“Let us consider that we are all partly insane. It will explain us to each other; it will unriddle many riddles; it will make clear and simple many things…” — Mark Twain.
This post is about social and collective thought. I previously made the point that people are uncomfortable talking about insanity, and this underlies the stigma it carries. There is a trend to whitewash insanity and cast it as divergent thinking, but this is a thin euphemism. Insanity is not divergent, it’s dysfunctional and can be sociopathic. It’s more than different, it’s destructive…
“Sanewashing” describes how journalists and their editors downplay dysfunctional thinking. Sanewashing recasts extremely biased ideas as rational in order to soften conclusions that would otherwise alienate readers or advertisers. This again reflects people’s aversion to mental disability especially when it arises within the context of divisive topics…
You may think that Donald Trump is deranged, but do you have clear boundaries regarding the dysfunctional behavior of yourself and those around you?
Divergence is Not Dysfunctional
Superior People
Duality Versus Distinction
When Madness Develops
Reaching the Civic Limit
You Would Not Be So Foolish
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