Mental illness is a myth, whose function is to disguise and thus render more palatable the bitter pill of moral conflicts in human relations. Thomas Szasz More Quotes by Thomas Szasz More Quotes From Thomas Szasz If someone does something we disapprove of, we regard him as bad if we believe we can deter him from persisting in his conduct, but we regard him as mad if we believe we cannot. In either case, the crucial issue is our control of the other: the more we lose control over him, and the more he assumes control over himself, the more, in case of conflict, we are likely to consider him mad rather than just bad. Thomas Szasz issues mad believe Only idiots and infants need things. The language of needs is the native tongue of socialists, therapists, and paternalists of all sorts and is addressed to needy dependents. The language of wants is spoken by self-respecting adults and is addressed to other self-respecting adults. Thomas Szasz tongue adults self The Greeks distinguished between good and bad behavior, language that enhanced or diminished persons. Being intoxicated with scientism, we fail to recognize that the seemingly technical terms used to identify psychiatric illnesses and interventions are simply dyphemisms and euphemisms. Thomas Szasz failing language greek Like Karl Kraus [Wittgenstein], was seldom pleased by what he saw of the institutions of men, and the idiom of the passerby mostly offended his ear - particularly when they happened to speak philosophically; and like Karl Kraus, he suspected that the institutions could not but be corrupt if the idiom of the race was confused, presumptuous, and vacuous, a fabric of nonsense, untruth, deception, and self-deception. Thomas Szasz confused race men The language of science—and especially of a science of man—is, necessarily, anti-individualistic, and hence a threat to human freedom and dignity. Thomas Szasz dignity language men As the base rhetorician uses language to increase his own power, to produce converts to his own cause, and to create loyal followers of his own person - so the noble rhetorician uses language to wean men away from their inclination to depend on authority, to encourage them to think and speak clearly, and to teach them to be their own masters. Thomas Szasz noble men thinking Permissiveness is the principle of treating children as if they were adults; and the tactic of making sure they never reach that stage. Thomas Szasz adults principles children Two wrongs don't make a right, but they make a good excuse. Thomas Szasz inspiration revenge mistake Doubt is to certainty as neurosis is to psychosis. The neurotic is in doubt and has fears about persons and things; the psychotic has convictions and makes claims about them. In short, the neurotic has problems, the psychotic has solutions. Thomas Szasz neurosis psychosis doubt There is no psychology; there is only biography and autobiography. Thomas Szasz autobiography psychology biographies Happiness is an imaginary condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children, and by children to adults. Thomas Szasz wisdom happiness funny Marriages are said to be made in Heaven, which may be why they don't work here on Earth. Thomas Szasz marriage earth heaven For Jews, the Messiah has never come; for Christians, He has come but once; for modern man, He appears and disappears with increasing rapidity. The saviors of modern man, the "scientists" who promise salvation through the "discoveries" of ethology and sociology, psychology and psychiatry, and all the other bogus religions, issue forth periodically, as if selected by some Messiah-of-the-Month Club. Thomas Szasz issues christian men Suicide is a fundamental human right. This does not mean that it is desirable. It only means that society does not have the moral right to interfere, by force, with a persons decision to commit this act. The result is a far-reaching infantilization and dehumanization of the suicidal person. Thomas Szasz suicidal suicide mean Mysticism joins and unites; reason divides and separates. People crave belonging more than understanding. Hence the prominent role of mysticism, and the limited role of reason in human affairs. Thomas Szasz roles understanding people How can depression be real if our eyes arent real? Thomas Szasz being-real eye real Man cannot long survive without air, water, and sleep. Next in importance comes food. And close on its heels, solitude. Thomas Szasz air sleep men Classifying thoughts, feelings and behaviors as diseases is a logical and semantic error, like classifying whale as fish. Thomas Szasz whales errors feelings Prostitution is said to be the world's oldest profession. It is, indeed, a model of all professional work: the worker relinquishes control over himself... in exchange for money. Because of the passivity it entails, this is a difficult and, for many, a distasteful role. Thomas Szasz passivity-is roles world We often speak of love when we really should be speaking of the drive to dominate or to master, so as to confirm ourselves as active agents, in control of our own destinies and worthy of respect from others. Thomas Szasz respect destiny love
