Insanity - one more way to seperate "them" from "us." (see also Race,
Religion, Gender, Generation, Sexual Orientation, Nationality, Height,
Weight, etc)
I was watching a documentary on an institution for the criminally
inasane in California (circa 1970 or 80) - it was very weird watching
the "normal" therapist and staff of the place talking with a (so
called) paranoid scizophrenic. It seems that the staff were going to
give the patient a hypodermic of some medicine or other and as they
were getting ready, they're talking with her as if she's a 5 year old
("Now we're going to give you a shot to help you calm down....we need
to restrain you first though, because you might try and injure us
otherwise" (not an exact quote,, but the general gist)) - as I watched
it - I had a strange sensation - I literally could not tell who was
the "crazy" one.
Pirsig's comment about the person who impersonated a "mental patient"
came to mind this week. I'm in a production of "Marat/Sade" (which is
a play about "the persecution and execution of Jean Paul Marat as
performed by the inmates of Charenton (a "mental hospital" in France
circa 1800) as directed by the Marquis de Sade." The actual title is
everything in quotes - minus the "mental hospital" reference. In the
play, the administrator of Charenton is watching this play abouyt Jean
Paul Marat (a leader of the French revolution) that is being directing
by de Sade - and at one point the adminstrator, is yelling at Sade
while pretending that he's really calm. So-called crazy people do and
say what they think - they follow their impulses (pretty truthful
behavior) - while many times so-called "sane" people stuff what they
think or feel if it's not socially acceptable. In Minnesota - it's
referred to as "Minnesota Nice" (many here may not like you, but
they'll act like they do - it's the polite thing to do) (in
psychology - it's called passive aggressive behavior) :o)
Just a few thoughts.....
Shalom
David Lind
Trickster@postmark.net
Ian J Greely wrote:
> Hi Geoff,
>
> Insanity. First off you have to understand that it is a political
> institution as well as health issue. In the not to distant past
> homosexual behaviour was viewed as a mental illness.
>
> I guess that in application insanity is the state of not accepting
> that other people have a view upon ones actions and beliefs. You know
> you have lost it when you don't feel the need to meet *any* standards
> set outside of yourself. (Meeting in effect simply means being able to
> communicate rationality about those standards you don't meet.)
>
> This is entirely a social political construct. In the USSR all that
> was necessary to meet the criteria was to be vocal about certain
> aspects of that society. We in the west start to question those who
> engage in bizarre beliefs ( too much conspiracy theory hypothesis
> etc).
>
> What is bizarre is also culturally affected. ie We do not consider
> members of a church insane (in a legal sense) for believing in
> something that could be said to bizarre.
>
> Rich people who hold bizarre beliefs and act upon them are eccentric.
> Poor people with the same beliefs are insane.
>
> regards,
> Ian
>
>
>
> On Sat, 22 Apr 2000 23:40:45 +1200, you wrote:
>
> >Greetings All,
> >I have just returned from my interesting adventure/holiday in Vietnam.
> > I am glad to be back home.
> >New Zealand is certainly very, very different to Vietnam. I was a away for
> >just over a week and have found that I have been overloaded by emails
> >from MOQ and it seems it my take some time for me to catch up on
everything
> >that has happened. On to the real discussion, throughout LILA Pirsig talks
> >about insanity. I found this subject interesting. My mother is a (not in
> >action) phycologist. She did the degree but decided that phycologist are
not
> >quite 'sane' themselves and has decided not to be a phycologist.
> >On with the subject line.
> >
> >--------The Definition of "Insanity"---------
> >
> >According to my 1991 edition of "Colins Pocket Dictionary of the English
> >Language" the definition of the word insane is:
> >
> > 1. mentally ill; crazy; of unsound mind. OR
> > 2. irresponsible; very foolish; stupid
> >
> >and the definition of insanity is:
> >
> > 1. The state of being insane
> > 2. utter folly; stupidity
> >
> >I found this definitions rather unsatisfactory. I find that Pirsig's
> >definition of insanity is a much more intelligent way of defining the word
> >insane. This dictionary and probably every dictionary fails to even
attempt
> >to define why and how does one become mentally ill or crazy and they seem
to
> >use the connotation (association) between insanity, and foolishness and
> >stupidness. I think insanity is a largely misunderstand subject. I believe
> >insanity did not exist in ancient times when ape-men roamed the earth.
Why,
> >because the morals of the sane had not been invented therefore there was
no
> >way of telling a sane ape-man from a insane ape-man. In modern society
this
> >still exist in some ways. It is still very hard to define the difference
> >from an insane person and a sane person but because of the certain morals
of
> >modern society we persuade people to conform to these basic morals and if
> >they where to break these morals they would be classified as being insane
as
> >Lila was in the book. I find this idea of mine relates to the title.
> >"LILA : An inquiry of morals"
> >We portray Lila as being insane. The subtitle finally makes sense. Pirsig
is
> >inquiring into how morals relate to defining if a person is sane or not.
> >Insanity is simply a evaluation of one's moral conformity.
> >
> >Thanks for reading I hope I will get some other people's definition and
> >views of insanity and the insane.
> >Geoff.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
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> >
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> >
>
>
>
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