Sanity vs. Insanity
Sanity is based on an individuals level of intelligence. The sane individual may envelop a substantial amount of "book smarts". The sane may also be quick learners, speedier typists, and fast workers. Does this make them better individuals?
The sane makes a mockery of those who are different. They laugh at what they do not understand. The sane take advantage of life. They are wasteful and inconsiderate. They are materialistic.
The insane spend their lives trying to understand. They strive for acceptance, and only want to blend in. A visit from a far away relative is far more important than finding two-hundred dollars. Running a race is more important than winning the marathon.
The sane will beat, kill, and steal to be on top. They want riches and fame. They strive for respect and honor at anyone's expense. The sane are unstoppable. They know everything. They are you and I on days when we have to be at work on time. Move out the way! You're driving too slow! It doesn't matter that we had to take extra time to get our hair together. It doesn't matter that we forgot to wash clothes, and had to take extra time in finding something to wear.
The insane get up early for work. They ask for assistance in getting their clothes together to mirror you and I. They cherish each precious moment of life. The extra time on the highway lets them notice their surroundings. How the rain sounds when it drops on the window shield. How moist the ground will feel against their shoes. They also notice that angry person in the car behind them that keeps blowing his/her horn. That person who yells profanities out of their car window. The insane are unable to control their emotions and are easily hurt.
However, the sane allow their emotions to control them and take advantage of other people. They speed around the van and slam breaks. They require constant attention.
It is hard to comprehend how and why people lose their sanity and become mad. I will address how the mind’s struggles caused by individual genes, stress and social-cultural influence affect the lives of Naomi, a 24-year-old college student with schizophrenia and Eric, a 27-year-old classical musician with severe depression. Their thoughts and behavior surprised me as this is my first time exposed to what these mental illnesses are. The relation between the mind and the body and the fact that the emotions affect the functioning of the body and vice versa explains the how and why a person become insane.
A mentally insane person, according to psychologytoday.com, is defined as “a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality… or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive
Rules rule. Without things like stoplights and driving etiquette, we’d be one disaster-prone society. When we are in kindergarten, we learn how to color inside the lines and paint by the numbers, because we might be told that pretty pictures are those that are neat and tidy. We have terms like “good” and “sane” and “insane” because these words help us keep our lives organized and mess-free. No need to debate it or get into messy arguments. But One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest challenges all of that. It makes us look at who makes the rules. Now we want to know: who defines what behavior is "sane" or "insane"? McMurphy helps us realize just how arbitrary "sanity" can be, especially when the poster child of sanity happens to be the one and only Nurse Ratched. So just what does it mean to be "sane" or
“I’m dead, serious about those other wards; M.P.’s won’t protect you, because they’re craziest of all. I’d go with you myself, but I’m scared stiff. Insanity is contagious. This is the only sane ward in the whole hospital. Everybody is crazy but us. This is probably the only sane ward in the whole world for that matter”(Heller 8).
According to the Oxford dictionary, insane is “a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill” ( Insane n.p.).
Sanity is subjective. Every individual is insane to another; however it is the people who possess the greatest self-restraint that prosper in acting “normal”. This is achieved by thrusting the title of insanity onto others who may be unlike oneself, although in reality, are simply non-conforming, as opposed to insane. In Susanna Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted, this fine line between sanity and insanity is explored to great lengths. Through the unveiling of Susanna’s past, the reasoning behind her commitment to McLean Hospital for the mentally ill, and varying definitions of the diagnosis that Susanna received, it is evident that social non-conformity is often confused with insanity.
