The Paradoxes of Paranoia Revisited

Abstract

We begin by considering the paradoxical axiom, which is the most widely accepted, by the profession and others, that the paranoic is in need of help though he suffers from an intellectual quirk. We can present the paradox of paranoia at once as the very well-known fact that we may observe two people with similar or seemingly similar intellectual structures (or thought-patterns, or practical logic, or what have you), one fairly independent and the other in dire need of help. Or we can present the paradox of paranoia at once as the very well-known fact that a paranoic needs help even though he may be, and often is, more intelligent, more perceptive, and more self-aware, than an average normal member of the community who can manage much more independently.