Meaning of la belle indifference | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Alternative spelling of la belle indifference.
   alt-of, alternative, uncountable
2. A paradoxical lack of emotional distress or concern despite the presence of an illness or serious physical symptoms.
   uncountable

Examples

“The available evidence does not support the use of la belle indifférence to discriminate between conversion symptoms and symptoms of organic disease. The quality of the published studies is poor, with a lack of operational definitions and masked ratings. La belle indifférence should be abandoned as a clinical sign until both its definition and its utility have been clarified.”

“Even now, one pays attention to the complex-indicators which we have studied, especially the physical ones (blushings, twitchings, strikingly soft or loud, quick or slow speech, smiling upon the recounting of severe suffering ("La belle indifference"), symptomatic movements, etc).”

“It is interesting to note that insofar as this supports our hypothesis it accords with the time-worn conception of the hysterical patient with little or no anxiety — la belle indifference.”

“La belle indifference is a way of pretending nothing is happening: it represents a way of showing one's paralysis to others by manipulating their judgment through an attitude of indifference.”

“Most of us have heard of la belle indifférence of the French neurologists. This term attempts to convey the beautiful calm of those hysterics who have achieved their ambition to avoid responsibility by inducing in themselves a state of resistless torpor and the reputation for chronic invalidism bravely borne.”

“As such this term is close in meaning to what Jung has referred to as "euphoric apathy" or la belle indifférence, usually in connection with hysterical manifestations but here mainly in reference to the gods.”

“It is understood that some of the schemes have equilibrated in a way such that two, three, or more mutually exclusive opinions coexist within one patient (or even personality); the situation becomes more perplexing to the therapist when she realizes that rather than approaching this circumstance with appropriate circumspection and confusion, the incest victim may respond with a degree of la belle indifférence to the illogical coexistence of contradictory alternatives.”

CEFR level