Delusions – (Op-Ed By James V. Ferguson, MD)

If kids knew what they wanted to be at age eight, the world would be filled with cowboys and princesses. I wanted to be a pirate. Thank God, nobody took me seriously and scheduled me for eye removal and peg leg surgery. –Bill Maher

Image Credit – Ted Eytan / CC

By James V. Ferguson, MD (contributor to the Tennessee Conservative) –

Anyone who has used Siri or Alexa, etc. has learned to deal with less than perfect voice recognition and to be aware of the infamous “autocorrect.” We have such wonderful technology which enables us to connect with others like no time in history. And we should be using it to reach out to others. However, I recommend you first compose your message and review it carefully before sending it. 

I practiced traditional medicine for forty years, but my profession changed, so I decided to go a different direction before fully retiring in 2021. I developed a concierge medical practice and made house-calls in my truck. And I used Siri on my iPhone to record my clinical notes. I learned a valuable lesson regarding technology which I’ll share, although the story is a bit risqué: 

After seeing Mrs. Jones, I voiced (recorded) my visit saying, “Mrs. Jones was at home working all afternoon.” Fortunately, I reviewed what Siri “heard” and autocorrected. My screen read, “Mrs. Jones was at home f–king all afternoon.” I was aghast! Now, I realize Siri is a Valley Girl and perhaps has no reluctance to use such vulgar language. But I assure you doctors, especially this one, do not use street language in clinical notes. 

At one time we shared a common culture and language in America, and immigrants were strongly encouraged to become Americans. However, I’ve begun to wonder, how do we understand people whose thoughts have become so alien?

I discussed the notion of delusional thinking in a previous article in the Knoxville Focus. (You can find my essay, “American Psychosis,” in the archives of the Knoxville Focus.) I understand the medical diagnosis of insanity, but I cannot comprehend the delusional thinking of so many people. And I refuse to normalize such non-reality under the ruse of “DEI” (diversity, equity, inclusion).

It is true that human sexuality runs a spectrum and there are “girly men” and “butchy women,” to use the street descriptions. My wife, Becky, recently walked into Target and was confronted with a model in a feminine outfit sporting a beard. The store boldly proclaimed their Celebration of Pride month. Hipsters may find this edgy and cool, but I find such activism inappropriate.

To paraphrase CK Chesterton, if you believe in nothing, you can believe in anything. New York celebrated gay pride month with Drag Queen story hour in schools. This is wrong. And on this continuum is the non-reality that men can get pregnant. I am against injustice, but I will not accept the “normalization” of such destructive and delusional thought. And I won’t be badgered into embracing non-reality.   

But gender dysphoria is not the only delusional groupthink promoted by ideologues and delusional leftists. Delusional thinking is everywhere these days, even the notion that America is evil because slavery was tolerated in the initial Constitution to enable its ratification. Seventy-five years later more than 600,000 Americans gave their lives during the Civil War to correct this injustice and to preserve the union. Although we are not perfect, the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th amendments to the Constitution, and later the 19^th amendment, testify to our country’s evolution toward a “more perfect union.” 

Another delusion is that socialism works despite the fact that history has shown it always fails. And I could list other delusions such as inflation is not caused by our government’s mismanagement of monetary policy, or the doubling of gas prices is due to Putin’s war instead of Biden’s war on fossil fuels. Lastly, it is perhaps delusional to think Democrats and swampy Republicans can fix the mess they’ve created. 

Liz Cheney is an example of what delusional thinking can do to a person. Most Washington Democrats are just opportunist political ideologues. But Evil’s hatred has made Cheney insane. 

People ask me, “what can we do?” I say, “walk in the Way and say No! to delusional, non-reality.” And be thankful for another day of life, soft summer mornings and the time and space to seek the Creator’s directives. 

Adapted from an article that recently appeared in the Knoxville Focus. Printed here by permission from the Author.

About the Author: Jim is a native of Knoxville, practicing Internal Medicine for more than 40 years, prior to retiring in 2020. Along with learning to become a “gentleman farmer,” he has written essays for the conservative weekly Knoxville Focus since 2007.