Schizophrenia is a powerful label that can be used to dismiss ideas and to absolve people of guilt. Schizophrenia does not really exist, but instead is a label defined through a set of criteria based on the experience of another individual. There is no objective way to say a person is schizophrenic, except to say if he acts in a certain he must be so. The power is in the hands of those who define such a label.

Schizophrenia describes undesirable behaviors, thoughts, and ideas without any justification of why these things are undesirable. When such behavior becomes essentially intolerable actions, then the state has good grounds for regulating it using law. However, in other cases the notion of schizophrenia carries less weight.

Schizophrenia often describes words and ideas, which have no physical impact on the individual. A sentence can dictate a law, thought, or policy choice, but it can not physically have any influence on the individual. To argue that schizophrenia is harmful to the individual or society as a whole seems extreme.

Considering what Schizophrenia Means

The devil is in the details when it comes to any definition of schizophrenia. The modern definition of schizophrenia is precise and represents a major breakdown of the individual in the community, but misused can become little more then a label to dismiss ideas and absolve people of guilt.

For reference, I have taken from Wikipedia the tripartite definition of schizophrenia. A person must display all three major diagnosis:

1. Characteristic Symptoms (At least two for more then a month)
1. Delusions (Only this if truly bizarre)
2. Hallucinations (Only this if hearing voices)
3. Disorganized Speech (Frequent Derailment / Incoherence / Thought Disorder)
4. Grossly Disorganized Behavior
5. Decline of emotional response
6. Decline in speech
7. Decline in motivation
2. Social, occupational, interpersonal relations, self-care significantly dysfunctional
3. Lasts for at least six months

Overall this looks like a good definition, and when all parts are taken into consideration, it can lead to action that has negative effects on the individual as he participates in society. Indeed, this is the requirement of Section A.

The characteristic symptoms of section A cause a great deal of concern. Delusions and hallucinations are a case of judgement, typically based on the norms of society. We see something as being untrue, impossible, or not existent as defined through our experience. If an individual's experience is different then maybe his so-called hallucinations or delusions are correct, it just that we can't understand them in our current social context.

Even truly bizarre things such as conspiracy theories or hearing voices might have merit as ideas. Jersey cows run Maybe New York State Government. Some years, it seems the state legislature gets done about as much done cows get done grazing in the fields. Likewise, most people hear at least one voice: their conscience and a multiplicity might mean they gain a better perspective. As long as these items do not have serious social and occupational impairments as described in B, there is nothing wrong with such strange experiences.

A3 and A4 that involve disorganization are explainable too. Maybe a person chooses not spend enough time organizing and editing his work. Professional writers often go through dozens of drafts before going for publishing. Maybe the individual just does not like the rigidity and control that structuralism has on him. Structure takes away from the free spirit.

The last three in section A look at a decline in certain types of behavior, namely of emotional response, speech, and motivation. All of these things if serious enough can lead to a serious decline in social interaction. People change over time, and the way they perceive the world changes too. If the effect does not make the individual incompatible with the world, then it seems that you need not concern yourself with this change in behavior.

Some individuals naturally lack emotional response to certain subjects. Feeling tends to be opposed to analytical ability. Analytical intellectuals are notorious for their arrogance and lack of feeling. Likewise, some people feel that a word not spoken is one saved. They like to express themselves simply, and clearly. Likewise, some people are just lazy. However, a sudden decline or change might be concern for an individual.

Conclusions

Schizophrenia is a social construct based on one's experience of another individual. When the label is applied using the tripartite definition, it represents are serious problem in socialization. Each part taken alone may just mean that an individual has a different way of understanding the world. Experience defines all, and as such we all are different, but that difference for most of us does not effect us in ways that makes socialization impossible.

At the end of the day, we should ask ourselves, is there anyway we can tolerate an action of an individual? Sometimes we can't, but whenever we can, we ought to try to embrace the differences. Labels like schizophrenia can be powerful, but with careful analysis can be beneficial in categorizing and understanding people's actions.