Hysteria. Behavior exhibiting overwhelming or unmanageable fear or emotional excess according to Merriam Webster.
To me hysteria is much easier to discern when many are involved. Mass hysteria. The insanity (hysteria) feeds upon itself and it grows. Like calls for gun control immediately after a mass shooting. A few folks get so worked up they issue GAGs (guaranteed applause getters) at every opportunity. Those are the times I most enjoy shows like Bill O, Bill Maher and Sean Hannity. Maher's is the most fun as he loves to argue - not just bully folks like Hannity and O'Reilly - although all three can certainly be classified as practitioners of intellectual thuggery/bullying. O'Reilly is a master at shouting down folks who disagree with him.
I know several people who are prone to hysterics. They all share common traits - a distinct lack of self confidence and an above average dose of paranoia. Often very small, seemingly insignificant things set them off. It can be quite scary if you are there when it happens. It can be even scarier if you are near a group that goes off in a bad way. Apparently we live in a time when it is acceptable to go nuts when your local team wins a championship of some kind. Take a look at any city that wins the World Series, NFL championship, Stanley Cup or an Olympic team title in a major sport. Talk about mass hysteria. Millions of dollars in damage all because some folks seem to be looking for an excuse to set off a mass frenzy. Remember Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict? Mass hysteria of the absolute worst kind that lasted for six days.
Relationship hysteria? Been there. Done that - as I am sure most of us have.
That's this week's quick shack-take on hysteria.
Again, not one of my favorite words I don't think. Never personally witnessed or exhibited hysteria in its pure state. I suppose that is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteLiked the Def Leppard piece but would have thought a song titled "Hysteria" would have been considerably more up tempo. :)
Great take on the subject, Shackman. "Mass hysteria" - gender neutral. And so very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteU
"O'Reilly is a master at shouting down folks who disagree with him." I knew a few O'Reillys, both male and female who ranted hysterically for no good reason.
ReplyDeleteI gave serious thought to writing about mass hysteria but gave it up as the dynamics there are quite different from individual hysteria and I felt that gaelikaa had in mind the individual hysteria rather than the mass hysteria. Indians exhibit mass hysteria at winning or losing in cricket and like your video shows they leave devastation behind and often some people are dead too. We also have the communal mass hysteria when Hindus and Muslims go after each other like it was WWIII. For all that, I personally have not experienced or seen much individual hysteria bar the one that I have written about.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rummy on Gaelikaa's intent. Especially the disparagement of individuals.
ReplyDeleteblessings ~ maxi
You are each entitled to assume the intent of the topic suggester but the definition of the word does not specify. Unfortunately I am not psychic so I chose the broad brush..
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