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  • Subject: Do you think we should have mental competency tests?
Subject: Do you think we should have mental competency tests?

Should there be some form of testing that can determine if a person is mentally stable or unstable and should continue to live within society. For instance, there would be a "check-up" every couple of years or so that would test people's mental health by asking them questions and recording their responses to see if they are sane. If not, then the tests would advise the people to go to a mental institution, but if they didn't their name would be put on a database of people to observe with caution. Any purchases they make that seem to point towards hurting themselves or another person would be red-flagged and a notice would be sent out to local authorities to perhaps prevent that mentally unstable person from committing a crime. Then that person would be forced to go to an institution for psychiatric help.

But a problem with this would be if someone abused this power and claimed that certain undesirable people were mentally unstable. Then the police could just come to a person's house and take them away under the pretense that they need mental help, but in reality there is just a nefarious purpose behind it. People could potentially "disappear" for no reason other than that an anonymous source claims they are insane.

Another problem would be how would these tests even be implemented, let alone measured. Are their simple ways of determining if someone is sane or insane? Someone could just lie through all the questions asked to pass, and then go on to continue their insanity.

We still don't understand our own human brain fully, so how can we possibly measure if it is performing correctly.

I feel that simple mental competency tests would be an easy way to prevent unstable people from committing crimes, but it could lead to an authoritarian lifestyle.

  • 12.26.2012 3:27 PM PDT

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Hell no.

  • 12.26.2012 3:29 PM PDT
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No.

That would just be another way Big Brother and his cronies limit our rights and herd us like sheep.

  • 12.26.2012 3:31 PM PDT

The world is not beautiful: And that, in a way, lends it a sort of beauty.

~Kino's Journey

A system along those lines would certainly be beneficial to society, but you can expect tons of people -blam!-ing about "we dun wont no big brutha takin our FREEDOMS"

Case in point^

Also, for the sake of playing devil's advocate.

[Edited on 12.26.2012 3:33 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2012 3:31 PM PDT

testing someones competency isn't a good way to tell if someone belongs in a mental institution, or if they are insane.



Alzheimer's patients are not competent, and they don't deserve to be locked up in a mental institution because they can't make complicated decisions.



so maybe you should take a competency test OP...


j/k




  • 12.26.2012 3:31 PM PDT

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Yes.

  • 12.26.2012 3:34 PM PDT
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

I know. How about we have friends and family not feel as if they are betraying a loved one if they have/voice a concern about them to professionals and/or each other, the individual in question, or if that fails, the authorities?

Hey _______, I've noticed that you've been a bit on edge lately. Are you okay? Would you like to talk about it?

Hi, Mrs. _______? I've noticed that your husband/son has been easily frustrated and talking a bit about hurting themselves or others. Did you know about this? Have they spoken with you about it? Perhaps they can see and talk with someone who might help?

Doc? I have a relative who is starting to worry me. I think that they might be taking things too much to heart and feel that the world is out to get them. I am worried about them and what they might do, is there something that I can do? Is there someone you would recommend them talking to?

  • 12.26.2012 3:35 PM PDT

Stop banning me please.

We don't live in -blam!- germany

  • 12.26.2012 3:37 PM PDT


Posted by: Recon Number 54
I know. How about we have friends and family not feel as if they are betraying a loved one if they have/voice a concern about them to professionals and/or each other, the individual in question, or if that fails, the authorities?

Hey _______, I've noticed that you've been a bit on edge lately. Are you okay? Would you like to talk about it?

Hi, Mrs. _______? I've noticed that your husband/son has been easily frustrated and talking a bit about hurting themselves or others. Did you know about this? Have they spoken with you about it? Perhaps they can see and talk with someone who might help?

Doc? I have a relative who is starting to worry me. I think that they might be taking things too much to heart and feel that the world is out to get them. I am worried about them and what they might do, is there something that I can do? Is there someone you would recommend them talking to?

Yeah, it probably would be better for those who are close to an unstable person to take care of it, but the problem comes from those who don't take the steps or initiative to take care of it. Those who are purposefully ignorant to it and don't want to deal with the reality of the situation.

[Edited on 12.26.2012 3:39 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2012 3:38 PM PDT

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If we installed computer chips into everyone then we cold use them to analyze the host's brain activities. Then no one could lie to get around the mental competency tests. Or better yet we could implant ideas and memories into people's heads from birth, so they would never commit undesirable behavior.

[Edited on 12.26.2012 3:52 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2012 3:44 PM PDT
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Well, here we are. I guess that it was destined to come to this.

Posted by: M1Silencer
Yeah, it probably would be better for those who are close to an unstable person to take care of it, but the problem comes from those who don't take the steps or initiative to take care of it. Those who are purposefully ignorant to it and don't want to deal with the reality of the situation.

Not so much "take care of it", but rather "catch it early", notice things, talk to each other, be concerned and be involved in the life of the person who may be having trouble. Offer support and mean it. That is what friends and family do. And I suspect that there is less and less of it about as we become more standalone and isolated from each other and we get our interactions from text on a screen instead of someone we've known for years looking into our eyes and seeing that "something is really bothering ______".

Even online, we should know that there are people on the other side of the screen and if they are taking the time to interact with us, we have a social contract to show at least a little interest and concern for their well being lest we see warning signs and simply called the next mass murderer "oh THAT troll? I never took anything they said seriously."

  • 12.26.2012 3:46 PM PDT

This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends,
This is the way the world ends;
Not with a bang but a whimper.

There is not a single way in which this is a good idea.

  • 12.26.2012 3:47 PM PDT

"Living to smile, and not to succeed; smiling to inspire happiness, not to give the illusion you are happy; creativity and music to inspire smiling, which in turn inspires happiness; being nice to be happy, not for being perceived a good person."

Did you watch Psycho Pass?

If not, watch it, it's hypothetically what the world might become if something of that sort were implemented.

  • 12.26.2012 3:49 PM PDT


Posted by: Mind Reaper 771
Did you watch Psycho Pass?

If not, watch it, it's hypothetically what the world might become if something of that sort were implemented.

Wow, that is almost exactly what I was thinking about without the piece installed into a person's body. Sounds interesting.

  • 12.26.2012 3:52 PM PDT

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Posted by: Mind Reaper 771
Did you watch Psycho Pass?
I was going to bring that up, but was too lazy. (I'm only on episode 4)


Anyway, it is a slippery slope to have the government take an active role in our psychological well being. They could start requiring medication for even the slightest deviations in behavior, etc.

[Edited on 12.26.2012 3:54 PM PST]

  • 12.26.2012 3:53 PM PDT

You ever heard of civil liberties?

  • 12.26.2012 3:54 PM PDT

"Living to smile, and not to succeed; smiling to inspire happiness, not to give the illusion you are happy; creativity and music to inspire smiling, which in turn inspires happiness; being nice to be happy, not for being perceived a good person."


Posted by: Ark Chaos
You ever heard of civil liberties?
You seem to forget that any government can forgo certain rights for the safety of itself or the populace.

  • 12.27.2012 2:34 PM PDT