“Well, I think I have a precarious sense of self anyway, but I’m also sane enough to notice when it’s slipping.”
The list of achievements for Jon Ronson extends longer than your average journalist — a world traveler, documentary film maker, radio presenter and best selling author. Being a man of many talents, our interest in him doesn’t just lie within his vast resume.
His book, Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test, is a thought provoking explanation to the theory of madness and psychotic behavioral patterns within a wide range of individuals. From large corporation CEOs to Tony the murderous mental patient , Ronson dives deep into madness, submersing himself into the psychology behind the mentally deranged.
In his TED talk discussing the novel in 2012, Ronson preludes to his immense interest in mental disorders. He begins with discussing the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders. “So I was leafing through it, wondering if I had any mental disorders, and it turns out I’ve got 12…,” Ronson jokes, but he goes on to say it’s probably not the best idea to self diagnose a mental disorder.
But the DSM did more for the author than just propose a visit to his local shrink. It sparked the idea to really research and define what exactly makes a mental patient… mental.
Check out Jon Ronsons TED2012 talk for more information regarding “Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test”.
Find more on Jon Ronson at his personal website: http://www.jonronson.com/
Words by Kyley Hagan
