Talk:Sheldon Cooper

Sheldon's postnominals

According to current academic guidelines postnominals are listed from highest-to-lowest and with only the highest in each discipline being given. For example, the BS, MS, and ScD are all “of science” so only the highest would be listed. Accordingly, he would properly be “Sheldon Lee Cooper, PhD, ScD, MA”. It could be stated elsewhere in the article that he has the other degrees. Sg647112c (talk) 18:22, 11 January 2012 (UTC)

It's obscure information that shouldn't even be in the article in the first place. He is a fictional character and needs to be treated as such. In other words, most of the information needs to be written from an out-of-universe perspective and not as if he's a real person. --174.252.55.217 (talk) 01:41, 12 April 2012 (UTC)

Per WP:CREDENTIAL they shouldn't be listed at all. I've removed them from all the BBT character articles. I fully expect a fanboy freakout, but this is the correct style. Real people with Ph.D.s don't have their degrees listed. PigArcher (talk) 00:14, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

There was a discussion in 2010 about applicability of the MoS to fictional characters and, while it mainly referred to names and not postnominals, the view of the majority of editors is that MOS:BIO doesn't apply to fictional characters. --AussieLegend (talk) 01:55, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

So therefore they absolutely must be listed everywhere and under no circumstances can they be removed, ever. Got it. Do you want to declare any other absolute decrees we should be aware of? PigArcher (talk) 09:23, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

Nobody has said anything of the sort. I've explained further on your talk page,[1] and mine.[2] --AussieLegend (talk) 10:04, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

Sidestepping the escalated question whether or not fictional characters should have academic degrees listed in the first place, seeing as Sheldon's (and the others') degrees are currently mentioned indeed, I've taken the liberty of actually addressing the initial point raised by Sg647112c (talk):

• The order in which to list degrees is not set in stone (not in the U.S. anyway, in my country it actually is). Increasing order of significance is common and acceptable. As is chronological order, but in Sheldon's case this cannot be established from canon as far as I know.
• One normally only lists the highest degrees in every field. Listing both BS and MS, although not technically forbidden, is strongly frowned upon. As is listing either when one has a PhD in the same field and/or an ScD.
• Using the word and is entirely inappropriate (or more to the point: just plain incorrect) altogether anyway. I suspect that a fan just copied Sheldon's "I’m dr. Sheldon Cooper, BS, MS, MA, PhD, and ScD. OMG, right?"-joke verbatim, not knowing that it's a joke and one doesn't actually really say/write that (in fact, this quote contains another serious error...).

-- Skysmurf  (Talk) 22:16, 13 August 2012 (UTC)

Asperger syndrome

Changed the conjunction between the two statements made by Parsons about his portrayal, removing the "however" prefacing the second- the statements are complicit, not contradictory. --74.132.67.84 (talk) 13:28, 25 March 2012 (UTC)

I need to chime in on this issue, I watch the big bang theory and can relate to a lot of Sheldon's behaviour. I have similar behaviour on occasions, but minus the minor OCD. I absolutely DO NOT have aspergers. I have visited with many aspergers people in a support group and it is quite clear that the behaviour does not correlate. The cause of sheldons quirks are very likely due to a particular form of dyslexia which is most certainly common with those of a high IQ. any linking of Sheldon with aspergers seems to be due to a misunderstanding of what aspergers is and how it manifests in a persons behaviour. if sheldon did have aspergers he would show considerable more difficulty in adapting to new social conventions.Drag-5 (talk) 17:25, 1 May 2012 (UTC)

Sheldon Cooper is very autistic. He does not show any indication of having dyslexia. What part of adapting to new social conventions are you saying he does easily? Jim Michael (talk) 23:55, 29 May 2012 (UTC)

how about every single one. I may not have this ad verbatim, but i think it went something like this " sheldon it's a non-optional social convention" "oh okay then" they then proceed to go and buy a gift for leonard. I saw absolutely zero difficulty in sheldon adapting to this new situation. this kind of things happens all the time. as for indications of dyslexia, ensuring things are in order is a sign of dyslexia. I do this. my inability to deal with large amounts of data at any particular time, leads me to create specific order in certain areas of my life, without which I would have a constant sense of unease and a sense i Have forgotten something. sheldon appears to behave in a similar way, creating order in aspects of his life to promote ease of mind when not thinking about them.Drag-5 (talk) 15:56, 10 June 2012 (UTC)

