Stats
At our lab we’re roughly one hundred creatures.
Of these, 6 are currently away under psychiatric leave.
Among those currently at work, twice as many have been away with psychiatric leave at some time or another.
Many years ago, while being a trainee at a Scottish university I came across Professor M., a brilliant chemist that had this theory: “society regards chemists as some kind of crazy odd nuts and we mustn’t disappoint them by acting sane”.
Right! But from my stats almost twenty per cent of my co-workers are raving mad, I wonder if it really is healthy to stick with my job.
Don’t misunderstand me, I still love working at a chem lab, but is it safe?
Oh, by the way, a friend of mine faced with these stats asked: “What? Only 20% of you have been diagnosed yet?!”
Of these, 6 are currently away under psychiatric leave.
Among those currently at work, twice as many have been away with psychiatric leave at some time or another.
Many years ago, while being a trainee at a Scottish university I came across Professor M., a brilliant chemist that had this theory: “society regards chemists as some kind of crazy odd nuts and we mustn’t disappoint them by acting sane”.
Right! But from my stats almost twenty per cent of my co-workers are raving mad, I wonder if it really is healthy to stick with my job.
Don’t misunderstand me, I still love working at a chem lab, but is it safe?
Oh, by the way, a friend of mine faced with these stats asked: “What? Only 20% of you have been diagnosed yet?!”
posted by DCveR at 7:11 PM
10 Comments:
I just wonder - what's the reason? Is it a matter of some substances that are messing with grey matter or what? Although I don't think insanity is all that bad (yeah, how could I say that?) but I feel happy that my mind have always been unable to understand chemistry :) Lucky me, huh? :D
I always thought of science people as sane. But then again, people are people and even psychiatrists need to see a shrink I've heard.
shyha: Don't ask me, I really don't know. My guess? The stress, the long hours, the chemical products, peer pressure, and probably some genetic common cause that led us all to this job to start with. All together in a dangerous mix.
GG: Now that you say that, the few shrinks I've met are just a tad strange...
This is a bit like postal workers in the U.S. Only they have a reputation for bringing guns back in the workplace and shooting them up.. At least your nutty chemists don't do that!
If you're ever desperate for a vacation you could easily fake a psychotic breakdown.
"There goes another one, see you in six weeks."
who knew? risky job then... better run before you get "contaminated" :) but on a serious note now, would you consider any other profession?
DC, to me, you've always come across as very rational.
I get your point about scientists always being depicted as mad.
I think that if the whole world's population were tested, we'd have the same proportion of mad people as in a lab!
Interesting statistic, about the same for dentists?
HI! I am finally back online and look forward to catching up on reading your blog!
Hope all is well on your side of the world. I will read and find out!
Lisa
still In Seattle!
kris: Funny you should mention that bringing guns to work... guess that could happen easily in our lab!
chill daddy: Maybe it didn't have to be a fake license, maybe I'm just one of the un-diagnosed cases!!! Huahuahua!
nyasha: Probably not. Rather to go nuts doing something I love then going nuts by doing something I hate.
cream: I really don't know about that. I get the feeling that people who live in remote "less developed" places have less psychiatric/psychological problems...
caribbean colors: Weirdly enough I've always thought that being mad and sadistic was a pre-requisite for becoming a dentist.
lisa: Nice to have you back! Hope everything is going well with you!
Post a Comment
<< Home