What is consider insane? What is normal?

[LostSouls7]

Ok so I was thinking about this. I see this everywhere I go. People seem to think they have to be boring and proper or be something to be normal.

But other than being a pyscho killer. What is insane? If someone walks around dressed extreme and reads poetry out loud in public places or sings and dances around. Is that crazy? What if that being is just having fun and being free?

I would think as long as someone does not physically or emotionally harm someone they have the right to be as "insane" or in my view alive as they can!

People think this is normal. Go to school, follow the rules, go to work. Be boring, be normal then die.

But what if people want to be crazy? use their imagination and inner child to create and reach much bigger dreams? That is viewed by normal society as insane...

But if you go along with the program you are normal! As long as you are as boring and act like a robot and do what the system tells you, you are normal!

And we wouldn't want to dissapoint this boring mundance society would we??

Well I do things to stir things up everyday. I dress crazy, act crazy, and have fun!

Yes I actually laugh, jump around and say crazy things in public.

People think I'm crazy.

But I think I'm just one of the last normal and free minded people left!!!

Life is to special to be bored or normal.

I have fun with everything.

And it makes me smile.

I am winning and the system and normal society hates it!

And I love it!!!

Life is good. Remember there is no limit to what you can do.

Only what you believe they told you were your limits.

We as humans are omipotent.

We just need to harness our true essence and power!!!

Thank you.

[eight bits]

LS7

Great rant. If only this were 1963 (at least in North America, the last gasps of a time of great conformity and social pressure to conform, at least in public - think Mad Men), then you would be on the leading edge of the "counterculture."

But it's a good question. "Insanity" reflects an attempt to identify beliefs and actions of pathological origin. This is very difficult to do, especially without much of a useful theory where non-pathological beliefs and actions come from.

Speaking of Mad Men, depicted there are all those people doing the socially normal thing, smoking like chimneys - objectively self-destructive behavior. But it was "normal," and even when undeniable personal evidence presented itself - hacking coughs, loss of stamina, etc., it was "normal" to joke about it, or "cut back." Even today, a lot of what goes on around around drinking has some of the same quality... just because an act or idea isn't of pathological oriign doesn't mean it's a harmlesly healthy... hence the difficulty of identifying "insane" ideas.

If somebody "blends in" to their surroundings, it is not that they are necessarily healthy, it's just that it is impossible to tell whether harmful aspects of their behavior come from some individual pathology, or else from a healthy adaptation to their surrounding social situation. Conversely, if somebody "sticks out" from their surroundings, it is not necessarily because they have an illness.

There is wisdom, I think, in that poem which has the "Wiccan" rule, if you harm nobody, then do what you will. If you remember that "nobody" includes not harming yourself, then go for it.

Best wishes.

[Lilly]

I think being sane is more about knowing when to "be proper" (ex, getting an education and job so that you can take care of yourself) and still being able to "be crazy" and have fun and enjoy life. Some people think I'm "crazy" because I have dogs and take an interest in certain things they consider "geeky/nerdy". I honestly don't care...I own property, pay my bills, bother no one, follow the law...so if I choose to "be crazy" in certain aspects, so be it.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Lilly
typo

[markdohle]

It is hard to draw a line, but 'normal' people, which really incorporates a wide range of behavior, know when the see it, crazy or insane behavior. You get a group of strangers together, and if there is one person in the group that is over that line, it has an affect over the whole group. Like a wave that gets larger and larger causing more ripples if allowed to continue.

Then, if anyone does harmful acts and does not need to hide them, wellllll that is really insane.

peace

mark

[Frank Merton]

I suppose I'm crazy as a loon, but I control it in such a way that they just call me eccentric.

[Dark_Grey]

If everyone is "crazy" to some degree, than having a crazy streak is normal. Now more than ever, "expressing yourself" in public is near acceptable. Every time I go to run errands, I fully expect to see a few odd hairstyles, or clothing or even bizarre looking cars. Society isn't nearly as buttoned down as seem to imply, LS7. At least not around here.

[White Crane Feather]

Live and let live is my policy. I won't call you crazy if you don't call me normal

There is nothing wrong with mild manners either and that dosnt make one a conformist.