He is socially awkward and frequently makes faux pas when talking to people. He has to be told of social conventions, he doesn't pick up on them naturally from other people in the way that most people would, nor does he enjoy them at all. He has a formal way of speaking and does not do small talk. He is in these respects typical of an intelligent, educated, autistic person. Whilst some dyslexics may put things in order, being a control freak is not typical of them; it is typical of people who have obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and many autistics put things in order, even when it is not necessary. Social ineptitude is not a feature of dyslexia; it is a prominent feature of autism. He shows no difficulty writing, which dyslexics struggle with. Jim Michael (talk) 17:54, 11 June 2012 (UTC)

you seem to be missing the point though. I AM dyslexic. I do not have issues writing. although my 'condition' is classified under dyslexia, it is not characterised by awkwardness in spelling etc. it is more general difficulty in information processing. I already said i see similarities between myself and sheldon. I can be a control freak at times in the same fashion as you just mentioned. I am also socially awkward due to my partially isolated upbringing. I am often unaware of some things I do that may make people feel uncomfortable or angry and often feel awkward around people because i find it difficult to read new situations. I am often too formal in my speech and people often consider me aloof. I was tested by a trained professional. he tested all cognitive functioning using the WAIS II system. I am not autistic or aspergers syndrome. I even visited a support group for aspergers and autism just to make sure. I met a few people who were autistic or merely aspergers. sheldon is not like any of these people. sheldon has a clear ability to adapt when he wants to . his simple disinterest in adopting social skills does not equal an inability to do such. it merely characterises a disinterest. in fact what i have already pointed out, an ability to easily adapt to new social conventions clearly shows that he has no difficulty in doing so. he is merely disinterested.Drag-5 (talk) 03:04, 16 June 2012 (UTC)

I have watched many episodes of this show and I have never seen him adapt easily / normally to any social situation, he has to be told and learns everything formally, not from perception. He is unusually intelligent yet cannot pick up on social cues, cannot read between the lines and cannot discern a person's feelings from facial expressions, tone of voice etc. He says things which cause embarrassment to those around him and which cause problems for himself that he did not want. He has difficulty telling whether a person is genuine or is joking. He is often far too trusting and is naive to some people having ulterior motives. He asks Penny how long a hug should last, if her menstrual cycle is regular and what age her mother had the menopause. He is surprised when she tells him that trust is an inherent part of friendship. He has to formally learn basic things which most people are able to discern for themselves without being told. He always uses formal language, even in situations that are clearly informal. That he is not interested in many things that most people are interested in backs the case that he is autistic. He is conscientious and ambitious in his career. He is not apathetic to things in general. He is anxious and fastidious and does not have unusual beliefs. He does not think he is being persecuted or conspired against. This rules out cluster A personality disorders. He asserts his intellectual superiority, but does not have an excessive need for admiration. He knows he's a genius, does not care about anyone's opinion of him and does not seek narcissistic supply. He doesn't care about his physical appearance, wear designer clothes or drive a Ferrari or have a trophy partner, hence he does not have narcissistic personality disorder. I cannot think of a more obvious case of Asperger's that Sheldon. Significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns and behavior and interests centainly describes him well, and that is the description in the lead of our article on Asperger's. Jim Michael (talk) 02:35, 17 July 2012 (UTC)

