--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They have this big book called the…" description: "\"They have this big book called the 'DSM-IV,' you know, that is supposedly written about crazy people, but I think it is a book that is written by crazy..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/william-glasser-10297_big-book_they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-i_267870.jpg" --- # They have this big book called the 'DSM-IV,' you know… ![“They have this big book called the 'DSM-IV,' you know, that is supposedly written about crazy people, but I think it is a book that is written by crazy people!” quote by William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/william-glasser-10297_big-book_they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-i_267870.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/william-glasser-10297_big-book_they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-i_267870.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/william-glasser-10297_big-book_they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-i_267870.jpg) > “They have this big book called the 'DSM-IV,' you know, that is supposedly written about crazy people, but I think it is a book that is written by crazy people!” [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques the psychiatric classification system as being authored by those it labels, suggesting bias and self‑interest. **In simple terms:** DSM may be created by the crazy. Key Takeaway Question authority in mental health. Themes psychology critique authority bias mental health Mood skeptical critical Type analytical provocative When to use this quote - clinical practice - policy making - academic research - patient advocacy Key Concepts psychiatry social construction institutional power Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from diagnostic categories? - How can we improve mental health classification? A Different Perspective The DSM is widely used and has clinical utility despite criticisms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Crazy people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crazy-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [ Kanye \[West\] just says the funniest analogies that are so random. I should start keeping a book - in 20 years, I'll have a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/kanye-west-just-says-the-funniest-analogies-that-are-so-random-i/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [What a big book, captain, might be made with all that is known!" "And what a much bigger book still with all that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/what-a-big-book-captain-might-be-made-with-all-that-is-known-and-what/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [I fancy mankind may come, in time, to write all aphoristically, except in narrative; grow weary of preparation, and connection, and illustration, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-fancy-mankind-may-come-in-time-to-write-all-aphoristically-except/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It makes more sense to write one big book - a novel or nonfiction narrative - than to write many stories or essays. Into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-makes-more-sense-to-write-one-big-book-a-novel-or-nonfiction/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I finished a big book the other day. 421 pages. That's a lot of coloring when you think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/i-finished-a-big-book-the-other-day-421-pages-that-s-a-lot-of/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [I have insane curiosity as to what happened in all these events. I will never know. I'm not a researcher. I don't possess that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-have-insane-curiosity-as-to-what-happened-in-all-these-events-i/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [“He savoured the moment. He’d like to take this moment and press it carefully in a big book, so that when he was old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-savoured-the-moment-he-d-like-to-take-this-moment-and-press-it/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“AA makes inflated claims about itself. Its foundational document, Alcoholics Anonymous (commonly referred to as the “Big Book” and a perennial best seller), spells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-dodes/aa-makes-inflated-claims-about-itself-its-foundational-document/) [Lance Dodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-dodes/) > ['A People's History of the United States' was actually a very big book for me. I read it in high school, and I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/a-people-s-history-of-the-united-states-was-actually-a-very-big-book/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [“HYSTERICAL HISTORY Bumping into Vincent O’Neil makes me think about what Uncle Frankie said. I need new material for Boston, not Vincent’s stale and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/hysterical-history-bumping-into-vincent-o-neil-makes-me-think-about/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [I like big books and I cannot lie. 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They might seem on the outside to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chang-rae-lee/some-writers-are-writing-one-great-big-book-and-just-taking-all-these/) [Chang-Rae Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chang-rae-lee/) > [Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course; but I mean: put into words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/still-i-wonder-if-we-shall-ever-be-put-into-songs-or-tales-we-re-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by William Glasser > [The answer lies in preventing these failures, not in looking for better ways to fix the people who are failing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/the-answer-lies-in-preventing-these-failures-not-in-looking-for/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [Too many of us fail to fulfill our needs because we say no rather than yes, or perhaps later in life, yes when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/too-many-of-us-fail-to-fulfill-our-needs-because-we-say-no-rather/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [Education is the process in which we discover that learning adds quality to our lives. Learning must be experienced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/education-is-the-process-in-which-we-discover-that-learning-adds/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [A friend of mine, a dedicated golfer, shot a hole in one playing by himself. Disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/a-friend-of-mine-a-dedicated-golfer-shot-a-hole-in-one-playing-by/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [“What happened in the past that was painful has a great deal to do with what we are today, but revisiting this painful past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/what-happened-in-the-past-that-was-painful-has-a-great-deal-to-do/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [I think it is totally wrong and terribly harmful if education is defined as acquiring knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/i-think-it-is-totally-wrong-and-terribly-harmful-if-education-is/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [You can acquire a lot of knowledge without ever going to school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/you-can-acquire-a-lot-of-knowledge-without-ever-going-to-school/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [“What