On Being Sane in Insane Places

An anecdote is a brief story—often one that interrupts a broader narrative or work. David L. Rosenhan’s anecdotes detailing the experiences of pseudopatients within psychiatric hospitals serve multiple purposes. Firstly, they provide concrete examples of the abstract concepts being discussed, such as the misinterpretation of “normal” behaviors as symptoms of mental illness; he recounts, for example, how staff assumed a pseudopatient pacing the hospital was nervous, when in fact he was simply trying to pass the time. These personal experiences make the essay more understandable to the layperson. Secondly, anecdotes add a human element to the critique, moving beyond theoretical discussion to showcase real-world implications. For instance, the description of a pseudopatient’s behaviors being seen as pathological highlights the systemic issues in psychiatric diagnosis—in particular, Stigmatization and Dehumanization in Mental Health Care. These personal stories are thus a form of pathos, engaging the reader emotionally and making the critique more impactful and memorable.

Irony involves a gap between what one perceives or expects and what is in fact the case. It appears in various forms throughout Rosenhan’s essay, including dramatic irony: a form of irony in which the reader knows more than the characters.