During a scene whilst Sheldon and Penny were washing their clothes, she asked him if Leonard had ever dated a "regular girl". His reply was "I take it you don't mean digestive regularity, because I've learnt that it's inappropriate to discuss such things". This is one of many examples that show he is unable to work out for himself what topics are or are not appropriate to discuss socially. During the same conversation, after she asks him to keep a secret, he is surprised to learn from Penny that confidentiality and trust are inherent features of friendship. The vast majority of people learn that during childhood without being clearly informed of that, because it is obvious. He has to be explicity told of social ettiquette; he has less understanding of it than most people with IQs of 80 have. Most people can easily discern what is or is not appropriate. he cannot. Comparing to people in a support group is not reasonable. Support groups are for people who have great difficulty coping. High-functioning, successful people do not need, and hence do not attend, support groups. No-one discusses physics at a support group; such places are for people who have difficulty with ordinary, everyday life.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.28.166.61 (talk) 15:35, 18 July 2012 (UTC)

In response to Jim Michael, I can think of hundreds of thousands of people who are far more obvious cases of Aspergers, and they are the people who in real-life have received a diagnosis after a number of assessments by professionals in the field. Sheldon Cooper isn't one of them. Until it is explicitly stated within the series that he is Aspergers, then fan speculation doesn't cut it. I agree the character exhibits a number of traits that could be construed as Aspergers/Autism, but in real-life he would be a very atypical case, displaying none of the restricted physical behaviours or sensory sensitivities associated with the condition. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.164.54.136 (talk) 23:23, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Ladies and gentlemen, upon glancing at this talk page, I have noticed that an argument over the psychological disposition of Sheldon Cooper has erupted, over whether or not he has Asperger Syndrome or OCPD. I believe, however, that Sheldon Cooper possesses symptoms that can link him to being Schizotypal, and below is a thorough examination of his behaviour as evidence of my claim.

From the Wikipedia article, the symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, are:

* Ideas of reference (excluding delusions of reference)

In the Infestation Hypothesis, Sheldon is revealed to have suspected a mysterious cloud to be following him around town, and North Korean spies to be stealing his doodles (going as far as placing GPS trackers in his garbage). These two examples in particular showcase Sheldon's ideas of reference.

* Odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is inconsistent with subcultural norms (e.g. superstition, belief in clairvoyance, telepathy, "sixth sense", or bizarre fantasies or preoccupations)

Sheldon Cooper believes that one day robots will rise up against the human race, telepathy is possible, he has the ability to blow up a human head, the Force is a real binding, metaphysical power in the universe, through recombinant DNA technology he can bio-engineer a griffin, and extraterrestrials can currently successfully probe humans. Furthermore, Sheldon is often preoccupied with an external private project. For example, when he was a child, he built a functional CAT scanner, attempted to construct a nuclear reactor in his garden shed to supply electricity for his town, built a deficient death ray, and constructed an armed robot. In the last 5 seasons, we have observed Sheldon trying to make his apartment a sovereign state, perfecting luminous fish, gaining proficiency in operating a loom (weaving his friends matching sarapes), learning Finnish, learning Mandarin Chinese, proposing a duplicate of Jerusalem to be constructed in the Mexican Desert (to solve the Israel-Palestine Conflict), trying to fabricate the perfect card trick with combinatorics and computer simulations, designing his own board game (Research Lab), designing 3-person chess, building a virtual presence device to extend his lifespan (by not participating in any dangerous activities), and hosting an education program on vexillology.

* Unusual perceptual experiences, including bodily illusions

When Sheldon opens his vintage Star Trek transporter collectible, he conceives his Spock collectible to be communicating with him, both when he's asleep and awake. He even participates in an argument with an otherwise inanimate object. In a contest over the ownership of an original ring prop of Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Sheldon falls asleep and dreams that he wins the contest, but goes into the bathroom to clean his toy, and realizes that his head has begun to resemble that of Gollum. In a guilt ridden dream over damaging Howard's career, Sheldon visualizes a Gorn in his apartment. In another dream, Sheldon dreams that he's being attacked by a vicious pack of Morlocks from the Time Machine.

