Nostr Web Client

Is there a word for the tendency of morals to become inverted over time or by society? I feel like there should be some concise psychological jargon for it... Probably a Greek word...

"Sin" encapsulates it, but its not precise enough. Sin can mean either an action or a state. "Corruption" is closer, but can also mean a state and has political connotations. "Evil" covers it, but with its religious connotation, isn't useful if speaking to an academic, and is too loosely defined anyways.

I'm looking for a word that names the momentum of the drift to the bad - the force that pushes from the straight and verifiable, which befuddles the mind and creates illusions. Justifications... Compromise... But the impulse behind that.

Dangit, my vocabulary is too small !!!

Reply to this note

Please Login to reply.

Discussion

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴍʟᴇᴋᴜ 1y ago

the behaviour is called "psychosis" it's primary characteristic is the inversion of especially trust based social behaviors, but of course can be more benign as in obsession or delusion without violent acting out

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴍʟᴇᴋᴜ 1y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis

Psychosis is a condition of the mind or psyche that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real.[3] Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features.[3] Additional symptoms are disorganized thinking and incoherent speech and behavior that is inappropriate for a given situation.[3] There may also be sleep problems, social withdrawal, lack of motivation, and difficulties carrying out daily activities.[3] Psychosis can have serious adverse outcomes.[3]

they don't categorise psychopathy exactly in this category but if you ask me it's obvious that a psycho has psychosis, their behaviour is psychotic, they have objectified other people in favor of their own grandeur and glory and so all people can be collateral damage in achieiving their desires

psychopathy is a form of psychosis, if you ask me, and one that develops, usually, out of traumatic experiences in infancy, pre-verbal phase, because they can't reason about it, they have to be locked up

Comte de Sats Germain 1y ago

That hits pretty close. Psychosis. Hmm...

Still not exactly what I'm trying to name, but I do think it's the closest so far. Ideally, I'm looking for a word that doesn't require a lot of explanation to nail down exactly how I mean it. The thing I'm looking for is at the stem of psychosis, the psychological force that seems to always be pushing towards confusion.

I'm probably being unreasonable...

Comte de Sats Germain 1y ago

Reading that made me wonder if I have it... Fun. I guess I'm looking for an impulse that's inherent in any human psyche.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴍʟᴇᴋᴜ 1y ago

defining what is "normal" is a big problem, so psychosis is a very difficult thing to talk about as a diagnosis

i can honestly say that i have experienced more than a few deep psychotic episodes in my life but i think that you have to fall into this stuff to be able to recognise it

these days i define a lot of the normals based on biology, and i think that if i were to define psychosis i would talk about how a pathological psychosis (psychopathy) is an inversion of biology

for example

homosexuality

pedophilia

murder

cult leader

satan worshipper

this is a sickness that makes people in some cases prone to manipulating other people to comply with their self delusions

really, the psychopathy is just where the psychosis focuses on the importance of the individual and how other people have to be sacrificed to that altar

Mina 👽💜 1y ago

Shifting the Overton window?

At least that's what's I think is happening heavily atm

Comte de Sats Germain 1y ago

That's a good phrase. Still looking for a more concise encapsulation, though

Enchiridion 1y ago

Decadence is slightly more apt but not precisely what you are tilting towards, but it lacks the sense of historicism. Declinism is probably overly derogatory.

Comte de Sats Germain 1y ago

I don't mind it being derogatory - I'm no fan of the impulse. But... Yeah I guess something more clinical would work better