The Elusive Spectrum of Sanity

All too often we find ourselves playing psychologist. X person does Ω thus this indicates λ. We all too ready to evaluate someone's mental state just by applying common stereotypes. Social stereotypes though are nothing but patterns that can be observed and often repeated in our society. Whether someone is insane, depressed or anything else in between, depends on a weighted average behavior. Sanity is a matter of democracy.

We like to believe that we are special. Perhaps we read somewhere about a special autistic spectrum that makes us unique. We ponder constantly about our life experiences and consider that, what we have gone through, makes us special. Although we are indeed different from one another, we are grossly very similar in our actions and reactions. You see, we all buy into the same elusive spectrum of sanity that is dictated upon is since our first day on this planet.

What is sanity after all other than the average accepted behavior? In the TV series 'The Walking Dead', everyone lost someone horrifically. Everyone has seen a loved one die and turn into a zombie. Almost all had to kill someone they loved. The only way they "kept their sanity" was because everyone was going through the same experience. A traumatic experience is always measured on whether others are going through it. When everyone around you is dying due to famine and war (like it was the case back in the day) then no one can really get a trauma. If on the other hand you live in our modern western society and you see a loved one killed in front of you then you are going to have issues. This is always why support groups are more effective than psychoanalysis and pills combined. You see other people going through the same shit as you, you possibly make friends with them and learn to live your life based on that universe. Suddenly you are not insane anymore. You are inside your own special "crazy" bubble. You are "sane" groupie.

We measure our sanity and our well being based on the experiences of others. We do this since we are young with our siblings. "She has a bigger piece of candy than me". "Why did you let him do X. I want to do X as well". Thing is, this pattern never escapes us really. In adulthood, we continue measuring dicks based on how much money we make or how many women we have slept with or how successful our children are. Sanity is not immune to this. We perceive our mental state based on how everyone around us perceives themselves.

We live in a society of abundance and due to our nature, we are never really happy with anything. This is bound to create some sort of "psychological" issue at some point. This is why we are so ready to evaluate the psychological state of someone else around us. This is why almost everyone in their life-time will consult a "therapist". We trade our sanity like a commodity. "There is something wrong with me darn it", when in fact there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling depressed, anxious or even suicidal.

What makes these experiences "wrong" or "bad" is the underline ethos of our society. Religion and State dictate that suicide is bad because simply you are removing yourself as part of the social—breeding—tax generating—machine. It's like having chickens in your yard, ready to make your eggs every day only to find out that the hang themselves from the barbwire because they can't take it anymore. In society, society is perceived as bailing out, leaving the rest to bear the weight. Similarly, Depression leads to contemplation and most likely self-realizations about human life, purpose, existentialism. We feel the need to fix this because society runs on values, production, and results, not someone sitting at home thinking that everything is a fucking joke. You need to believe yet again to this crap in order to be "functional".

Next time you feel insane or someone calls you crazy, assure yourself that they are desperately trying to reaffirm their own sanity, their own insecurities. The mental status-quo of society is like the Borg from Star Wars. If one seems "defective" or "out of line" we have the social engineering practice of "psychology" to get the sheeple back in line. When I was living in New York as old man I knew asked me once "Hey, when are you getting married?". I replied "Never. "Why? Do you think the rest of us are suckers?" he answered.