Was Samson Anti-Social ?   Author:  27678  Category:(Debate) Created:(2/19/2001 9:44:00 PM) This post has been Viewed (435 times) What do you all think about this? Do you think this is an alright thing for modern day psychologists to do, that is, to determine the mental health of historical figures? THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15 2001 Why Samson was reckless in Gaza BY NIGEL HAWKES SAMSON, the Bible strongman who lost his power when his hair was cut, may be the first recorded case of antisocial personality disorder. Three psychologists from California argue that Samson showed signs of six of the seven recognised behaviours associated with the condition. Today people need to show only three symptoms, which include impulsiveness, recklessness and fighting to be considered to have the disorder. The psychologists point out that Samson routinely fought. Once he killed 1,000 Philistines single-handedly and gloated over his triumph. He also showed a reckless disregard for his own safety when he told Delilah; a woman who had tried to kill him three times; that the secret of his strength was his hair. And like many people with the disorder, he behaved badly as a child, causing fires, stealing and bullying other children. The symptoms of the condition are set out in a 900-page manual from the American Psychiatric Association called DSM-IV which doctors use to diagnose mental illnesses. Eric Altschuler, who led the team from the University of California at San Diego, told New Scientist: Its almost as if the writer of the story has the DSM criteria tacked to the wall and he is writing a sketch. But this was 3,000 years before the DSM; He added that the diagnosis might make the Samson story more understandable. A chapter was devoted to Samson;s mother being warned by angels not to drink while pregnant, suggesting that recklessness may have run in the family. You can join Unsolved Mysteries and post your own mysteries or interesting stories for the world to read and respond to Click here Scroll all the way down to read replies. Show all stories by   Author:  27678 ( Click here ) Spring is coming