happened in the past that was painful has a great deal to do with what we are today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/what-happened-in-the-past-that-was-painful-has-a-great-deal-to-do-2/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [This is at the heart of all good education, where the teacher asks students to think and engages them in encouraging dialogues, constantly checking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/this-is-at-the-heart-of-all-good-education-where-the-teacher-asks/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [Good or bad, everything we do is our best choice at that moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/good-or-bad-everything-we-do-is-our-best-choice-at-that-moment/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [To counter the avoidance of intellectual challenge and responsibility, we must reduce the domination of certainty in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/to-counter-the-avoidance-of-intellectual-challenge-and-responsibility/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [What happened in the past that was painful has a great deal to do with what we are today, but revisiting this painful past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/what-happened-in-the-past-that-was-painful-has-a-great-deal-to-do-3/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [Love. What is love? No word can define it, it's something so great, only God could design it. Yes, love is beyond, what man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/love-what-is-love-no-word-can-define-it-it-s-something-so-great-only/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [Unlike the weak, the strong neither give up nor are driven by pain into rash or stupid behavior. They don't like pain any more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/unlike-the-weak-the-strong-neither-give-up-nor-are-driven-by-pain/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [“To become more effective, you must learn what these people have learned: how you feel is not controlled by others or events. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/to-become-more-effective-you-must-learn-what-these-people-have/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) [Explore all 66 William Glasser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) ## More Big book quotes > [ Kanye \[West\] just says the funniest analogies that are so random. I should start keeping a book - in 20 years, I'll have a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-kardashian/kanye-west-just-says-the-funniest-analogies-that-are-so-random-i/) [Kim Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-kardashian/) > [Some writers are writing one great, big book and just taking all these different avenues towards it. 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You other readers can’t deny That when a kid walks in with The Name of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-c-hines/i-like-big-books-and-i-cannot-lie-you-other-readers-can-t-deny-that/) [Jim C. Hines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-c-hines/) > [“HYSTERICAL HISTORY Bumping into Vincent O’Neil makes me think about what Uncle Frankie said. I need new material for Boston, not Vincent’s stale and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/hysterical-history-bumping-into-vincent-o-neil-makes-me-think-about/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > ['A People's History of the United States' was actually a very big book for me. I read it in high school, and I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/a-people-s-history-of-the-united-states-was-actually-a-very-big-book/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [“AA makes inflated claims about itself. Its foundational document, Alcoholics Anonymous (commonly referred to as the “Big Book” and a perennial best seller), spells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-dodes/aa-makes-inflated-claims-about-itself-its-foundational-document/) [Lance Dodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-dodes/) > [“He savoured the moment. He’d like to take this moment and press it carefully in a big book, so that when he was old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/he-savoured-the-moment-he-d-like-to-take-this-moment-and-press-it/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I have insane curiosity as to what happened in all these events. I will never know. I'm not a researcher. I don't possess that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-have-insane-curiosity-as-to-what-happened-in-all-these-events-i/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [I finished a big book the other day. 421 pages. That's a lot of coloring when you think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-sandler/i-finished-a-big-book-the-other-day-421-pages-that-s-a-lot-of/) [Adam Sandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-sandler/) > [It makes more sense to write one big book - a novel or nonfiction narrative - than to write many stories or essays. Into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-makes-more-sense-to-write-one-big-book-a-novel-or-nonfiction/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [I fancy mankind may come, in time, to write all aphoristically, except in narrative; grow weary of preparation, and connection, and illustration, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/i-fancy-mankind-may-come-in-time-to-write-all-aphoristically-except/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [What a big book, captain, might be made with all that is known!" "And what a much bigger book still with all that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/what-a-big-book-captain-might-be-made-with-all-that-is-known-and-what/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course; but I mean: put into words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/still-i-wonder-if-we-shall-ever-be-put-into-songs-or-tales-we-re-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 81 Big book quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They have this big book called the 'DSM-IV,' you know, that is supposedly written about crazy people, but I think it is a book that is written by crazy people!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Glasser" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-iv-you-know-that-is-supposedly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-iv-you-know-that-is-supposedly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/william-glasser-10297_big-book_they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-i_267870.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/william-glasser-10297_big-book_they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-i_267870.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/632/william-glasser-10297_big-book_they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-i_267870.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They have this big book called the 'DSM-IV,' you know, that is supposedly written about crazy people, but I…” — William Glasser", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Glasser", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They have this big book called...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-iv-you-know-that-is-supposedly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/they-have-this-big-book-called-the-dsm-iv-you-know-that-is-supposedly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```