It won't be very long before slobs and berks can blame their conduct on a behavioural disorder. At least this is what the American Psychological Association seems to be suggesting.
It has just released a new batch of suggested "conditions" to be added to the new edition of the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. What the rest of us know to be signs of pure slothfulness - playing video games all day and eating huge bags of potato chips - are set to be treated as symptoms of a disorder called "sluggish cognitive tempo disorder". And what the rest of us know to be the traits of an asshole - short temper, tantrum-throwing, whingeing - may in future be classified as intermittent explosive or negativistic personality disorder. "The more disorders there are, the more business psychiatrists get," said one professor. Ah, now it all makes sense. There must be something wrong with me.
They said it:
I was walking past people and breaking wind - but it's not on being sacked for something like that.' - Daniel Cambridge, who lost his job in a warehouse after just two days when 35 people complained about his habit
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