What I don't get about your comment is you're essentially saying anyone with a mental illness should never show any outward signs of it, otherwise they're worthy of nothing short of contempt and scorn. If that were the case then why would anybody ever need help for it if they could manage it so well at all times? How do you think the symptoms of mental illness manifest? Do you think it's just all zany slapstick antics, harmless personality quirks and salsa dancing, and anyone who acts outrageous is just choosing to be an asshole?

Obviously we want to encourage people who aren't managing their illness well to seek help, but it's also bizarre to me that non-professionals can be so confident in their own ignorance. I personally don't have enough mental health education and training to be comfortable judging who's being a 'complete asshole' and who's legitimately showing signs of an underlying illness. Even if I did, I highly doubt it would magically give me the ability to spend 4 minutes observing a complete stranger in public and say whether they're legitimately ill or just an asshole.

I can't stand this bizarre cult of ignorance in America that says any meaningful attempt to try and learn about the underlying reasons for person's behavior is "making excuses" for it. It happens on both sides of the spectrum. Talk about how poverty influences crime rates and conservatives say you're making excuses for criminals. Talk about political violence and why it's wrong to punch people for their speech and liberals say you're making excuses for Nazis. People don't want to learn, they just want an underclass to shit on.