Sane or Not

To be sane, or not to be- that is the question! We’ve been talking about sanity a lot, and we have mostly been cracking jokes and keeping it light-hearted. I would like to turn things around a bit and be serious. While the word, “sane” is mostly used to crack jokes or be funny- there truly is a side of it that is serious- and that’s the mental disorder side. Many of us struggle with mental disorder and at times can feel a bit, “not sane.”

My grandmother was clinically insane. She battled her entire life with a bunch of mental disorders. She was diagnosed literally as insane. My mother was the collateral of all of this, and endured abuse and torment at the hands of her mom for many years. At sixteen my Mom became emancipated from her parents and moved far away- and never returned.

I say this because as a girl, I’ve always wondered how my Mom was able to to still love her Mom, but not be in her Moms life. Grandma wasn’t kept from us, but she didn’t have direct access. My Mom always protected us. Always. One year Grandma came to town and at a really nice restaurant in town, she started going off on “those Germans” really loudly. People started staring at us and looking mad. It was pretty mortifying. After that my Mom explained to me that she would come home from school and find her Mom in the cabinet under the sink because she thought the FBI was coming for her. She was literally insane.

They tried everything they could to help her- every medicine and every treatment. Even shock therapy. She was tortured in order to try and be better. It breaks my heart just thinking about it. My poor Mom had to witness it all. It’s amazing my Mom turned out how she did.

My Mom is constantly happy. She’s always moving and always trying to improve upon herself. She might take a cat nap here and there but then she’s up and walking or cleaning. She loves music, bike riding, and happy colors. She loves to let the day in by opening the curtains and she loves sending her grand-kids valentines boxes in the mail. She forgives quickly, and speaks beautifully. She loves hard, and hates- nothing and nobody. She’s far from a tormented soul- she’s absolutely brilliant and happy despite her upbringing and despite a rough decade in her 20’s. She’s the exact opposite of her insane Mom- she’s available and able to love. She compassionate and loving.

How did Mom come from where she did and not become insane? How is she so…sane? I truly believe true insanity comes from the chemistry of the person- mentally. I don’t think we choose sanity or choose insanity. I truly don’t think my Mom could have been anything else BUT happy and wonderful, and my tortured grandmother didn’t have a choice in her insanity. It’s tragic- most of the people out there with mental disorders of whatever kind are so often judged when there’s nothing they can do- their brain chemistry just didn’t work.

I recently ran in to an old high school friend on Facebook. After a long time of no communication from him- he sent me a message telling me to hide because they would find us. He proceeded to talk a bunch of nonsense to the point I became concerned pretty quickly. This kind of behavior was not how I remembered him. I messaged another friend from school and she had gotten the same message. We did some snooping and found out he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia .He was hallucinating and having a bad week I guess. As we looked at his fb page it was clear he had many personalities and was talking to himself- telling himself to do horrible things. My heart broke, and I just cried. I wished I would have been a friend to him, or that whatever happened to make him like that, didn’t. Then I remembered these things rarely have a cause- he just happened to b unlucky in the brain chemistry lottery. I wondered where his parents were, and if people had tried to help. I wondered how long he would make it in his current state. I wished there would be medications he could take that would help him.
I ended up having to block him because of the violent nature of his posts on my wall, and I felt horrible doing it. I wished so badly that I had a magic wand and that I could heal him.

This was when I realized how serious mental insanity is. It’s completely devastating to the people around it, and IN IT. I cannot imagine being so lost in your head. It must be so scary. I also cannot imagine being a loved one of someone struggling in that way- to know there’s nothing you can do.

Once a good friend of mine that owned a wrought iron door company said his most artistic and creative worker was a brick short of a load. ( if you know what I mean ).  So for those that know someone like this- I’m hugging you. True insanity is tragic, and terrifying. Those of you that love the insane have my respect and my heart.

If you suspect that someone you know might be struggling with clinical insanity- please help them seek treatment. Some cases can be helped, and some not so much- but you’ll never know until you try.

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Sanity is defined as being sound of mind or having judgment or reason. Reason is the basis for a decision. Or a belief. Or opinion. In this article I wanted YOU to decide on who is sane and who isn’t

I’ve dictated a real discussion held by real people. It’s a topic that we all usually have at some point and most of the discussion end on a terrible note. That isn’t the case in this discussion- there’s a lot of respect and reasoning for their beliefs and opinions and it’s your job to decide where you land- are they both sane? Is one sane and one isn’t’? Are they both complete lunatics? And, of you feel brave- where do you stand about what they are debating? Are they sane…or not?

