Are You Paranoid or Just Careful?
Throughout my life I have been lumbered with this particular label and not in a particularly flattering way mind you. Paranoia seems to be used very loosely when describing someone who may just be a bit more careful (or informed?). Some of us may have a very good reason to believe that we are being watched, followed, targeted by groups (yes if the government) or otherwise nefariously engaged. I believe the problem is people lull themselves into a false sense of security. False in the sense that it makes no sense whatsoever that anyone is at anytime immune to violent attacks. Now will that attack be from a terrorist, organized crime or government entity, who knows. The point is, as my psychology professor use to say, sometimes someone is following you.
No one wants to believe that we are not completely safe at any given moment. However, there are events that seem to threaten that particular point of view. My own take on this situation is that whenever man is involved in any enterprise you must be wary of motive because invariably greed seems to always enter the picture. Checks and balances were instituted in our government for a reason. You see the founding fathers had seen and were all too familiar with what happens when power goes unchecked. So, being wary of governmental involvement in our daily lives isn't without warrant or even particularly realisic.
By definition, paranoia has two central themes. There is a delusion of grandeur (why else would anyone be following you if you were not spectacular in one way or another) and the more commonly known, delusion of persecution (persecution is a matter of degrees from mild irritation to full on inability to leave ones bed). I have not known many people in my life who would fully qualify under this definition but untold multitudes have been accused of being the same.
In my family we do tend to see conspiracies where no one else notices. JFK assassination? Give me a break. Lee Harvey Oswald may have been involved but he was by no means the lone gunman as the powers that be would have you believe. The Warren Report was just an officious piece of propaganda to fool the public into not knowing that this was an internal government exercise in control most likely orchestrated by LBJ. But I digress.
While in college, one of my psychology professors noted that, yes, sometimes there is someone following you. Sometimes, the governent is out to get you (especially if you haven't paid your taxes), sometimes there is someone watching you (going through a divorce, ex-wife to be having you followed) or you may just be naturally anxious (anti-anxiety medications can do wonders for this). In the end, if there is a rational reason to be afraid, it may not be paranoia.
So, the next time you see someone who you think might be overly concerned in one way or another. It may just be they have experienced something recently to give rise to their concern which you are not privy. Please consider this before you laud them with the onerous title of paranoid. You never know, someone may actually be following you.
No one wants to believe that we are not completely safe at any given moment. However, there are events that seem to threaten that particular point of view. My own take on this situation is that whenever man is involved in any enterprise you must be wary of motive because invariably greed seems to always enter the picture. Checks and balances were instituted in our government for a reason. You see the founding fathers had seen and were all too familiar with what happens when power goes unchecked. So, being wary of governmental involvement in our daily lives isn't without warrant or even particularly realisic.
By definition, paranoia has two central themes. There is a delusion of grandeur (why else would anyone be following you if you were not spectacular in one way or another) and the more commonly known, delusion of persecution (persecution is a matter of degrees from mild irritation to full on inability to leave ones bed). I have not known many people in my life who would fully qualify under this definition but untold multitudes have been accused of being the same.
In my family we do tend to see conspiracies where no one else notices. JFK assassination? Give me a break. Lee Harvey Oswald may have been involved but he was by no means the lone gunman as the powers that be would have you believe. The Warren Report was just an officious piece of propaganda to fool the public into not knowing that this was an internal government exercise in control most likely orchestrated by LBJ. But I digress.
While in college, one of my psychology professors noted that, yes, sometimes there is someone following you. Sometimes, the governent is out to get you (especially if you haven't paid your taxes), sometimes there is someone watching you (going through a divorce, ex-wife to be having you followed) or you may just be naturally anxious (anti-anxiety medications can do wonders for this). In the end, if there is a rational reason to be afraid, it may not be paranoia.
So, the next time you see someone who you think might be overly concerned in one way or another. It may just be they have experienced something recently to give rise to their concern which you are not privy. Please consider this before you laud them with the onerous title of paranoid. You never know, someone may actually be following you.
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