I heard an interesting news essay on NPR recently. About a decade ago, an 18-year old young man got arrested in some part of England for violently beating up an old, defenseless and homeless man. As his case went to trial, some of his friends suggested he should act crazy or mentally unstable to escape a jail term. That way, his friends told him, he would go to a psychiatric institution for a few months and avoid a jail term. Well, he did exactly that. He acted out, behaved and talked inappropriately and convinced the jury & psychiatrists that he was mentally unstable. So what happened next?
He avoided the jail term and was admitted to the (in)famous Broadmoor mental institution in Berkshire. Now the next step? To try to convince the psychiatrists at the institution that he was sane or normal. So that he could get out of there. Its been 12 years, and he's still trying!
Before we jump to conclusions, the psychiatrists at Broadmoor say that this patient is a sociopath and is manipulative. That his story about acting abnormal initially was not really acting, that was really him. And that his normal behavior now is acting!
So that set me thinking a bit. Is it easier to convince people that you are insane than otherwise? But the fact that somebody's sanity is in question in the first place -- that in itself is not a good sign!
In our day to day lives, a pinch of insanity here and there is almost normal. We are all allowed a few sparks of madness in our lifetime. As long as these moments are few & remain just sparks and don't start a fire, life stays interesting (and entertaining!)
"The statistics on sanity are that one of every four people is suffering from some sort of mental illness (however mild it may be). Now think of your three best friends. If they are okay, then its you!" ~ Rita Mae Brown
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
"Don't worry, be happy...."
The song "Don't worry, be happy!" by Bobby McFerrin was an overnight hit in 1988. Not many people know that the song was inspired by an original quote of Meher Baba, an Indian mystic and spiritual leader in the 1950's and 60's. The original quote was "Do your best. Then don't worry, be happy."
Why do we worry so much? Well, not all of us, but a lot of us do. There are different aspects of life we worry about, depending on our personalities. We worry about our jobs, finances, children, people we care about..... the list is never ending.
When we worry excessively, does it help any situation, in any way? It's human nature to be anxious. And its normal to worry, to a certain point. Beyond that point, its fruitless. Worries are like people -- they grow bigger if you nurse them. Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere. We all have problems or obstacles in our lives. That is life. Each person is an individual, with a unique way of tackling each problem. A lot of the issues in our lives are little. Worrying about these little things gives them a big shadow.
The problem is not that there are no solutions to our obstacles. There are always options. The problem is that we sometimes don't like the solutions that life offers us. We just have to strive on, with a clear goal in mind. Success loves hard work and vice-versa. You just can't keep these two apart. Excessive worrying just creates detours on the road to success. Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night!
Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. ~Author Unknown
.
Why do we worry so much? Well, not all of us, but a lot of us do. There are different aspects of life we worry about, depending on our personalities. We worry about our jobs, finances, children, people we care about..... the list is never ending.
When we worry excessively, does it help any situation, in any way? It's human nature to be anxious. And its normal to worry, to a certain point. Beyond that point, its fruitless. Worries are like people -- they grow bigger if you nurse them. Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but gets you nowhere. We all have problems or obstacles in our lives. That is life. Each person is an individual, with a unique way of tackling each problem. A lot of the issues in our lives are little. Worrying about these little things gives them a big shadow.
The problem is not that there are no solutions to our obstacles. There are always options. The problem is that we sometimes don't like the solutions that life offers us. We just have to strive on, with a clear goal in mind. Success loves hard work and vice-versa. You just can't keep these two apart. Excessive worrying just creates detours on the road to success. Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night!
Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. ~Author Unknown
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)