How would you describe Sheldon Cooper, the captivating character of popular culture? An obsessive scientist, a socially awkward genius, or a clever character whose eccentricities amuse us? Sheldon often appears to have a personality structure that could be associated with Asperger’s Syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Still, according to Jacques Lacan, a simple diagnosis is insufficient to understand the human psyche.
According to Lacan, the subject exists in specific clinical structures depending on how they relate to language, law, and desire. Lacan identified three basic structures based on these relationships: neurotic, pervert, and psychotic. Depending on whether the Name-of-the-Father metaphor is internalized or not, the subject is subject to a clinical structure and makes sense of the world within the framework of that structure. For Sheldon Cooper, this clinical structure could be considered psychosis. Moving beyond Lacanian theory, psychosis is associated with many serious diagnoses. However, it is not realistic to say that a subject with psychosis always lives on the edge, or to expect them to exhibit symptoms such as madness or disintegration. Sheldon Cooper’s bizarre behaviors are ways in which a subject with a psychotic structure makes sense of the world.
What Is Psychosis?
When a baby is first born, it cannot distinguish between the internal and external; that is, it cannot recognize itself and its mother as separate entities. According to its perception, the baby exists as a part of the mother (phallus). This dual relationship is metaphorically separated by the intervention of the father—the law (how the subject interprets this is, of course, important)—and the subject tries to make sense of this separation (neurosis). For the psychotic, this separation cannot occur; they cannot internalize the Name-of-the-Father metaphor; they live within language but cannot fully enter it.
Let us examine Sheldon’s psychotic symptoms through the TV series The Big Bang Theory.
The Spot
For Sheldon, the spot he chooses for himself on the sofa is a point he uses to anchor his external world and to give meaning to his own place. This is not simply a comfortable action he takes to avoid disturbing those around him. For Sheldon, this spot is a point to prevent the disintegration of his own reality. It can be considered an existential coordinate for him.
For the psychotic subject, the boundaries of the self are not fixed. For Sheldon, choosing a place on the sofa, adjusting the room temperature, and determining his distance from the television are attempts to draw an artificial boundary for the self. When these boundaries are invaded, the boundaries of his own self are invaded. Seen in this way, Sheldon’s seemingly extreme reactions do not seem so extreme after all.
The Roommate Agreement
For Sheldon, social rules are not as clear and defined as they are for everyone else. For neurotics, social rules are flexible because they are internalized through the Name-of-the-Father metaphor. For psychosis, however, these rules are not internalized from the outset, and the flexible nature of the rules is what causes anxiety.
Sheldon tries to establish order in his social relationships by eliminating these uncertainties through contracts. For him, making a contract is almost essential to regulate and maintain his relationship with Leonard. Because it is very difficult for him to make sense of any disorder that may arise in their relationship.
Lacan’s symbolic order is not a field that is inherently meaningful for psychotic subjects. Therefore, for Sheldon, creating an artificial symbolic order is crucial for making sense of his own world.
The Meaninglessness Of Language
The psychotic subject uses language like other subjects, but in a different way. Language has a fluid structure; meanings change according to usage, metaphors, and jokes. This is made possible by a structure we call the quilting point. The quilting point connects words and meanings, allowing the subject to enter language and create meaning. This connection between words and meanings occurs through the internalization of the first metaphor, namely, the Name-of-the-Father.
Like all psychotic subjects, Sheldon uses language differently from neurotics. For him, words have specific meanings; they have meaning individually, not within a sentence. Therefore, it is difficult for Sheldon to grasp the fluid structure of language. It is very hard for him to understand jokes; throughout The Big Bang Theory, we see that he does not understand the jokes his friends make. He often mistakes these jokes for reality, cannot grasp ambiguous meanings, and thinks in terms of literal interpretation. One of the most striking aspects of the series is that Sheldon does not understand sarcasm, often asking Leonard to explain it or genuinely thinking about it and answering literally.
A Success Story In Psychosis: Sheldon
Sheldon shows us that having a psychotic disposition does not necessarily mean being ill. He demonstrates the successful strategies of trying to live as a psychotic subject in a world structured for neurotics. The characteristics we call eccentricity are precisely what allow Sheldon to live without falling apart.
For him, science provides an unchanging, stable reality. The secret to Sheldon’s success in the world of science lies in his adaptation to this structured field. This passion contributes to his effort to make sense of the world, allowing him to continue life as a functional subject.
Perhaps thinking of Sheldon Cooper in this way helps us understand how much he has accomplished. We come to see Sheldon not merely as an egotistical scientist, but as someone who had to use different paths than most of us in making sense of life.