ABSTRACT
The distinction between figure and ground is mirrored in modern computer parlance about default values versus entry values. This chapter discusses that the distinction is basically between "that which is to be explained" and "that which is to be assumed without explanation." It also discusses that two examples at some length are acceptance of authority versus skeptical thinking and affluence versus poverty. The first example involves the attempts after World War II to explain tine acceptance of Adolf Hitler by the German populace in the period that he ruled Germany, and by his followers in the period before that. The second example involves engaging in unusual behavior does not alone define a mental illness. On the other hand, engaging in unusual behavior is necessary for defining that someone is mentally ill. Although some theorists have tried, it makes little sense to define pathology as a behavior that most people in the society engage in.
