Who's Crazy?!?

Were there times when you judged others to be crazy? Or you considered yourself to be one?

When I read a book about a woman who is young, intelligent and good-looking; but decided to die because of what I considered to be abrurd reasons, it was very easy for me to charge her as crazy. She has no family and financial problems. She has a good job and the present and future (in the surface) are sure to be good for her. Yet, she decides to die.

It had been easy to judge and say that she's crazy..... And why? Because I immediately related myself to her. I am young. I'm not sure about the beauty issue. I am satisfied with my brains. I have no family problems. I am happy with my job. And the present and future are sure to be good. Do I want to die? Heck, Nooooo!!!!!!! Wanting to die is a crazy thought.

And that is the very reason why I judged the young woman to be crazy. Because she is different from me.

But having read the book, there were realizations. One of the characters in the book discussed being crazy in a philosophical way. Let us forget science and hormones and chemicals for now.

This woman said: (Mind you, this character is crazy)

Anyone who lives in his/her own world is crazy. Like schizophrenics, psychopaths, maniacs. I mean people who are different from others.

You have been Einstein, saying that there was no time or space, just a combination of the two. Or Columbus, insisting that on the other side of the world lay not an abyss but a continent. Or Edmund Hillary, convinced that a man could reach the top of Everest. Or the Beatles, who created an entirely different sort of music and dressed like people from another time. Those people - and thousands of others - all lived in their own world.

Indeed, many of the greatest artists and popular historical figures had been considered crazy when they were still alive. And why not, they were different. They did not think and act the same way most people did. But after centuries, we honor them for their great contributions. Yes, we honor the crazy!!!!

Here's another one:

A powerful wizard, who wanted to destroy an entire kingdom, placed a magic potion in the well from which all the inhabitants drank. Whoever drank that water would go mad.

The following morning, the whole population drank from the well and they all went mad, apart from the king and his family, who had a well set aside for them alone, which the magician had not managed to poison. The king was worried and tried to control the population by issuing a series of edicts governing security and public health. The policemen and inspectors, however, had also drank the poisoned water; and they thought the king's decisions were absurd and resolved to take no notice of them.

When the inhabitants of the kingdom heard these decrees, they became convinced that the king had gone mad and was now giving nonsensical orders. They marched on the castle and called for his abdication.

In despair, the king prepared to step down from the throne. But the queen stopped him, saying, 'Let us go and drink from the communal well. Then we will be the same as them.' And that was what they did: The king and quees drank from the water of madness and immediately began talking nonsense. Their subjects repented at once; now that the king was displaying such wisdom, why not allow him to continue ruling the country?

The country continued to live in peace, although its inhabitants behaved very differently from those of its neighbors. And the king was able to govern until the end of his days.

I can relate. Why not.... I am crazy and have done crazy things, too. I am different and have many times departed from the norms . I am not great though. I am crazy.

Are you crazy?