September 27, 2004
"Perseveration"
describes a mental dysfunction due to which a person cannot abandon a given course of action although they know that it's irrational and quite possibly fatal.
This may explain the death of Baron von Richtofen, the "Red Baron", who took a bullet to the head a month before he was killed and consequently became disinhibited and reckless. My question ... could we be living through the aftermath of the deadliest pretzel attack ever?
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That sort of thinking means we have to forgive the unforgivable. I prefer to think he's perfectly rational and balanced, because then he can be put on trial. Not that it will ever happen, but it should.
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Why would he be put on trial? Or did I miss something in the article. Also, interesting article Wolof. I hadn't seen this theory before.
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Or did I miss something in the article? Not the article. The key to that seemingly enigmatic remark lies in "the deadliest pretzel attack ever". Which allows the subject to become President Bush as well as von Richtofen. (Bush's inability to consume pretzels safely has caused some remark among monkeys.)
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Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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Give that man a ceegar! And an intern!
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I am skeptical about historical theories like "perseveration." They assume too much, based on scanty evidence. Like when historians claim Freud was masochistic because he avoided aspirin and other painkillers. Interesting article, though.