Monk... and a theory

[Kizyr]

Ok, USA had a Monk marathon last weekend and I sort of got hooked on the show. Not majorly (I don't need to see every episode, like with, say, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, or Doctor Who), but I really enjoy it.

Anyway, if you never saw it, it's Tony Shalhoub playing a brilliant detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder. And pretty bad OCD--never steps on sidewalk cracks, ziplocs all his tissue paper, etc. etc. (he's really good at portraying it, too). But, it's part detective show, part comedy.

Beside that point, it got me back to a little theory I have... that everyone is just a touch of crazy. Most psychoses, I think the average person has although on a very minimal level--and things like common sense, human nature, or other, more "normal" impulses, usually block things like that. For me, it's how I try and understand the motives of folks like serial killers or thieves--and, in a sense, it's helpful to avoid either (granted, it's more useful to think like a thief, since most of us won't ever be in a situation where we have to be on guard against serial killers... I hope).

There're more serious uses of this, but I think it's one of the reasons why a lot of folks can relate to Monk, since many people have a 'touch' of OCD (myself included). Or, maybe I'm just the one that's crazy? KF

[ilovemyguitar]

Have you ever read this book? It sort of ties in with what you're talking about here, albeit tangentially. It's a good read regardless.

[GhaleonOne]

Doctor Who

!!! You're a Doctor Who fan? No way! Dude, I was obsessed with that show when I was little. Me and my dad would stay up late to watch it on Saturday nights. I hear the latest Doctor Who series is really good, but haven't sat down to give it a chance yet.

[Kizyr]

Have you ever read this book? It sort of ties in with what you're talking about here, albeit tangentially. It's a good read regardless.

Hm, on the plus side, it does seem interesting with talking about the 'average' person and some kind of slight mental illness. But, it sounds like it goes overboard... I hate to say it, but the description makes it sound like it's coming from a jilted female (or male) trying to make up excuses about a relationship gone awry.

I'm not saying that it is, but that it comes off that way. She's claiming that 1/25 people simply have no conscience--but does that mean they have no conscience, or their conscience simply operates differently than she expects it to? Do they not feel remorse, or do they just know how to ignore guilt? Or, are they good at rationalizing away the guilt?

It seems interesting, and I'm just tossing out ideas. Not unless I read it would I offer an actual critique.

!!! You're a Doctor Who fan? No way! Dude, I was obsessed with that show when I was little. Me and my dad would stay up late to watch it on Saturday nights. I hear the latest Doctor Who series is really good, but haven't sat down to give it a chance yet.

The new Doctor Who is absolutely brilliant! David Tennant is apparently the best Doctor Who to ever have been.

If you even marginally enjoyed the original, try and catch the new series. Season 1 stars Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor; Season 2 has David Tennant. Also, Rose Tyler (sorry, I forget the actress name) is his companion for both seasons. There're also side characters that stay with certain story arcs that are great as well (my personal favorite is Captain Jack--he shows up in The Doctor Dances and stays until the end of Season 1).

But yeah, I'm sure you'd love the new Doctor Who. It's just incredible; there's no other way to put it. KF

[Werefrog]

I definitely agree with your theory,Kizyr, that we're all a bit crazy. I don't know if I agree though that people have a form of "psychosis." If we are going to use the classical psychological (Freudian) vocabulary, I would use the term "neurosis" which referes to anxiety/depressive disorders. Psychosis refers more to a split from reality (although Monk defintely has some delusions himself). We all know what you meant though.

I personally think that some neuroses are healthy. What really started me thinking about this topic (I came to a similar conclusion a couple of years ago) was the movie A Beautiful Mind, the story of a brilliant mathematician with paranoid schizophrenia. Part of his mathematic ability was in part due to his disorder since we can see his abilities fade away after he becomes medicated. Just to let everyone know I'm not basing this belief on empirical evidence (rather on people I've met and various characters in literature/popular media). This neuroses that we have set us apart from other people. Sometimes (myself included) we blame our life's problem on tiny neuroses; however, these things help to make us who we are.

