1/18/13
Many people have experienced a state of madness in their lives. Anger can often lead to madness, but most cases of what we think is madness are brought on by being unable to understand something or someone. Considering the number of people on this planet, and the number of mental cases reported world wide, I guess as a species mankind is trying desparately to keep it together, and only a small percentage of us are institutionalized.
There are signs of humanity’s disengagement and madness all around us, but everyone is so involved with their own madness they fail to see others; unless the others are violent and truly out of their minds and kill someone or run naked through an auditorium full of people or down a busy street. Madness can be a gift and a curse. As a gift we see it in most geniuses or high achievers who create great inventions or businesses or new sciences or whatever geniuses create. Most of society accepts their individual madness as eccentric behaviour, rather than outright madness.
I have labeled my own madness as eccentric. As a writer and talk show host I know only a madman would continue at what I do, yet I know of no other way to do what I do, other than to do it the way I do it. How else does someone reach hundreds of thousands of readers and listeners without being committed to his work, even if that work may be a form of madness? Most people are attracted to other people who are like they are, and think like they do. I realized for the last 13 years I have been writing and broadcasting my views and opinions, that many people have the same opinions and views I do, or if they don’t they understand my opposing viewpoint and may rethink their views.
I no longer worry about my own madness, I accept it and it appears to be accepted by everyone I am closest to as eccentric. I manage my madness as do most people. I have never known anyone who didn’t have a madness of their own. I knew a man once who seemed rational on most counts but had an irrational fear of squirrels. I knew another guy who was an architect and believed he was the reincarnation of one of the architects of the pyramid of Giza. Everyone has their own beliefs and madness; weither our madness is religion or philosophy or just compulsive habits, we all suffer and prosper in someway from being mad. Our madness is what makes humanity so unique as a species. I confess that most of the people I like and love are mad.
L.A. Steel
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