We, being members of society do not have the authority to judge whether people are sane or insane. Some may say that others are insane but we are all a little bit crazy. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a novel written by Ken Kesey deals with these topics and is a well-written piece of literature that will be enjoyed by generations to come. It will become a timeless classic simply because of the great combination of the setting and the characters and how they both support the themes found throughout the story. The setting of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a backdrop which makes it easy to see the wickedness of the world and people in general. The hospital, Dr. Spivey says, "is a little world inside that is a made-to-scale prototype of the big world outside." Most of the action in the novel takes place in a world that is indeed limited and specific. It is but one ward of one hospital in Oregon. The world of the Cuckoo's Nest is in many ways a cartoon world that is filled with colorful characters and laughs, in which good and evil are clearly defined. Far from being a place of healing, the hospital is a place of fear where patients do not laugh and fear the consequences of anything they speak of. The setting of this novel allows the characters to develop freely and they are even a little off the wall which is a good attribute that will be admired by future readers. McMurphy teaches the rest of the patients how to be sane. Above all, this sanity consists of the ability to laugh, to laugh both at your self and at the world that is often ludicrous and cruel. Chief Bromden says, " He knows you have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to k...
The definition of insane/ mentally unstable is "in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction." The way the characters interact with each other in a social environment can determine what is the basis for "sane." For example, Colonel Cathcart continuously raises the number of missions he has his men fly for his own gain. He is eager to volunteer his men for dangerous missions in the hopes that he will be promoted for his actions.He doesn't have any regard for the lives of his men, which brings into question his sanity. Many of the soldiers believe Yossarian to be crazy as a result of his unorthodox behaviors. He responds and reacts to situations more uniquely than the other men. Particularly when faced with
We come across this idea of Sanity vs Insanity in chapter 5 when Yossarian is having a conversation with Orr. “Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane he would have to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to” (Heller, Joseph. "5." Catch 22. Trondhjem: J.W. Cappelens Forlag, 1994. Pg 55). This was a true “Catch 22”. As I said before insanity is doing something repeatedly expecting change. In this part of the book, the repeated event is flying missions. If Orr continues to fly the missions he would fall under the category of insane, if he broke away from this trend and stopped flying missions, he would be considered sane. This is where the power of bureaucracy plays a role in our major theme of Sanity vs Insanity. The lives of those in Yossarian’s squadron are not controlled by their own decisions, the bureaucracy controls them. This is shown when they are forced to keep flying combat missions well after they have been told that the Allies have won the war. The bureaucracy shuts out any one who tries to reason with them logically. For example, Major Major, will allow
How is that even possible? The dictionary definition of the word insanity is the state of being seriously, mentally ill (“Definition of the Word Insanity”). Insanity is also classified as a medical diagnosis. Insanity came from the Latin word insanitatem (“History of the Word Insanity”). People started using this word in the 1580’s. The Latins interpreted insanity as unhealthy Modern day society uses the word insanity too loosely. Although the dictionary definition of insanity is not wrong, several cases that prove having “insanity” does not always mean “being seriously mentally ill” has came to surface.
Much of my skepticism over the insanity defense is how this act of crime has been shifted from a medical condition to coming under legal governance. The word "insane" is now a legal term. A nuerological illness described by doctors and psychiatrists to a jury may explain a person's reason and behavior. It however seldom excuses it. The most widely known rule in...
One sign of insanity includes having trouble thinking critically. Some may have trouble comprehending what is going on and
The most insane people are the ones who were kept sane the longest. In the stories “ A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “ Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl the women are both completely insane. They both kill the ones they love because they don’t want them to leave. Although Mary and Emily both have different stragities of killing them. They are both very sneaky about hiding it up and how they get away with it.
History shows that signs of mental illness and abnormal behavior have been documented as far back as the early Greeks however, it was not viewed the same as it is today. The mentally ill were previously referred to as mad, insane, lunatics, or maniacs. W.B. Maher and B.A. Maher (1985) note how many of the terms use had roots in old English words that meant emotionally deranged, hurt, unhealthy, or diseased. Although early explanations were not accurate, the characteristics of the mentally ill have remained the same and these characteristics are used to diagnose disorders to date. Cultural norms have always been used to assess and define abnormal behavior. Currently, we have a decent understanding of the correlates and influences of mental illness. Although we do not have complete knowledge, psychopathologists have better resources, technology, and overall research skills than those in ancient times.
Insanity is being lost, is being incapable to decide between right and wrong. We are all insane. We are ignorant to believe we’re normal. No one is normal, and no one is perfect.