The possession

This was the perfect title for the reading because it was as if the author-annie ernaux-, was possessed by a being with vengeful tactics she created. She played out all aspects of this womans lifestyle without ever meeting her.
She envisioned a would-be relationship that W would or may have with this other woman. She had no solid facts, other then the profession.
Simple conversations that annie had with W turned into a session of america's most wanted. If he mentioned to her, "tippy just crossed my mind" she thought to herself, hmmmm when was the last time you even thought about me, or so me just crossing your mind confirms I'm no longer your primary go to person for companionship. Annie began to analyze everything about W's life without realizing she was living her life through his possible actions, without actually living Annie's life without W. She even  admitted to falling prey to the attacks of an outside world reminding her of their common past.
The structure of having one paragraph per page kept me excited to know what else she would do, in order to relieve herself of the misery.

Specialists and Ocd

Specialization as a cause for OCD, for a statement I tried hard not to agree with initially when reading this book. Davis' account on why he feels specialists are prone to having obsessive habits, never made much sense until I read chapter three. Golton's behavior explained by himself as well as David presented a first hand account on not why, but how specialists' behavior exhibits obsessive traits. Chapter three page 92, Golton  describes his "necessity of obtaining a multitude of exact measurements relating to every measurable faculty of the body or mind, for two generations at least, on which to theorise". He goes on to admit, whenever he met people he would classify them based on how he perceived them. Usually on a scale of three classes ' good medium, and bad'. He would also classify women into three categories attractive, indifferent, and repellent. His obsessive behaviors became apart of him as well as his daily activities. He was monitoring the two rows of people and how many times they would figit in their seats. He even went as far to mathematically determine why the Africans posterior was uniquely larger than most women. His obsessive behavior in turn made him the scientist who he was, which society benefited from. This is and may be the case for many doctors, lawyers, psychologists, etc. Their crafts become them. In my major, you have to eat, breath, and sleep through information in order to retain it to memory, so much that the slightest problem I may encounter I assume its the cause of some factor I've learned  in school. I'm not saying that I am a specialist, but I deeply understand the uncontrolled obsessive thoughts and actions one may have engaging in their specialties.

Triangulating love *smiles*

Triangulating love explains the different dynamics of a love relationship we as humans may find ourselves in. The overview  that  Sternberg provided showed that live is comprised of three components: intimacy, decision/commitment, and passion. I agree with his statement that decisions precedes  commitments. Many times I've witnessed myself during experiences with friends and acquaintances that they've committed themselves to other people without even being aware of what is occurring. As Sternberg stated, they may not necessarily admit that they live our are in love with that person.

He goes on to classify love into different categories, with my favorite being the fatuous love! For the life of me, I cannot fathom how two individuals can meet, like, love, then marry without even considering the thoughts of potentially living with the "I shoulda, coulda, woulda disorder". This disorder involves individuals living with regrets because they didn't think about the future. It happens all the time from celebrities, to your neighbors up the street.


Sternberg's other categories were empty love, infatuation, consummate, companionate, romantic, and liking. Empty love is striking because you have couples who marriages have crumbled, but they still stay together either for the kids or religious beliefs. The author described it as losing the mutual emotional involvement and physical attraction that once characterized them. Its kind of sad, when you witness it first hand.
My two favorite are romantic and companionate. I find mushy times to be cute and intimate, and who wouldn't want to marry or be in love with someone who was and still is your friend first.

Emergence of Obsession (chapter 2)

Hmmmm, I guess now it all makes sense. Its interesting to see the originated definition and awareness of being obsessed and its development. In this chapter we have witnessed well within the nineteenth century, people have displayed characteristics of what we now view as obsessions. Referred to as monomania - these cases at times placed the individuals in asylums. But today we treat patients with more therapeutic remedies as opposed to classifying them as insane in addition to, institutionalizing them regardless of profession. Making comparisons to those before as well as those today, bridges the connection of OCD being a disorder of inevitable conclusions that followed a current theory.  Monomania's hospitalizations -as discussed in this chapter- increased drastically during the era of "the idea of insanity". I like the distinction Davis has made between mania, and the new monomania which he has desribed as, combining the awareness and the distraction into one entity. He also recognized the lack of rationality. Another factor that has remained consistent during this era in comparison to now is,  Monomania was a disorder evident in works of art at the time. Examples of such works are the author of "Insanity-My Own Case", and Frankenstein by May Shelly. Davis' mention of these  particular arts showed the movement of this fad, and evolution/spread of the awareness. Its the same concept of reality shows and such works displaying ocd, in a wider spectrum. I.e hoarders, true life, survivor, etc. This is not to say that a reality show is a work of art, this only exemplifies a changes coveyed through a medium appropriate during a certain time. Davis said on page 74, it is no surprise that the concept of monomania, therefore, took to literature and spread like wildfire. I believe it is the same concept we witness today. This chapter continues to add in my belief that OCD is an remains a disease entity.