Edited November 7, 2013 by White Crane Feather

[MissMelsWell]

Most of the people I know have the ability to cut loose and act a little nutty or try things that are out on the fringe. Often times the things we do aren't necessarily socially acceptable. I would be bored out of my gourd if my social group wasn't a little off-kilter in some way. Most of them hold great jobs, are mostly responsible, some even raised some pretty terrific kids, but they know how to keep life interesting in a lot of different ways. If they didn't, I probably wouldn't socialize with them. haha.

now if you're meaning insane as in clinically... well that's a different thing entirely of course. Those people are completely detached from reality in all ways. That's actually a sad condition that requires medical attention. I've only known one clinically insane person in my life. She pretty much didn't know who she was from day to day, there was just nothing there connecting her to the real world. She was finally committed when medication really didn't do much good and then she attempted to kill her children. Luckily, she was so loopy, her plot was foiled long before anyone was hurt or worse. Super sad. She went downhill fast too... she was always a little odd, but her slip into dementia and insanity happened in less than a year, she was a young woman too. Ten years later, she still doesn't really have anything anchoring her to reality. She's still in an institution which in this day and age is kind of unheard of.

[Frank Merton]

Live and let live is my policy. I won't call you crazy if you don't call me normal

There is nothing wrong with mild manners either and that dosnt make one a conformist.

I'm very much a conformist. In fact you could say with me conforming is a compulsion.

[Frank Merton]

Be assured when you are dealing with a schizophrenic, you will know it. It is not classifiable as anywhere approaching normal eccentricity.

[Lilly]

Yeah, people who are really *crazy* (schizophrenic or other severe mental illnesses) are far beyond just being a bit different. Different is good....totally out of touch with reality isn't so good.

[MissMelsWell]

I have one friend who was a long time heroin addict, even now that she's been clean for many years, she's still nuts, some claim she's crazy and MANY people do not like her at all due to years of really bad behavior. But she's definitely not crazy in the clinical sense. She might be bi-polar, or have some other mental imbalance, but she's not clinically insane. I enjoy her company in small doses. She's interesting, she's really led a very colorful life, I'm not even sure half of the stories she tells us are real (but I wouldn't be surprised if they were all real haha) ... I don't ever want to be too close to her because even clean and sober, she stirs up constant chaos and drama in her own life and she's very needy emotionally and even physically. She's in short draining. But she's fun to hang with on a Friday night. LOL. I like hanging out with her in a social setting.

[Pulsar_J]

We must remember that the word insane comes from the word sane. From a psychological perspective, conditions that define "sane" differ dramatically across cultures, situations and individuals.

If in your society, "normal people" <(btw also difficult to define) classify your behaviour as insane then it's merely a matter of perspective pending the conditions previously mentioned.

Psychology claims no answers or definitions of insane in a broad sense such as this. It is a science (soft), it explores, seeks to understand, and predict human behaviour but generally does not "label" broad behaviours as either "sane" or "insane". Might I add, psychologists are extremely critical and careful when claiming mental disorders. They must be convinced heavily that a person "has" a mental disorder before they claim it.

In saying this, I guess my point is, definig sane is for psychology and psychiatry. There is not much point in considering the general public's view of your behaviour. Uneducated populations will lazily affirm a lay explanation to your apparently "insane" behaviours.

It is not insane to behave against social norms. It can be funny, and uplifting. Try facing the back of an elevator the next time you're in one (make sure there are others in there). Check out the reactions of those around you. I bet they'd avoid eye contact because "everyone faces the doors" (but really, why should they? there's not really a rational explanation, except it makes exiting the elevator easier when you reach your floor). They will think you must be "insane". < Just for a laugh.

[simplybill]

To LostSouls7:

I think it's interesting that you identify yourself as a "lost soul". When you say, "Yes I actually laugh, jump around and say crazy things in public", could this be your way of resisting a feeling of invisibilty? I don't want to be intrusive, but have you looked carefully at your life and your upbringing to find your answers?

You may want to ask yourself if by "laughing, jumping around, and saying crazy things in public" you are seeking to edify the people around you, or if you are seeking to draw attention to yourself.

Lest you feel I'm being judgmental, I can assure you that I myself did a lot of "laughing, jumping around, and saying crazy things in public" before I learned I had some qualities that were more appropriate for public venues, and certainly more edifying to those around me.

Very interesting topic, by the way.

