ABSTRACT

I would disagree. First. if he cannot forrnulate it. he doesn't know it. Frorn rny perspective. knowing. indeed being, is coterrninous with language. Very likely the patient does not "know" that his way of life is invalid; he rnay not like it. but he knows it works. It is very valid. if lirniting in possibilities. To surrender it for an arnbiguity with which he cannot deal would be far worse. A paranoid knows that believing everyone is untrustworthy is not a very happy way of life and requisitions a great deal of loneliness that other people seern to avoid. But he doesn't know how they rnanage to do it! When he tries to be accessible. he rnisreads the signs. fails to hit the right note. offends people by getting too close or standing off too far. His rhetoric is faulty. his proxernics are poor. everything goes wrong. So he goes back to what is valid for hirn-the redundant assurnption that everyone is out to get hirn. The consequences are predictable and safe. He stays clear. and so do they. He avoids rnore serious trouble.