Why is it that?

Question

When adults have multiple personalities they are put in a mental hospital, but when a child has imaginary friends it's cute?

Answer 1

Good question. Hmm... I would be alarmed by children with this "gift", not really because I would be concerned that they are experiencing some form of a personality disorder...but, because children are naive and their ghostly knowledge is limited. I would expect the imaginary friend to be a spirit of one who has passed rather than a sign of a mental disorder. I don't know! Great question though. I will definitely revisit to view your new answers!

Answer 2

Multiple personalities isn't quite the same as imaginary friends. The first is a disorder, and a potentially dangerous one. The second, while arguably a potential danger, is an expression of creativity that one will likely outgrow, and even so, a child behaving as such is (hopefully) under the control and supervision of a parent. Adults behaving as such may require supervision, as well. So they are put somewhere where they'll have it.

btw, when adults have an imaginary friend, it's called "religion".

Answer 3

Invisible friends are a childs way of organising his world. Multiple personality disorder is possibly fake, and is often confused with schizophrenia (hallucinations) both of which are unhealthy adaptations.

Answer 4

Because people expect adults' minds to be more well rounded intellectually as well as psychologically than a child's.

Answer 5

because usually kids grow out of that phase....if your kids doesn't eventually get real friends and still think his/her imaginary friend is there you might have a problem. imaginary friends usually happen because the kid is lonely so once they get real friends they snap out of it.