Edited November 8, 2013 by simplybill

[Thelaw1]

To me, being insane means having a breakdown in thought process. For example, believing the following syllogism is correct would be insane: Socrates is mortal. Women are mortal. Therefore, Socrates is a woman. The point is, I have thought for a very long time that insanity is the breakdown in thought process. Not understanding what is rational and what is not rational would again, be a definition of insanity. For example, someone calls you a foul name and you respond by beating them with a baseball bat would be insane because it would not rational to attack someone with a baseball bat for calling you a dirty name. However, a problem arises with this definition because a little rationality would prove you are not insane. For example, when a person feels hungry or thirsty they eat or drink. That is rational. Even insane people, when they get thirsty or hungry, drink and eat.

However, I think what you are getting at is the morality of sane/insane. Behavior is a social art taught to the individual very early in life. You are taught what is right and what is wrong. Typically, what is right and wrong is relative to the culture. However, there are certain acts that violate nature. Taking another's life would be a good example, as in your example of the psycho killer. However, what about killing in self-defense? Would that be wrong? No it is an act of pure rationality. You are trying to preserve your own life. Most morals are not inherit to nature. Acting a certain way in public, such as dressing a certain way or acting a certain way, is only "insane" to the culture. It is not inherit that the acts are insane but rather different than what is "perceived" as normal. But you have to understand that acts deemed normal are only relative to that culture so no, dressing differently or singing in public or whatever would not be deemed insane but rather just what I said it was, different. Different does not mean insane. Different does not mean crazy. In my opinion, being insane means a structural defect in one's ability to process one's own thoughts.

I hope that makes sense lol.

[shadowghost]

I am basing my argument on theory . To be normal or even have a norm you must have a set guidelines are restriction stating what is and isn't normal. But due to the fact that humans are far from identical in appearance and thought we are unable to create those said guidelines. Therefor the entire theory of normality doesn't exist because their is no way to judge what is and isn't normal with so many variables in human nature.

By definition the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Meaning being your "robot" can technically be called insanity if you expect things to change. My suggestion is to make each day unlike the next. The best ideas from the human race are accomplished because of the imperfections in humans allowing different thoughts and perspectives.

[Vanished Templar]

The American Psychiatric Association has much to do with establishing the criteria that is used by other "mental health professionals" in determining if a person in question meets the criteria to be labeled "insane" in a final determination by the court. The often used notion relates to if the person being evaluated, is or would hurt themselves or others, is often still used but it is more complex than simply as a "yes" or "no". Any questions, might be answered by reading the "APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual".(DSM-a number, currently, I think it is 8).

[Frank Merton]

People can believe insane things without being insane. In fact I think probably most people do.

[sutemi]

“I think our Society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends. I think they’re all insane. But I am liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what is insane about it. Don’t you agree?” John Lennon

I know a lot of people who think I am crazy, because I believe every human being has a right to enough food to eat, clean water to drink, a place to live and education for all. This for me is the real insanity of this world that we spend billions on killing people while a child dies every 3 seconds from the Diarrhoea and starvation! We can sleep outside the I Poop shop to get the new life changing gadget, we separate ourselves into groups that can and do hate other groups, we worship money and things what a mess we have made of this beautiful world. When will we wake up and understand all is ONE and everything is interrelated to everything else.

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society” Krishnamurti

[Frank Merton]

We don't really have any "rights" at all, and it is just by chance out of the multitudes that might exist that we exist. Rights are a legal concept and if a legal system gives you rights, then you can use the same legal system to claim them. The rest is just sloganeering.

[sutemi]

You brain washing is complete Frank congratulations. Perhaps you should work on trying to feel some compassion and empathy, then perhaps we could agree on something.

[thyra]

A friend of mine went through a very 'optimistic' period in her life. as I was talking to her I knew she was acting differently, she was laughing a lot and seemed to be having lots of fun, she also confessed that she was dancing until she drops dead at home whenever she is alone and that she was feeling tremendous love for anything even for cabbages I thought this was fine but later she needed to be hospitalized for mental health conditions. not insane perhaps but extreme behavour might be signs of deteriorating mental health conditions to my opinion. extreme anger, extreme happiness, extreme sadness, extreme numbness etc.and

[Professor T]

IMO, the difference between sane and normal come down to timing & location, whern.. (yep, it is a word, where & when)

I've seen people do and say some pretty insane things at work or parties.. (in-fact I even encourage that sort of zany behavior)

Thank God they don't behave that way when the whern turns their actions into Insanity..

[Frank Merton]

You brain washing is complete Frank congratulations. Perhaps you should work on trying to feel some compassion and empathy, then perhaps we could agree on something.

Where did you get lack of empathy out of that? What I want and what is are different things.

[Imaginarynumber1]

I think wearing pants is insane.