Have you noticed how it’s nobody’s fault anymore? It started in the 60’s when my generation came of age. We thought we could fix the ills of society with a “no fault” philosophy. When there were riots in the street (with looting and destruction), we didn’t blame the people breaking the law; we blamed society. The system! The establishment! Not the people throwing the Molotov cocktails. That started the mindset that no one’s at fault. Now, it’s out of hand. We took the “they’re not to blame” philosophy for groups and individualized it. We started calling bad behavior a disorder, and gave the offender a pass.

Attention Deficit Disorder was one of the first ones to get a name. Back in my era, we all had it. Our parents called it ants-in-the-pants and boredom. They cured it by saying, “Go outside and play,” or, “Get a book and read it. Usually followed with a stern, “Or, I’ll get something for you to do!” We knew what that meant: washing windows, scrubbing floors, giving the dog a bath. In the classroom, our Attention Deficit Disorder was cured with writing assignments. “I will not daydream in class, ever again.” We had to write it 100 times while the rest of the kids went out to the playground for recess. It got our attention.

I liked the old terms for disorders. “He’s a hot head,” instead of. “He has anger management issues.” Kids were brats, not afflicted with Discipline Deficiency Disorders. When a kid’s a brat you can make him sit in the corner for 10 minutes, as they did in my day. Or, put him in time out, as they do today. But, not give him a pass, claiming it’s a disorder. The pass doesn’t re-order the disorder. Consequences do! Like, sitting in the corner or being sent to your room (the old fashion way, with no TV, I-pods, video games, computers or cell phones).

The list of disorders embraced by modern society is endless. New ones are invented every day. There’s a handy “not your fault” disorder for every kind of behavior problem. Some are serious and really do require medical and psychological treatment. But, many are just plain bogus. If we dropped the technical name and went back to what we used to call them, we’d rid ourselves of the misbehavior. Kids would no longer have Conduct Disorder. They would simply be brats, and dealt with. Adults with Adjustment Disorder would just be said to hate change, and then ignored. Old coots like me have this affliction, but we don’t get the label; we just get ignored. It’s too bad; people miss out on our elegant discourses about how awful change is and how good things were in the old days.

People who exhibit rude behavior, bad manners and self-centeredness would be seen for what they are: rude, crude and selfish, not a poor soul afflicted with Antisocial Personality Disorder. Likewise, people who run away from problems and won’t face facts would simply be labeled that. Not, get elevated to no-fault land and said to have an Avoidant Personality Disorder. I have to admit; I ‘m stricken with many of these so-called disorders. My favorite is my Delusional Disorder. I have it bad. It let’s me continue to believe that one day I’ll get my chance to pitch for the Yankees. But nobody gives me a “no-fault” pass. They just say I’m nuts!