Mike:
Christians argue that there is an absolute right and wrong, based on the word of God. I think right, wrong, good, bad, evil, righteous, moral, ethical, and all other related terms are all relative and only exist in human minds. That is a fundamental difference between me and Christians. So….if a Christian suggests that one “absolute wrong” is the killing of an innocent baby, then I wonder how it was ok for God to do it in via the flood. It seems to be a major inconsistency to me. I also wonder about the whole Garden of Eden story. It doesn’t sound possible for serpents to be talking to humans when humans hadn’t even been around long enough for language to develop. So that leads to the debate about interpreting the bible literally /figuratively, which then seems (to me) to lead to the ability to interpret the bible any way you want to “prove” anything you are trying to prove. Again, I have no problem with anyone believing something on faith, but when they try to present this as science or fact, I have questions. I don’t present my atheism as fact….rather as doubt. And, despite my atheism and contrary to the accusations of many Christians, I find it easy to have morality without God. My moral code is based on the human emotional construction, which is rooted in our brains and which is all implemented through chemical processes.

Mary: What if the Bible IS true? We wouldn’t be having this debate if either view had been proven, or always known. The truth is, we don’t know. There’s a lot science can’t account for, and a lot the Bible doesn’t. I don’t feel as though I have to go against my beliefs in order to trust science. I trust science A LOT. I think some the theories science has produced have a lot more studying and work that needs to be done. But there’s also a lot that scholars don’t know about the Bible. There’s much more to be learned, and always will be. I’ve really remained flexible in my learning curve as far as our debate, and I’ve tried to call things as I see them- no matter if it supports my beliefs or not. I think where you need to do that, for me, is acknowledging that the bible isn’t just a myth or story. I understand you might see a lot of stories in it, and that’s fine- but it’s also an incredible piece of our history. I don’t know anyone reputable that disputes the validity of the historical accounts of the Bible. Do you?

Mike: I have never read the bible, nor have I heard any credible authority prove or disprove anything in it, so I am completely unqualified to assess it. I don’t know what to use for “proof” that the bible contains more than just opinion. I don’t believe the bible is comparable to scientific knowledge because I can’t equate anything from the bible to the scientific things I mentioned. That certainly doesn’t disprove anything….it’s just my personal doubt.

Mary: I know the Bible is real for many reasons, but one is because I see people All the things you mentioned were created by man. All of them had a creator. So, I see man, and to me we have a creator. I see tree’s, rivers, water, animals, and that points to a creator like us. Just throwing that out there.
So our logic is pretty much the same. You see ipads and believe in science. I see people and believe in God.

Mike: When I see an airplane, I know of no other way it could have been created than by science. When I see a human, I believe there are other ways his existence could be explained, not just by a creator. THAT is the difference to me. And no, I have not made serious effort to validate or disprove the bible. I have no reason to. I can say that the validity of my thermodynamics textbook can be validated by the development and use of the internal combustion engine. The principles work and can be used in practice. What would be the counterpart in validating the bible? I’m just not sure. I don’t claim that everything in the bible is untrue. For all I know there is lots of stuff that is historically validated. But what exactly does it prove? The fact that historical accounts of the bible have not been proven untrue doesn’t mean that there is a God, does it?

Mary I’m really not sure how to answer that, it’s actually an incredible book of history. Like, that’s not my opinion lol…THAT is fact. Forget the rest of the stuff, but the bible is known to be a historically accurate book through ALL fields. I know you haven’t read it, but I would choose to trust me on this one. It’s truly a fact, the historical accuracy. The genealogies in it…the history of the Egyptians, Romans, etc etc…

Mike: I can accept that the Bible is historically accurate, although for me it’s a matter of faith…..choosing to believe people who tell me that. But I still don’t see how the bible, or religion, can be compared to science. There are lots of history books, but they don’t prove the existence of anything supernatural.

