On Mental Illness
To some individuals, their mental illness provides a sense of safety. To be “normal” produces a sense of dysphoria amidst a maelstrom of nameless faces. To be “abnormal” is to have an identity. Some people feel so desperately lost in the world that they would rather cling to their diagnosis, molding themselves into that safe little cocoon, rather than step onto the road to recovery.

Coercive treatment is counter-productive by virtue of the fact that the patient learns not to assume responsibility for his own emotional and physical well-being.

The sheltered world of the mental hospital teaches that hurting yourself will prompt others to help you; the real world teaches that hurting yourself is but an invitation for others to hurt you.

On Objectivism
In Ayn Rand’s philosophy man’s existence is absolute — and this is the crucial point I disagree with; instead, it is the richness of life itself, whether human or not, that is absolute. Our industry and technology depends upon available natural resources, just as one human ultimately depends upon a network of other humans. Objectivism glorifies, to an unrealistic and absurd extent, the isolation of the individual.

On Pedophilia
There is nothing wrong with the sexual attraction an adult may experience toward a minor. Who we are attracted to is a personal preference, an orientation that most people cannot change. Pedophilia becomes problematic when harmful pedosexual behavior occurs, i.e., when one (or both) of the parties involved are forced to engage in the act or when there are negative repercussions as a direct result of the act. We must thus distinguish between a direct negative consequence and socioculturally-induced negativity. Unfortunately, our society frowns so viciously upon trans-generational tendencies and behavior that otherwise happy and stable trans-generational couples would suffer tremendous invalidation, thus causing some of the problems that our society attempts to prevent in the first place.

Pedophiles ought to be understood and helped, not shunned, villified, and persecuted. Persecution only breeds bitterness and anti-social behavior, thus increasing the potential for violence against others.

       

Copyright ©2001-2003, Allegra H., all rights reserved. Please contact me via e-mail if you wish to reproduce this material.