Cassandra Syndrome

I read this on Wikipedia:

"Virgil presents Cassandra as having fallen into a mantic state"

"Her cursed gift from Apollo became an endless pain and frustration to her. She was seen as a liar and a madwoman by her family and by the Trojan people. Because of this, her father, Priam, had locked her away in a chamber and guarded her like the madwoman she was believed to be."

I think Cassandra is much like the SNL character "Debbie Downer".

She speaks and everyone rolls their eyes.

It's not an easy thing to live with.

I think it's important to embrace your Cassandra-ness, understand it, and be strong. I suppose we aren't living in an SNL skit or a epic poem. And eventually people might start to believe you... if you are right over and over again. At least the smart ones.

Pretty much. Anyone who tried to wake friends or family by explaining this is all a scam really will have looked nuts but were actually prophets or psychics trying not to let the situation get out of hand.

Once we realised it could only be done on people who have experienced their own conspiracies or traumas, we stopped trying to convince them that grass is green and the sky is blue. Then the melancholy kicks in as you slowly watch folk degrade around you, all the ambulances on your street often and the death of at least three on my street - including an aunt and a former colleague. Shit's nuts.

Just glad I could see. Who knows what world we'll have in a few years..

Scott Adams is sort of playing the part of the people around Cassandra, with his "Oh, the anti-vax just flipped a coin and they were right" excuses.

Last Edited by Eilonwy on 01/23/2023 08:51 AM

In fiction, did you ever notice that those with foresight are depicted as living slightly apart from the mob? Although they are usually on the lookout for those in the mob who are smart enough to take their advice or tutelage. And they do want to help society in general but I get the feeling like it's always at great cost to them personally. The mob usually has a suspicion of those with foresight, for instance, Hobbits don't like it when Gandalf comes along.

But the character with foresight has an important part to play. Willy Wonka knew how every child would react to his factory, even better than the chid's own parents. The parents wouldn't have wanted to hear what he had to say about their children. But that doesn't mean that Willy Wonka was wrong. The parents had to see it with their own eyes.

If willy Willy Wonka didn't exist, the candy factory would have bad management. No candy factory, no jobs, the town goes hungry etc.

If Gandalf didn't exist we'd all be living under Sauron to this day,

Last Edited by Eilonwy on 01/23/2023 10:54 AM

Of course Cassandra Syndrome doesn't only apply to women. The shrink who came up with the term thought he suffered from it.

Last Edited by Eilonwy on 01/23/2023 10:54 AM

OP, you're entirely too intelligent to be posting here.

You just spoke over 90% of the audience.

But you are dead on.

What a lovely compliment, thank you!

I agree. Good post, and yeas I have felt it too often and strongly...

I agree. Good post, and yeas I have felt it too often and strongly...

Don't see what this has to do with the OP, but I did like watching the dogs go swimming. Mechanical people are amazing.