Mary:: That’s an interesting analogy, and yes- I would choose to just trust me on the historical accounts being accurate. But no, they don’t prove that supernatural stuff at all nor do they set out to. The bible has a few different type of styles of writing. Poetic (so just poems…nothing but poems…), historical, prophetic, letters to friends from disciples etc…. so you have to always consider what type of writing you are reading, context…etc…

Mary: Why does it bother you that we Christians can’t answer some questions, but it doesn’t bother you when science can’t answer something? I think that’s pretty inconsistent and hypocritical.

Mike: Two reasons: 1. I see the results of science. Airplanes, etc. I don’t see the results of religion. 2. Science is well aware of its gaps in knowledge. It seems to fill in the gaps with faith. That works for some people and I’m fine with that, but the way my brain is wired, it doesn’t work for me.

So friends- what do you think? Are Mary and Mike sane….or not? Did they give reason for their opinion and beliefs? Where those reasons factual, or able to be supported? Think about it and decide if they are sane, or not!

Here at sane or not, we really like to talk about anything insane, or sane. And that could be about anything. Seriously. Let’s do sane or not again, but about politicians this time! Oh my gosh you guys this will be way too fun. Remember- this is just to be funny and not serious. So lets evaluate some of the most well known politicians and decide if they are sane…or not.

Donald Trump
Le sigh. I figured we might as well talk about the elephant in the room. I don’t know anyone that actually likes him, and I have all sorts of people politically in my life. Who are all those people at his rallies??? I think he pays them. You couldn’t pay me enough though to sit and listen to him and even look slightly interested in him. What we want to know though, is if he’s sane..or not?

NOT SANE: Look- he’s all over the place. If you read quotes of his in the 80’s he actually makes fun of th republican party. Now he wants to be their president nomination. He doesn’t understand the constitution nor does he understand anything really at all. He’s got no self control and a serious issue with word vomiting. And the hair. I cannot even. Plus, he’s running for president.

Hilary Clinton
Le sigggggghhhhh. She actually scares me. She’s so calm during this election, and not trying at all. Which makes me think it’s rigged and she knows it because she did the rigging. She hasn’t at all offered any plans on how to fix this place, nor has she really given us anything of substance. She likes pant suites and has this cackle of a laugh that is kind of terrifying. So- is she sane…or not?

SANE: I’m too scared to say anything else.

Rand Paul
He’s been in the political world since he was in his Momma’s stomach. His Dad, Ron is a hero among libertarians like myself, and he worked in congress for long he remembers when they got electricity. Rand knows though what the modern political world needs and he’s been consistent for decades. He’s kept promises and still works as an eye surgeon. He’s seriously a pretty great person. But, is he sane…or not?

SANE: This is obvious. He just dropped out of the race because he knew if he stayed it would hurt the republican party even more. SO he’s a man on integrity that is in touch with reality. I really actually like the guy and think he would have been a great president. Oh well!

Bill Clinton
HEHEHE. We all remember the blue dress. And the cigar. But there’s also all this stuff in the 90’s to remember like innocence, and peace. I remember seeing him at one of his rallies when I was a kid. I actually saved all the Time Magazines he was on the cover of and read them over and over. I loved how he stood for education and couldn’t wait for him to be our president. I may have been young, but I would have voted for him. I even wore a pin of his everyday at school. I know, I was weird. But- was he sane…or not?

Pfft, SANE: Any President that can make time for hormones in the White House has got to be sane. I’m not saying I think what he did was right, but he was the most powerful man in the world and still made time for well, you know. And I can’t deny that the 90’s were really awesome.

Bernie Sanders
Oh this is going to be fun. This man is just….something else. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I think the democratic party really needed a breath of fresh air like him. He’s honest, has integrity, and is consistent. He has clearly given his plans for our country and not beat around the bush. He really seems like that weird old man that everyone loves hanging out with. You know, the disheveled old man that looks broke but is a millionaire. Yeah, that’s him. He’s running for president and it’s just a hoot to watch. But- is he sane…or not?

NOT SANE: I only say this because it’s clearly evident he’s never read the constitution and he meant to run for President for a different country. He’s very confused, and I think someone better tell him soon???

Ron Paul
The most sane person in the political world ever. Ever ever.

So there- some of the sane and not sane of the United States Political Realm. That felt good. Comment below is disagree or agree. Or feel free to add in your own thoughts!

