There’s a famous story about a guy named Phineas Gage who was a railroad worker in the 1800’s.
One day at work he had a metal rod go through his eye and into his brain.
And you thought Monday’s were tough.
Here’s the interesting part.
Up until the day the spike went through his head, ‘Ol Phin was a pretty cool, even tempered guy. Stuff didn’t bother him and he liked people.
After the accident he turned into a disagreeable asshole.
Maybe it was he was really pissed off about the whole spike-through-the-eye-into-the-brain thing.
Brain researches think it was something else.
There’s a part of the brain in the frontal lobe called the ventromedial area. It seems when that area gets messed with people lose their morals. They can think rationally but they are almost hyper-rational. They don’t care about consequences to others. They lose their healthy sense of fear and they take absurd risks for immediate gratification dismissing future consequences.
This has nothing to do with how they were raised, whether they were breast fed from falsies, whether they got enough hugs from Daddy–it’s totally physical.
Could that explain the diagnosis of assholitis? Could it explain addiction? Could it explain evil?
Damn, it’s getting to the point when you can’t blame anyone for anything any more.
i think he probably had undiagnosed migraines making him in pain alot and making him crabby.
But there is that case of a person with a brain tumor on the frontal area of brain that did all kinds of stuff they wouldnt do…once brain tumor was removed they returned to normal behavior.
The issue is finding balance.
for instance…I know some women who because it is social acceptible for them to be crabby during PMS – really play it up. It is their chance to just say what ever they want and blame it on PMS. They COULD make an effort to realize its their hormal levels and NOT the person getting on their nerves fault. Realize normally they wouldnt snap when their child bounces up and down in front of them and says mommy 20 times…normally they snap at say 50…but…because they have PMS well…they can stop controlling themselves.
Also I notice that women think they are supposed to yell at their hsuband and tell them never to touch them again while in labor. why…its not the husands fault…you were a willing participant and supposidly you wanted this baby. But now that your in pain you think you have a right to say awful things? Can they choose to not snap at people (I did all three kids without drugs…yes you CAN control your response).
I knew a person who had teretts (sp?) uncontrollable sounds I get…uncontrolable cursing…i am not so sure…once is a muscle spasim of sorts…the other i think is them using it as an excuse to behave badly. MTV real life “I am a teen with terrets” shows a girl treating grandma like crap and at one point screams “I have terrets its not my fault!!!” at her grandma. Well…spasiming suddenly and painting the floor instead of your toes is an accident and not her fault…yelling at grandma who is trying to help her…her fault.
So I think if you have TRUE brain damage…REAL damage to the organ or a chemicle embalance that can be scientifically measured…then yes its not your fault.
Personally you can be depressed or upset and just been seriously betrayed and you do not have to act like a jerk. You are not responsible for things done to you…you ARE responsible for how your react to those things.