Is bigotry a mental disorder?

Ok, time to rant. I will rant just a little, then I will ask a question.

The rant: I started a thread yesterday as part of my personal inquiry into exactly why my country (the U.S.) is so heavily involved in another country's (Israel's) business.

On an open minded and global forum such as this I knew to expect some bigotry to be woven into the conversation. There is just no avoiding that, unfortunately. Yet still it is still shocking when I do encounter it. It actually got so bad that a mod had to shut down the thread. I'm a little embarrassed that it was my thread they had to shut down. That was not my purpose to begin with.

Rant over. Now on to the question.

I know a few crazy people. I mean truly, clinically, debilitatingly crazy. They all have one thing in common: they ruminate. They spend a LOT of time over and over stuff in their mind that normal people would dismiss as, well, crazy.

Bigots, meaning folks who blame everything in the world on this or that group (Catholics, Jews, psychotherapists - pick your poison) tend to do the same thing: they ruminate. I mean, these folks obviously spend a LOT of time thinking about whatever group their bigotry is pointed at. Seems like they're acting like... mentally insane people.

Thoughts?

Are people bigots for not liking how Israel deals with Palestine? Or just upset with their behavior?
Am I a bigot for locking my car door while driving through a bad neighborhood in detroit? Or just reacting to a series of past dealing?

Reaction to culture? Yes
Ignorance? Yes
Mental disorder? No

a reply to: olddognewtricks

By the definition you gave it sounds like a mental disorder. As the term is normally used, I'd say not. History is made up of biggots, including otherwise rational intelligent people. I'd say it's what happens when ignorance gets infected with prejudice; something learned from upbringing and culture.

Everyone is a bigot for one reason or another.


I don't think it's a disorder, but I couldn't say it's not a brain wiring thing.


Though saying its a disorder is to stigmatise the ideals people hold.

And that's worse than bigotry, in my opinion.

It is a learned behavior that, fortunately, can be unlearned.

Well seeing as the majority of European and UK citizens are slightly concerned at the hundreds of thousands of unvetted refugees now walking into Europe and seeing as every time they try to voice any concerns about the same they are either called racist or bigoted, then I would say our Governments need to start building some very large psychiatric hospitals because it would appear that the majority of European and UK citizens are sectionable! Either that, or when the SHTF and the majority of European and UK citizens' concerns become a reality then we will probably still need psychiatric hospitals for the deniers and the ones who refuse to see reality! are a reply to: olddognewtricks

People have been programmed to practice Bigotry by the Paradigm.

To think, appear and behave like the norm is 'alright', any aberrations being subject to ridicule.

Edit: Some people go to extremes, spewing their own repressed anger and using difference as an excuse to focus and blame others instead of dealing with their own issues. Those are the ones in need of help.

Everyone else just needs to turn off the TV.

a reply to: olddognewtricks

Bigotry is intolerance of ideas and opinions that differ than one's own. It's an act of stupidity, not a mental disorder. Calling someone who ruminates on groups, or blames the world on this or that group, mentally insane, shows an intolerance of their opinions, which are then dismissed as the ramblings of the crazy. That's bigotry.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Nope, just observation.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: olddognewtricks

Bigotry is intolerance of ideas and opinions that differ than one's own. It's an act of stupidity, not a mental disorder. Calling someone who ruminates on groups, or blames the world on this or that group, mentally insane, shows an intolerance of their opinions, which are then dismissed as the ramblings of the crazy. That's bigotry.

I would agree with this and add that the psychological practice of categorizing people rather than ideas and behavior is part and parcel of bigotry.

a reply to: olddognewtricks

Currently no. I would say as bigotry of all forms becomes a thing of the past, as racism,xenophobia and sexism still exist in many societies this sort of behavior is acceptable. Until the above are almost none existent globally I don't think the APA (or similar groups)will categorize ignorant behavior as a mental condition.

However that may change if the P.C crowd and 'femi-nazi' crowd get their way..

a reply to: greencmp

??? I thought I WAS categorizing specific behavior. I was talking about aspects of their behavior. I don't know anything about the next guy other than his or her behavior. I don't surmise anything about another person, but I can observe what they are doing and judge (dirty word, but I think ok in limited contexts) whether or not their behavior is, for lack of a better word, maladaptive.

a reply to: olddognewtricks

I have a close friend who ruminates,he obsesses about every paranoid slight that comes his way so much so he is actually very paranoid and every sentence conveyed by even his close friends has another insidious meaning in his head than what was innocently said in the first place.
And on top of that he will never see he is that way,he will just reinforce his own paranoia and his circles have got increasingly small due to this.
He is a Ruminator.

a reply to: olddognewtricks

I was thinking the same thing when I had a panic attack two days ago.

The fine line between being crazy and being right is blurring everyday.

a reply to: olddognewtricks

I need to ruminate on this.

To the Israel question: Who owns the Federal Reserve? There's your answer.

originally posted by: olddognewtricks
a reply to: greencmp

??? I thought I WAS categorizing specific behavior. I was talking about aspects of their behavior. I don't know anything about the next guy other than his or her behavior. I don't surmise anything about another person, but I can observe what they are doing and judge (dirty word, but I think ok in limited contexts) whether or not their behavior is, for lack of a better word, maladaptive.

Just clarifying that bigotry is against the people who hold the ideas which are at odds with their world view.

So, that would make every university or public speaking engagement cancelation due to ideological disparity automatically bigotry and the advocates for such censorship "mentally insane".

I don't disagree.

a reply to: olddognewtricks

I don't believe that any learned behavior is a mental disorder, and bigotry is learned--no one is born a bigot, although I do believe that there are probably certain personality traits one is born with that may lend themselves more susceptible to belief systems founded in hate.

a reply to: olddognewtricks

I believe bigotry is a mental disorder. If people are bigots, seeking therapy might be a good idea.

a reply to: reldra

How would a bigot know they are a bigot?

I think people just get conditioned by outside influences too easily. I'm always surprised by the influence media can have on folks.
I've long since given up on following the media when it comes to Palestine and Israel or Israel in general as the tragedies that occur are to much for me to handle. I used to watch Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! But even that show must be biased in one way or another.
As far as bigotry in general, I don't think it's a mental imbalance, more like conditioning from subtle influences of parents on their children or influences from community,(depending where you live) and the media definitely messes with peoples minds.
I've always had the experience of multicultural experience, like my childhood neighborhood and schools, so in my mind people are all the same yet different in their own individual unique ways and we are all human beings.