It kind of sounds like a fun game of truth or dare doesn’t it? I figured it would be super fun to pick some famous people and decide if they’re sane, or not! Now obviously I’m not some professional here, and this is completely for fun. So don’t take it personally or get all bent out of shape. We’re being funny here and not at all serious. Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Beyonce
Beyonce is in the news nonstop ever since her Super Bowl Halftime Show. People are all pissed off because she dressed her and her back up dances like the Black Panthers. In the media’s eyes- she was making a political statement against police and white people. All the Republicans are fuming and arguing and posting all sort of FB articles. I mean- how could she expect police to escort her to the game for safety and then spit in their face?!! So- is she sane…or not?

SANE: I vote sane. No, I’m not really a fan of hers and no I’m not a republican. But I’m not a democrat either. Personally I think her and her marketing team are genius and she knows what to capitalize on and when. She’s a performer and a very sane one at that. Her performance and attires was subtle enough to cause a stir and keep her in the news RIGHT BEFORE SHE LAUNCHES HER WORLD TOUR. I think all the people pissed off about and keeping it in the news fell for it, and are giving her exactly what she wants. Well done media, well done. So in conclusion- Beyonce is sane…and brilliant.

Miley Cyrus
Oh my. Ok. I don’t know where to start here. Anyone that has seen anything covering something she was on, unfortunately knows way too much about her um- well….let’s just say she’s good on her lady appointments. She’s a self-proclaimed bi-sexual and really loves to be as naked as possible. Especially in crowds of people. She rides around on wrecking balls and licks hammers. She’s vocal and opinionated. So, the question though is she sane…or not?

SANE: I honestly just think she’s young and wild. Not crazy. Simple as that. However, time will really be verdict. We’ll see if she calms down as she ages or if these kinds of things keep up. She certainly has vocal talent so here’s to hoping she doesn’t go off the deep end.

Madonna
I’m an 80’s kid and have never, ever been into Madonna. Ever. I never got it. I remember when the pointy bra was a thing and asking all my friends why thy liked her. It seemed totally strange. So flash forward to now and she’s in her fifties and dating a twenty year old. She’s had so much plastic surgery you can hardly recognize her. She wears all the same clothes her peers in the music industry do and that’s not a good thing. So- is she sane…or not?

NOT SANE: Seriously, she needs to get back in touch with reality and her age. She needs to cover up and stop trying so dang hard to be relevant. And she needs to dump that boy toy of hers. That’s just weird and awkward.

Joel Osteen
He’s that preachy guy on TV with that stadium church thing. It’s so huge that the people look like ants. Instead of a cross there’s this spinning globe and it’s just weird. His teeth are so white they pass out sunglasses to stop the glare. And oh my gosh can you just imagine the sanity of picking up your kids from Sunday School? And “small” group? And THE TRAFFIC. I’ve also never seen a bible anywhere near that man. He preaches prosperity and works- you do what God tell you and He will bless you with money and gifts Which you know, is NOWHERE to be found in the actual bible. I digress. So- is he sane…or not?

NOT NOT NOT SANE. Not even close. Not even a little bit. He’s so not sane that he takes a religious book to take advantage of people and their money. He claim Jesus but doesn’t even know who Jesus is and what He stands for. He’s completely insane. A lunatic. He should be on the blacklist of all Christian blacklists. SO I vote insane, with some very white teeth.
Jennifer Lawrence:
Oh Katniss. Rue. Peta. She has completely taken the Hollywood scene over by being very real and being herself. She’s not prideful, she doesn’t take herself seriously and never gets all cocky. And she’s really good at acting and making it believable when she plays a part in a movie. She falls a lot and makes people laugh. This is almost too easy. Is she sane…or not?

SANE: Duh.

Me
I know, I’m not a movie star nor would I ever want to be. But I figure it’s only fair to throw myself under the bus like I am these other human beings. So lets find out if yours truly is sane…or not.
OK- I married my high school sweetheart. We’ve been madly in love for twenty years and it just gets better. But she’s weird. SO there’s that. I can’t stand Popsicle sticks so I never finish a Popsicle. I really love sewing by hand because the machine makes it boring. I like veggies a lot. Especially Brussels sprouts. I can’t sleep if the blankets are messed up. I can feel the difference if I climb in and they aren’t perfect so I have to get out and fix it. I don’t really like jewelry. I am not a chocolate fan. Sometimes I vacuum three times a day. I have insomnia. And I really like salty chips. But- am I sane…or not?

