Fearman's definitions
Pseudoscientific diagnosis most often made of people by their narcissistic parents, in conjunction with airheaded social workers, so that the parents don't have to accept personal responsibility for ten to twenty years of filling the kid's head full of dysfunctional bullshit. Also useful, in our age of postmodernist relativism where science is seen as at once useful and deeply suspect, for purposes of claiming financial aid. The kids could probably do with the aid, but society doesn't need the quackery. Those who make a mint out of selling the notion of this condition often rope in a few undeniable autistic savants to their argument so as to confer a thin veneer of respectability on the whole enterprise.
Incidentally, the very use of the word syndrome is pseudoscientific when used in the field of psychiatry. In medicine or any real science, a syndrome is defined as a wide range of symptoms, not all of which may be present in any one patient, which can be proven to link back to a common cause. To take two examples: Down's Syndrome results from a doubling of the sex-linked X chromosome in a person's genotype. It manifests in a range of symptoms including a flattened facial structure, a slant to the eyes, above average muscular development and below average intelligence, not all of which will necessarily manifest in any one person with the syndrome. Likewise, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, manifests in any of a large number of otherwise usually rare opportunistic infections once the body's immune system has been disabled by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Again, not all of these show up in any one case; again, there is a common underlying cause.
After decades of research, psychiatrists remain divided on how the human mind works. There are various conflicting schools of thought (Freudians, Jungians, Adlerians, gestalt therapists, a plethora of others); beyond some empirical research on brain chemistry, neural functioning and other areas related to hard science, the teaching on the workings of the mind get rather hazy rather fast. In other words, we don't really know for certain how the mind works in the sort of detail that would enable us to talk about "common origins" for the extremely wide range of symptoms allegedly linked to this so-called syndrome. The word "syndrome" is simply used in this case because the naive and misguided think it sounds impressively scientific. The very fact that the parameters of Asperger's are so broad and vague pretty much tells you what this whole racket is really about; selling people a bill of goods. However, in the majority of cases, given the plasticity of the human mind in early development and the lack of any explanation of how this "syndrome" is supposed to arise, the above definition is, I would offer, likely to be at least as good as any.
Incidentally, the very use of the word syndrome is pseudoscientific when used in the field of psychiatry. In medicine or any real science, a syndrome is defined as a wide range of symptoms, not all of which may be present in any one patient, which can be proven to link back to a common cause. To take two examples: Down's Syndrome results from a doubling of the sex-linked X chromosome in a person's genotype. It manifests in a range of symptoms including a flattened facial structure, a slant to the eyes, above average muscular development and below average intelligence, not all of which will necessarily manifest in any one person with the syndrome. Likewise, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, manifests in any of a large number of otherwise usually rare opportunistic infections once the body's immune system has been disabled by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Again, not all of these show up in any one case; again, there is a common underlying cause.
After decades of research, psychiatrists remain divided on how the human mind works. There are various conflicting schools of thought (Freudians, Jungians, Adlerians, gestalt therapists, a plethora of others); beyond some empirical research on brain chemistry, neural functioning and other areas related to hard science, the teaching on the workings of the mind get rather hazy rather fast. In other words, we don't really know for certain how the mind works in the sort of detail that would enable us to talk about "common origins" for the extremely wide range of symptoms allegedly linked to this so-called syndrome. The word "syndrome" is simply used in this case because the naive and misguided think it sounds impressively scientific. The very fact that the parameters of Asperger's are so broad and vague pretty much tells you what this whole racket is really about; selling people a bill of goods. However, in the majority of cases, given the plasticity of the human mind in early development and the lack of any explanation of how this "syndrome" is supposed to arise, the above definition is, I would offer, likely to be at least as good as any.
Johnny and Mary Stewart could never get their asses out of bed in the morning and Mary filled little Billy's head with nonsense about how the world is full of people out to get him. When he was bullied in school she told him to ignore it. Now she's gadding about telling everyone he has Asperger's Syndrome. Surprise surprise.
by Fearman July 29, 2007
Get the asperger's mug.The term apostrophe catastrophe denotes incorrect use or non-use of the apostrophe (') in a sentence.
Examples of apostrophe catastrophes:
We sell carrot's, parsnip's and potatoe's.
Its going to rain.
Johns coat and Marias bag were left on the train.
He grabbed the cat and started playing with it's tail.
We sell carrot's, parsnip's and potatoe's.
Its going to rain.
Johns coat and Marias bag were left on the train.
He grabbed the cat and started playing with it's tail.
by Fearman March 31, 2008
Get the apostrophe catastrophe mug.Expression of extreme fatigue, revulsion or similar burning desire to get the metaphorically exposed creepy-crawly critters out of the way as quickly as possible. A quote from Addams Family Values.
Oh, please, not more of these fanatical freaks! Not more vegetarian animal loving bomb experts! Who moved the rock?
Not more Aryan Nation types, oh please, who moved the rock?
Not more Aryan Nation types, oh please, who moved the rock?
by Fearman March 4, 2008
Get the Who moved the rock? mug.To be the epitome of something, typically something unpleasant. To stand as the best (or more likely worst) example of a series of things.
Of all the slimy schemes Jim's pulled over the years, his attempt to pay a psychologist to testify in court that Marie, whom Jim had actually repeatedly raped the previous year, was merely paranoid, just has to take the biscuit.
by Fearman February 22, 2008
Get the take the biscuit mug.To say something not meant to be said in polite company, thereby committing a serious faux pas. To say something politically incorrect. From the arch-villain of the Harry Potter series, whose name is not supposed to be mentioned in civil wizarding company.
by Fearman August 4, 2007
Get the mention Voldemort mug.How to Rationalise Telling Sam She was Akin to a Dead Mouse in a Latrine in Swahili, by R.A.K. Martin-Smythe. Now a minor motion picture from the Confrere Brothers.
by Fearman May 30, 2008
Get the now a minor motion picture mug.Fallacious belief that something must be good because you shelled out a lot of money for it. From the joke about two nouveau-riche types who are standing next to each other at a party wearing identical ties. One says, "I got this tie for five hundred Euro". The other says, "That's nothing. I got mine for at least two thousand Euro." Not to be confused with the principal that if you buy cheap, you get cheap ... for a yuppie's necktie is never cheap.
Don't spend a hundred grand on a car. Only those who can't see through the yuppie's necktie fallacy do that.
by Fearman September 16, 2007
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