be kept secret until the right time an then can only be understood as explained by the one. The other, of course, is a paranoid schizophrenic.

The site examines the possibility that some of the most influential people in history have been driven by an unhealthy sexual repression. I find it fascinating.

Thoughts?
 

Mara

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Well, that kinda looks like an unqualified quack to me. No offense. It just doesn't line up with psychology I'm familiar with, and attributing schizophrenia to "bisexual repression" seems fairly ridiculous. I'm not a trained psychologist, but I have studied schizophrenia a bit and I'm pretty sure it's mostly a genetic condition. In addition, almost anyone who refers to "sexual repression" as being a central explanation for anyone's mental state, especially famous figures, is almost always a quack.

As a historian, I'd go with the standard line of thinking among most historians I've studied:

1) A few decades ago, there was a brief fad among historians that involved using pop psychology to analyze historical figures. This often led to speculation that sexual repression was involved in some of their decisions and beliefs. (Hitler was one of their favorites to analyze.) But their analysis was based on very basic and twisted understandings of outdated Freudian stuff, and they were unqualified to make this sort of analysis.

In a few cases, psychologists have studied historical figures, and sometimes they do good work. But others didn't understand the history, and would do things like take propaganda at face value as part of their evidence. (For example, Mein Kampf is propaganda. Hitler was outright lying about his views and it didn't reflect his later policies. Taking it at face value isn't helpful.)

Even worse, many figures were the subject of negative propaganda from their enemies. The whole "Hitler was one-fourth Jewish" myth comes from some of his enemies in the right-wing movements, before he killed them off. Rasputin's reputation has been somewhat exagerrated, and the account of his freakish, superhuman fortitude during his death is probably a lie to make him seem demonic. Joan of Arc was also smeared quite viciously.

The pop psychology fad has been abandoned because it produced very little useful information. In addition, in attributed mental illnesses to nearly every historical figure, and more detailed studies of them rarely bore it out.

(For the record, Hitler was almost certainly not insane, except when he got sick toward the end of his life. He seemed to have bipolar disorder, but that was about it. Stalin was probably totally sane.)

2. Attributing schizophrenia to people who claim to have mystical experiences is not scientific or historical. First of all, even if they were having hallucinations or delusions, "schizophrenia" covers a lot more than just that. Secondly, quite a few of these people were lying or speaking metaphorically. Third, having a mystical experience doesn't mean you're insane, and certainly doesn't mean "schizophrenia."

Many of the Biblical Prophets were just social reformers, for instance. Pope Urban II was probably speaking metaphorically or outright lying when he said Jesus had told him to start the first Crusade. Joan of Arc was maligned by her political enemies, and her contributions were downplayed to her being a "mascot" by her own allies (who betrayed her) and some early historians.

Also, if this particular author thinks "Christian fundamentalist" means "mystical experiences," then they absolutely don't know what they're talking about. Pat Robertson does all this stuff, and is a Christian fundamentalist. But Jerry Falwell was also a Christian fundamentalist, and one major focus of his efforts was anti-mysticism. His church regularly targeted faith healers, for instance, despite his political alliance with a few.
 

Kitty Pryde

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I call shenanigans.

1. The site makes little to no sense, making me think there's little to no scientific basis.

2. The site claims that neglect causes autism (FAIL!)

3. Bearded ladies? What? Excess facial hair in women is caused by genetic disorders or hormone imbalance. How is mental illness involved?

4. Did I miss the memo in which we decided Freudianism was correct?

5. Schizophrenia is a disease of extremely complex etiology--genetic, prenatal, and environmental factors. Claiming "bi-sexual repression" is the cause doesn't make any sense.
 

Sheila Muirenn

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From the 'Statement of Purpose Page,'

"The reason I have compiled the 639 quotations in this study, all dealing with the subject of mental illness, with special emphasis on the condition termed "schizophrenia," is to prove the hypothesis that (as Dr. Edward J. Kempf so clearly stated in quotation 001 herein), "...in man every case of emotional neurosis or psychosis is the result of more or less conflict and confusion involving bisexual differentiation."

Compiling quotations doesn't exactly mimic the scientific method; where's the repeatable experiment?

The methodology is non-existent. 'Prove the hypothesis?' Please.

I second Medievalist’s conclusion.

It's crap.

And I say that by every hair of my chinny-chin-chin.
 

Mara

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You know, giving this more than a cursory scan and checking out the layout, I'm actually seriously wondering if the author has schizophrenia or something similar.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I do think this is an interesting subject. I just don't agree with the website's views at all. But it's worth discussing anyway.
 
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shaldna

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The Bearded Lady

I stumbled onto this site and found some of the quotes and insights interesting. The author rambles on in a fascinating way about how sexual repression causes paranoid schizophrenia. In this case he/she seems to think it's specifically bisexual repression (I don't know why it should have to be bisexual). I especially enjoyed the quotes on Chris McCandless and those on biblical figures.

Here's a sample of a quote:



The site examines the possibility that some of the most influential people in history have been driven by an unhealthy sexual repression. I find it fascinating.

Thoughts?


this was really intersting to read. thanks for posting.

from my POV though, I don't think that my neurosis are caused by sexual repression, a fact that my phsycologist ex will testify to. i like to keep my crazy and my sex separate.

on a lighter note, I do have a beard, but I have PCOS (and a fan-bloody-tastic electrolysis machine)
 

Maryn

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I thought it was interesting. Something doesn't have to be grounded in fact to fascinate me.

Maryn, just sayin'
 

Gale Haut

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I got a karma hit indicating I agree with the above quote. Don't know why posting it means I agree with it... Sigh.

This is definitely interesting. I love the neurotic layout of the site and how the author even includes quotes from email feedback in the body as an example of a sexual repressed schizophrenic.

There are definitely some easter eggs in there worth checking out. And since we're all constantly on the prowl for writing inspiration, I thought I'd share. :)
 

Ruv Draba

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There are schizophrenics who are also gay or bisexual.
Schizophrenia has hereditary traits.
Schizophrenia symptoms are usually detected in late teenhood -- often long after a gay or bisexual identity can develop.

:pinata
 

Sheila Muirenn

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I got a karma hit indicating I agree with the above quote. Don't know why posting it means I agree with it... Sigh.
:)

I examined the link, not the person who posted it:)

I find it interesting that the person went to such great effort to look up all those quotations. You could write a book in the time he devoted to this site.
 
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