If there's an elephant and I'm only seeing the trunk, then I'm at least open to the truth even if I'm only seeing a part of it. You on the other hand my friend, see a mouse and make it into an elephant and think the elephant is out to get you - that's called a paranoid delusion:
"A paranoid delusion is the fixed, false belief that one is being harmed or persecuted by a particular person or group of people ("capitalism dictatorship" in this case). Paranoid delusions are known technically as a “persecutory delusion.” It involves the person’s belief that he or she is being conspired against, cheated, spied on, followed, poisoned or drugged, maliciously maligned, harassed, or obstructed in the pursuit of long-term goals. Small slights may be exaggerated and become the focus of a delusional system with a person suffers from a paranoid delusion."
It is often diagnosed in the context of Schizophrenia:
"One of the most obvious kinds of impairment caused by schizophrenia involves how a person thinks. The individual can lose much of the ability to rationally evaluate his or her surroundings and interactions with others. They often believe things that are untrue, and may have difficulty accepting what they see as "true" reality. Schizophrenia most often includes delusions, which reflect distortions in the perception and interpretation of reality. The resulting behaviors may seem bizarre to the casual observer, even though they may be consistent with the schizophrenic's abnormal perceptions and beliefs."
And it is understandable why so many people in Iran, particularly those who are taught from childhood to believe in a boogeyman who is going to ride in on a white horse and slash their heads with a sharp sword, have a tendency to keep looking over their shoulder for some boogeyman who is out to get them.
"A paranoid delusion is the fixed, false belief that one is being harmed or persecuted by a particular person or group of people ("capitalism dictatorship" in this case). Paranoid delusions are known technically as a “persecutory delusion.” It involves the person’s belief that he or she is being conspired against, cheated, spied on, followed, poisoned or drugged, maliciously maligned, harassed, or obstructed in the pursuit of long-term goals. Small slights may be exaggerated and become the focus of a delusional system with a person suffers from a paranoid delusion."
It is often diagnosed in the context of Schizophrenia:
"One of the most obvious kinds of impairment caused by schizophrenia involves how a person thinks. The individual can lose much of the ability to rationally evaluate his or her surroundings and interactions with others. They often believe things that are untrue, and may have difficulty accepting what they see as "true" reality. Schizophrenia most often includes delusions, which reflect distortions in the perception and interpretation of reality. The resulting behaviors may seem bizarre to the casual observer, even though they may be consistent with the schizophrenic's abnormal perceptions and beliefs."
And it is understandable why so many people in Iran, particularly those who are taught from childhood to believe in a boogeyman who is going to ride in on a white horse and slash their heads with a sharp sword, have a tendency to keep looking over their shoulder for some boogeyman who is out to get them.
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