Where's Hec? He has a DSM IV.
You know what they say about payback? Well I'm the bitch.
Fred ,'Life of the Party'
Lost: OMGWTF POLAR BEAR
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§ ita § - Dec 10, 2004 7:10:10 am PST #3720 of 10000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Steph L. - Dec 10, 2004 7:11:25 am PST #3721 of 10000
I look more rad than Lutheranism
Where's Hec? He has a DSM IV.
Yeah, revive the Batman argument. That always works.
Atkins! Seat belts! Prescriptivism!
t edit I have a DSM-IV here at work, but I'm also quite happy with my working definition of "psycho."
Hayden - Dec 10, 2004 7:24:02 am PST #3722 of 10000
aka "The artist formerly known as Corwood Industries."
Y'all are assuming that Ethan has recognizable motives. If one of the main characters kidnapped someone and hung him or her, that character would be a psycho, because we've been made aware that they share common background, and therefore a common frame of reference on what is and is not socially and ethically acceptable behavior, with us. If Ethan is, say, of supernatural, extraterrestrial, or some other unforseen origin, he may be behaving in a way that is rational to him. We just don't know enough about who or what he is to throw around terms like "psycho."
Was the Terminator a psycho? Are cannibal cultures psycho? Are Hummer drivers psycho? (Well, ok, I'll give you that one.)
Sean K - Dec 10, 2004 7:24:57 am PST #3723 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty
Relativist.
Hayden - Dec 10, 2004 7:26:03 am PST #3724 of 10000
aka "The artist formerly known as Corwood Industries."
Taking a page from Richard Rorty, I prefer the term "non-essentialist."
TomW - Dec 10, 2004 7:47:18 am PST #3725 of 10000
"The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be."
Well, with the kidnapping and hanging, Ethan's certainly shown himself to be a *driven* personality. However, up until then he'd also shown himself to be patient and capable of maintaining normal social functioning for days or weeks at a time. A few creepy stares notwithstanding.
Ethan is a very different character depending on why he kidnapped and attemped hobbicide.
He could have a cunning, rational scheme to get off the island and his actions are in support of that.
Alternatively, he could have done it because his many-tentacled god (who talks to him via magical hatrack) told him to. His many-tentacled god tells him to do a lot of things that don't always make a lot of sense, but dammit he's TRYING and could you JUST GIVE HIM A BREAK, Etc.
He could also be a cluster of super-intelligent bacteria, or a hitchhiking alien from the planet Quarnax.
Not that any of that necessarily matters (especially to Claire and Charlie), but it does have an effect on how our heroes will be able to deal with Ethan.
Hayden - Dec 10, 2004 7:48:51 am PST #3726 of 10000
aka "The artist formerly known as Corwood Industries."
He could also be a cluster of super-intelligent bacteria
I think that the evidence undeniably supports this. I mean, look at the guy's brow.
Dana - Dec 10, 2004 7:50:09 am PST #3727 of 10000
I'm terrifically busy with my ennui.
However, up until then he'd also shown himself to be patient and capable of maintaining normal social functioning for days or weeks at a time.
Yeah, I guess he had to wait until he had access to Claire? Although trying to inject something into her stomach while she was sleeping doesn't seem like the stealthiest course.
Sean K - Dec 10, 2004 7:50:11 am PST #3728 of 10000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty
He could also be a cluster of super-intelligent bacteria,
A hyper-intelligent shade of the color blue?
Steph L. - Dec 10, 2004 7:52:34 am PST #3729 of 10000
I look more rad than Lutheranism
Y'all are assuming that Ethan has recognizable motives. If one of the main characters kidnapped someone and hung him or her, that character would be a psycho, because we've been made aware that they share common background, and therefore a common frame of reference on what is and is not socially and ethically acceptable behavior, with us. If Ethan is, say, of supernatural, extraterrestrial, or some other unforseen origin, he may be behaving in a way that is rational to him. We just don't know enough about who or what he is to throw around terms like "psycho."
I'm still comfortable calling him a psycho. Until I have a frame of reference to put him in which might indicate that kidnapping and hanging are considered non-criminal acts by him and/or his society of origin, I'm going on the assumption that he's human and psycho.