This article was originally posted in 2012. I have updated it in August 2020.
If you have never watched The Big Bang Theory, you are missing a lot of good laughs. There’s nothing like a bunch of nerds making fun of each other. There are no longer any episodes being made, but reruns are plenty on TBS.
However, if you have watched it, you are familiar with the narcissistic, manipulative, arrogant, controlling, brilliant physicist, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons. If there was ever a character that was completely void of any ability to look at things from another person’s perspective, he is that character. Sadly, life is difficult for Sheldon.
Some of his other characteristics include being way too direct, having a photographic memory, fear of germs, neat freak, zero social skills, preferring his own company to that of others, and LOVING and REQUIRING structure. He has no tolerance for ambiguity in his day to day life.
Science is his religion, as his mother was very religious. However, he has rejected her religious viewpoints and instead, has made science his religion. What is very interesting about him is that he is a theoretical physicist. One would think that someone who likes predictability as much as this character would not be comfortable in the realm of theory. But because religion is always more ambiguous than day to day life, he is comfortable with this. And also theorizing is one of his symptoms—not just in his job, but in his day to day existence. He uses theories and logic to get along in life where most people know instinctively what to say and do and how to understand a social situation.
The real key to figuring out Sheldon is to figure out what it was like to be living in that household as a child. His super religious mother is also his “kryptonite”. He will do anything that she tells him. I get the sense that she smothered him, but not in a loving, I’m-worried-you’ll-hurt-yourself sort of way. It seemed more like Your-salvation-is-in-question-if-you-don’t-follow-the-rules type of smothering. Sometimes we use the mother’s state to find a remedy for the child. In his case, he is very child-like and hasn’t separated from his mother as he ought, so even though he is an adult, we can still use his mother’s symptoms.
To read more about the whole story of his character, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Cooper
What Needs to Be Cured?
Live is hard for Sheldon Cooper.
In trying to come up with a remedy for him, there are so many symptoms, it is difficult to know where to start. Let’s start with the all-important question in homeopathy, “What Needs To Be Cured?” His chief complaint would be his rigidity and his difficulty assimilating socially into any group. Some people would say he has Asberger’s although his creator says that was not part of the creation process. But he is narcissistic, which causes his social problems. Too absorbed in himself, not interested enough in others. That is what needs to be cured.
What Symptoms Should We Use?
His Intelligence and theorizing is one symptom. Another is his being too religious—his mother with what is normally considered religion and his own religion that is science. His self-indulgent narcissism is another. His OCD, fear of germs is his fourth symptom. His arrogance is his fifth and is lack of interest in any sort of sexuality is the last one I would examine.
Before coming to a remedy decision, it is clear that he needs a Mineral remedy; that is, a remedy from the periodic table. His off-the-charts need for structure is like a big arrow pointing to the periodic table remedies.
Two remedies come to mind with these symptoms: Sulphur and Arsenicum. First, they are both minerals, which are about trying to find their place in the world, which he is. They both cover most of his symptoms. Intelligence is not normally seen as a hallmark of Arsenicum, although they can certainly be intelligent. They both have the ability to theorize about everything. The rest of the symptoms really cover both of them. Sulphur can be very social, or be very anti-social. Arsenicum doesn’t really have an axis of being social or not social. They tend to be more manipulative than Sulphur and their reason for being manipulative is about safety. It is usually about making sure they are safe, however.
Although Arsenicum can have concern about salvation, it is usually in line with their fears about the environment in general. Sulphur is well known for also being religious. There are other religious remedies as well, but many tend to be chilly. While Sheldon is manipulative, it is because he wants his own way. The childish side of him (also covered by Sulphur) is fed by that, and he uses his intellectual powers of logic to do that. (Frankly, I wouldn’t put up with him.) Sheldon is an attention seeker, so that people can see how smart he is. That is a Sulphur symptom. Finally, he also broke down and started hoarding cats after one particularly emotionally traumatizing incident. Sulphur loves cats.
The Remedy Is….
It seems like Sulphur is the answer for Sheldon, however, Sulphur tends to be much messier than Sheldon’s character is. But you can always see the opposite symptom in any remedy state. Also, we don’t know if he is warm or cold. If he is warm, I’d give him Sulphur, or a Sulphur salt. It is hard to tell which one he might need, but it could be Cuprum Sulphuricum or Kali Sulphuricum. If, however, he is cold all the time, he may, indeed, need Arsenicum or an Arsenicum Salt. Once again, I would consider Cuprum Arsenicosum or Kali Arsenicosum.
Since I first wrote this post, there was an episode where Sheldon was freezing cold all the time. But it was winter and the environmental circumstances were such that one would expect that. Sulphur, although warm, can be very sensitive to cold temperatures.
In rereading this blog post in 2020, I would choose Cuprum Sulphuricum for Sheldon. Sulphur covers his relationship issues. Cuprum covers his performance issues.
Repertorization of Sheldon Cooper’s Symptoms.
Below is the repertorization of his symptoms. Normally I would do this before choosing a remedy, but I don’t always need to do it. You will notice that Cuprum Sulphuricum does not show up. This is an unusual remedy and I wouldn’t expect it to appear. You can see Sulphur covers all the symptoms except Very Attached To Mother. This is a pretty important symptom. Also, Sulphur, although it is in the symptom Rigidity, and he has the Sulphur quality of rigidity of thinking he is always right, the neatness, tidiness, rule-making, controlling rigidity doesn’t belong to Sulphur. It does belong to Cuprum. (I also find it interesting that the character’s last name sounds a bit like Cuprum, which, by the way, is homeopathic Copper–just one letter off.)
A couple of the symptoms may need additional explanation. The symptom of Egotism, Self-Esteem and the symptom of Power, Love of, are the Narcissism symptoms I chose, as there is not a narcissim symptom in this repertory. Ideas, Fixed is the symptom for the OCD he has related to ideas he gets in his mind where he can’t get rid of them. Disgust is the symptom used for his general approach to germs and his viewpoint of “coitus” as he calls it.
With a real person, there would generally be some physical symptoms to include in the repertorization, so I may not use quite as many Mind symptoms as I did here.
Would Sheldon Use Homeopathy?
Interestingly, Homeopathy is of more interest and plausible to physicists than it is to Chemists or Biologists. Some people have suggested that Homeopathy can be explained by String Theory. So I wouldn’t be surprised to find an upcoming episode some which incorporates a discussion of Homeopathy.
After I posted this in 2012, there was an episode where homeopathy was brought up. Sheldon was very derisive of homeopathy. This is possible, but in my experience, physicists (especially material scientists) are the MOST interested and in fact, are the ones doing research on the mechanism of homeopathy.
Do You Know a Sheldon?
Do you know anyone who is Sheldon-Like? That is narcissistic, controlling, intelligent, with poor social skills? He or she may or may not need Cuprum Sulphuricum, but such people can definitely be helped with Homeopathy. Either way, homeopathy can help. Direct that person, or that person’s family, to www.lotushomeopathy. Click on the BookNow button and schedule a Complementary Consult today, to get started healing tomorrow!
PS, My apologies to anyone who is offended by the comments about religion. I am merely observing, not judging. Religion and spirituality is helpful for many people. But also can be harmful to some.
Kathryn
651-748-1556
Some of you know me, others of you may have heard of me. And for most, you probably have no clue about me or my business. So I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself, my family, my business, why I am a homeopath and how I became a homeopath—not necessarily in that order.