Abnormal Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
10th Edition
ISBN: 9781319066949
Author: Ronald J. Comer, Jonathan S. Comer
Publisher: Worth Publishers
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Chapter 14, Problem 1Q
Summary Introduction

Introduction

Insanity, in layman terms, is explained as any behavior which seems abnormal, strange, and bizarre. Nietzsche's quotation is a reflection of the idea that an individual, on his own, may not engage in strange and reckless behavior. However, the same person can acquire the propensity to become wild and uncontrolled when he becomes involved in a group.

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The quotation by Neitzsche might suggest that how an individual behaves in privacy may be very different from how they behave in the presence of other people. This is also similar to the concept of de-individuation, which is studied by social psychologists. This concept states that the individual tends to get easily influenced by becoming part of a group. They lose their awareness and identity by gaining anonymous inclusion in the group. When people become a part of large groups, they do not feel responsible for their actions and therefore feel freer to engage in reckless and dangerous behavior.

Mob riots, mass homicide, mass hysteria, and terrorist organizations are all examples of how insanity or reckless behavior becomes extreme and dangerous when people come together.

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