* Odd thinking and speech (e.g. vague, circumstantial, metaphorical, or stereotyped speaking)

Sheldon often speaks with a circumstantial tone, devising analogies involving Schrödinger's Cat for everyday scenarios (e.g. Schrödinger's friendship). He is also well versed in logical fallacies and latin phrases. His speech is extremely formal for the tasks at hand, and he enjoys to integrate props into conversations. In fact, when he took the new driver's test at the DMV, he had a variety of questions pertaining to the meaning of the questions, and the invalidity of the subject matter. For example, he was puzzled by the term "car length", as it isn't a standardized unit of measure. In response to an action, he gives historical allusions to serve as precedent against an action he deems unacceptable; e.g. when his friends, troubled by personal matters, opted to surrender in a match of paintball while he was commander of the team, he asked them whether the "battle was a game to them, questioning whether battles of classical antiquity were also games to the Greeks and Romans.

* Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation

His ideas of reference are paranoid themselves, but he retains numerous paranoias and fears. Some of the fears Sheldon has gained over the years are Ornithophobia (fear of birds), Autophobia (fear of being alone), Agoraphobia (fear of unsafe places), Germophobia (fear of germs), Hypochondria (fear of having a serious illness), Mysophobia (fear of contamination), Scelerophibia (fear of burglars/criminals), Ursaphobia (fear of bears), Cynophobia, Arachnophobia (fear of spiders), Aphenphosmphobia (fear of being touched, also known as aphephobia, haphephobia, haphophobia, hapnophobia, haptephobia, haptophobia, thixophobia), Ataxophobia (fear of untidiness/disorder), and Thanatophobia (fear of death). Sheldon also thinks that chicken nuggets are human nuggets, and thought that a seafood restaurant was selling "mobster sauce", or (ad verbatim) grind up pieces of mobster (when this obviously was merely a typing mistake). When Sheldon realized that the milk carton felt lighter, he envisioned that there was a "Milk Thief" in the building.

* Inappropriate or constricted affect

* Behavior or appearance that is odd, eccentric or peculiar * Lack of close friends or confidants other than first degree relatives * Excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiarity and tends to be associated with paranoid fears rather than negative judgments about self.

Yours Truly, Rifasj123 (talk) 20:36, 4 August 2012 (UTC)

All very good but it constitutes original research and therefore can't be used in the article. --AussieLegend (talk) 08:11, 5 August 2012 (UTC)

I think it's interesting enough to at least prevent people or reduce the amount of people driving at sheldon having aspergers. as I've already pointed out, I share some of sheldons quirks to a lesser degree and I am dyslexic. most definitely not autistic or aspergers. various quirks simply arise out of personality traits that in turn arise from adapting to a form of learning disability. sheldon doesn't have significant difficulties in social interaction. he just has a chronic lack of experience. he clearly adapts quite well when he needs to. thanks for the additional information.Drag-5 (talk) 23:22, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

I've already commented in regard to Sheldon's supposed Aspergers, but I think the point I'm really trying to make is this: HE IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER IN A SITUATION COMEDY. We can assign him personality traits consistent with any diagnosis you wish, but that is not to say that this is the intention of the writers - and amounts to speculation verging on fan fiction. I apologise if my tone sounds unnecessarily harsh, but I am a professional in the field of autism who encounters prejudice against the condition on a regular basis. There is already enough harmful stereotyping in the media. I would ask people not to add speculative attributes to fictional characters - at best, it implies that autism and related conditions are suitable subjects for comedy, and at worst it portrays those conditions in a negative ill-informed light. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.164.54.136 (talk) 22:17, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

Italic text== Clean yet? ==

I've removed about 8mb of useless information from this page. Is it suitable for the 'overly detailed' tag to be removed yet? Indiasummer95 (talk) 19:05, 31 August 2012 (UTC)

shouldn't the old info have been archived ant not totally deleted? Did some wiki convention for talk pages change, because it's my understanding that info on talk pages should never be totally deleted unless it's copyvio.

Untitled

is Sheldon Cooper OCD or OCPD? know the difference, please. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.60.205.2 (talk) 11:04, 23 November 2012 (UTC)