Ignoramaditis Musicalis - A cognitive disorder.
Primary symptom: the affected individual ranting about the utter superiority of a musical genre, group, or work without a shred of musical analysis or any logical statement to back up the claim.
Additional symptoms: the disorder is often accompanied by delusions of grandeur with respect to musical knowledge, and is characterized by illogical thought. Affected individual may use hackneyed catch-phrases. Affected individual may use sweeping generalizations. Affected individual may develop irrational beliefs, including but not limited to the notion that anyone can become an exceptional musician without instruction, the notion that 2 years of semi-interested guitar study will bring about musical mastery, the notion that simplistic and simple composition are the same, and the notion that there is no difference between an objective and subjective opinion with respect to music.
This disorder usually appears spontaneously in the early teens. It is highly contagious, though as yet no explanation has been found to suggest why only music-specific logic and thought patterns are affected. Though not life-threatening, it is a highly disturbing disorder, and its spread has had wide-ranging implications for the development of music in Western culture. The disorder is sometimes difficult to identify, as many of the symptoms are similar in nature to the behavioral patterns of well-educated individuals. Diagnosis is therefore dependent on the ability to recongnize irrational claims in otherwise intelligent discourse.
Treatment is difficult, mainly because the affected individual will normally become belligerent when confronted with the problem. Outright denial is commonplace. Established treatment involves discussion therapy and basic musical education, which will assist in the realization of the irrational thought, and eventually result in the curing of the disorder.
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