Of course, that last part doesn't refer to people who have serious problems requiring treatment (talk therapy or medication).

One thing that strikes me as odd about Monkis that Monk only receives talk therapy (from the episodes I've seen). I'm fairly certain that most people with Monk-OCD (as opposed to the minor kind that some people have) are on some sort of anti-anxiety/depression medication.[/i]

Edit: Oh, and Kizyr, aren't the new episodes of Monk and Doctor Who on at the same time? I'm fairly certain that's how it used to be around here (I can't watch it anymore since my college doesn't get Sci-Fi, and I'm too stingy to buy the uber-expensive DVDs).

[Sonic#]

Beside that point, it got me back to a little theory I have... that everyone is just a touch of crazy. Most psychoses, I think the average person has although on a very minimal level--and things like common sense, human nature, or other, more "normal" impulses, usually block things like that. For me, it's how I try and understand the motives of folks like serial killers or thieves--and, in a sense, it's helpful to avoid either (granted, it's more useful to think like a thief, since most of us won't ever be in a situation where we have to be on guard against serial killers... I hope).

I've watched some Monk, and enjoyed it for partially the reason you say.

It's also why I like another show on USA (and Fox, I think), House. There's just something about an anti-social, drug abusing doctor (for his leg pain) who's utterly genius and ... the supporting cast is good. It's funny, because though he has such a gruff exterior, compared to the patients he receives, he seems the sanest of the lot.

So yes. We can be sane and crazy at once.

[Kizyr]

I definitely agree with your theory,Kizyr, that we're all a bit crazy. I don't know if I agree though that people have a form of "psychosis." If we are going to use the classical psychological (Freudian) vocabulary, I would use the term "neurosis" which referes to anxiety/depressive disorders.

Ah, you're right! I had a feeling "psychosis" was too strong a word. Thanks for the clarification; I can be more precise now. But yes, neurosis is what I should've said as it's much closer to what I meant.

I personally think that some neuroses are healthy. What really started me thinking about this topic (I came to a similar conclusion a couple of years ago) was the movie A Beautiful Mind, the story of a brilliant mathematician with paranoid schizophrenia. Part of his mathematic ability was in part due to his disorder since we can see his abilities fade away after he becomes medicated.

Actually, yes. I really do think I have a touch of OCD, since I can understand that "need" for everything to be orderly, symmetrical, etc. (it was actually more salient when I was little--if I looked over my left shoulder, I had to look over my right, or if I stepped on a sidewalk crack with my left foot, I had to step on another with my right). These days, I can sometimes go overboard with organization, and I gotta catch myself so that I don't impose any kind of anal-retentiveness on others.

Even then, it's actually helped me a lot in my work. A lot of my work involves statistics and analyzing data. So, being able to scroll through a gig of text and spot something out of place has actually helped a lot. Also with programming, being able to keep track of and organize details while coding can be important to making sure programs do what they're supposed to, or statistics are calculated right. I'm sure it sounds boring, but it's something I really do enjoy doing.

One thing that strikes me as odd about Monkis that Monk only receives talk therapy (from the episodes I've seen). I'm fairly certain that most people with Monk-OCD (as opposed to the minor kind that some people have) are on some sort of anti-anxiety/depression medication.

Yeah I think that much is just artistic license. It's kind of someone who just 'deals' with his OCD and does his best not to let it prevent him from working, rather than someone out to really 'cure' it.

Edit: Oh, and Kizyr, aren't the new episodes of Monk and Doctor Who on at the same time? I'm fairly certain that's how it used to be around here (I can't watch it anymore since my college doesn't get Sci-Fi, and I'm too stingy to buy the uber-expensive DVDs).

That's possible... Sci-Fi finished showing Season 2 with the Christmas special last December, and BBC America is showing Season 1 right now (though they're more than halfway through now). KF