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Riding off the Rails on a Crazy
Train
I have always found the idea of insanity to be very intriguing. Maybe not insanity itself the idea of going insane.
When exactly does one get to the point where he thinks to himself "going batshit is an viable option"? Or does it come on more slowly? "I have always thought it would be cool to meet Jodie Foster and after years of thought I may have an idea to get her attention."
Whichever process - it seems to me that one reaches a line between sanity and insanity (that line is mighty close) and then stays there for a while. On one side of his line is the rational world and on the other, the irrational. Then one day the irrational looks a whole better the rational.
Another aspect of insanity that I find interesting, is the choice of figure that the insane choose to emulate. The classic cliché of an insane person thinking they are Napoleon or Jesus definitely has a toehold in reality. And what about persecution complexes? The CIA is the usual culprit here. I recently saw an episode of Law and Order where someone claimed they were persecuted by Bill Gates - sign of the times indeed.
I view this as a sort of a power play where the mentally ill person feels he has no power through his personal difficulties. In order to remedy that situation he imagines himself a figure of power or an important person so other people take an interest in their lives.
I have a personal theory about insanity - we are all completely nuts. Deep down inside we are no different than the reality-impaired person sitting in the corner drooling all over themselves. Sanity is actually a measure of how well we hide the insanity inside.
Normal = Real good insanity hiders
Eccentric = Could hide their insanity better but "who cares?"
Disturbed = Hides the insanity pretty well but slips up every so often
Insane = Has given up hiding their insanity all together.
