crazy adj.
1a: full of
cracks or flaws :unsound<they
were very crazy, wretched cabins — Charles
Dickens>b:crooked, askew
2a:mad, insane<yelling
like a crazy man>b(1):impractical<a
crazy plan>(2):erratic<crazy
drivers>c:
being out of the ordinary :unusual<a
taste for crazy hats> 3a: distracted
with desire or excitement <a
thrill-crazy mob>b: absurdly fond :infatuated<he's
crazy about the girl>c: passionately
preoccupied :obsessed<crazy
about boats>
Here is a word that
we really need: [a] to signify an idea that is
not at all sensible or [b] to describe a person
who is mentally ill. It sure has become
worn out through over-use in casual
realms. But that's not my problem with crazy.
Heck, there are at
least three-dozen informal synonyms...
No,
my problem is that crazy has been
appropriated by people to explain the most
dreadful behaviors of high-level political
figures; the presidential
election of 2016 may be the most extreme
example.
The appropriate terminology has to do with badness
not madness...
Indeed, sixty-two
years earlier, the matter was firmly addressed
in Section
7.3 of the ethics principles published
by the APA...
On
occasion psychiatrists are asked for an opinion
about an individual who is in the light of public
attention or who has disclosed information about
himself/herself through public media. In such
circumstances, a psychiatrist may share with the
public his or her expertise about psychiatric
issues in general. However, it is unethical for a
psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion
unless he or she has conducted an examination and
has been granted proper authorization for such a
statement.
Since psychiatrists are
not supposed to diagnose brain conditions from afar, I
sure won't.