COMPLETELY INSANE. Nuff said.

Sanity. Awe, sweet sanity. We all have/had it at some point. Some of us long for a bit more, and some of us wish others had a bit more. But what exactly is it? Are we all insane like it seems or are we sane and the rest of the world isn’t? See- you’re already going a bit crazy huh?

First things first- sanity. Sanity is, in my own words and opinion, being the most in touch with reality as it is and functioning accordingly. Let’s look at the song, “Imagine” written by this never heard of band called The Beatles. I’m willing to go out on a limb and say the Beatles were all a bunch of insane hippies that the world idolizes. Yeah. I know.

ANYWAYS- the song Imagine. In it they sing about imaging there were no religion, no God, nor war or strife. It’s all peaceful and happy and I can smell the hemp oil and pot from here. But guess what? There IS war and strife. There IS religion. So living in a mental state where these things didn’t belong would be classic insanity. Out of touch with reality. Cray cray. I’m not saying they actually believed and lived as though these things didn’t exist- but they certainly did a good job of encouraging their fans to be dreamers and long for a world that will never exist. What’s wrong with that you ask? Well- I’ll tell you.

What’s wrong with dreaming so hard about how you wish things were instead of living in a world as it is, is that you become completely unprepared for real life. I know someone that completely idolizes the song, “imagine,” and absolutely refuses to talk about religion or guns or wars or implications of those things. Having a logical conversation with this person is impossible. They live in the world of imagination not reality. I’ve asked if they would ever own a gun to protect their family those dang bad guys and all they can say is there shouldn’t be guns or home invaders. And I Agree!! But guess what buttercup??? There ARE those horrible things.

Another way to tell if you or someone you know has lost their sanity is to look at their life expectations. I know so many people that smoke their pipe and talk about how they will make so much money by a certain year and then live in some tropical island. And they aren’t kidding. Seriously- they sit there so high that they can’t even finish a sentence, but they will get seriously offended if you ask them HOW they will achieve that goal. Those people- insane for sure.

Some other good signs of all sanity being gone is just conversation or debating. We all have strong opinions about religion, politics, and other people- but have you ever asked someone with a strong opinion to support that opinion? This is a fun one. Here’s a really good example:

Insane person: All religions are the same

Sane Person: Oh, how so?

Insane: Because they all talk about God and life after death and have rules and love and it’s just the same god different story!

Sane: Huh. I’ve never really noticed that before. Which ones are you talking about?

Insane: All of them!! Christianity and Buddhism for example- all about love!

Sane: Buddhism isn’t actually a religion- they don’t talk about God at all. Buddha was just a person that helped others reach an euphoria of sorts. And Jesus, in the bible, actually said He’s the ONLY God, that there are no others. SO how are Buddhism and Christianity alike?

Insane: Well I meant Islam and Christianity- it’s all the same!

Sane: That’s weird, The Quran claims Jesus was NOT God but a prophet of God…where the Bible says Jesus was actually God. I guess I’m not seeing how they are the same?

Insane: You’re just a judgmental Christian and think everyone is going to hell!!!

Sane: I’m actually Atheist but ok. Nice chat.

IN that example the sane person was only dealing with factual reality. There were no pretenses or judgments, but just facts about the topics. The insane person had no facts and no basis for their claim and instead of just admitting they really don’t know a thing about this stuff- they got all butt hurt. That would be a classic case of insanity. All you have to do when you realize you don’t know why you believe something you believe is just admit and maybe teach yourself. It happens.
And the best way to tell if someone has lost their marbles??? When they run for president. I kid I Kid!!!! OK, seriously I was kidding. But it’s kind of true yes?

Another way to tell if someone might be insane is if they eat Barbie heads. Back home in Portland Oregon- I wasn’t allowed to go downtown because of a some certain people. Well, one person. Zuess was very well known for rambling the streets with Barbie dolls around his neck and he would eat the heads off them for breakfast. Or dinner. Really any time. My Dad was a paramedic and often took calls involving odd Zuess. It was sad because he was truly insane, to the point that he could not function- and there were no places for him to go. As a kid, I was scared of him. As an adult, I wish we could have helped him more before he died. It wasn’t his fault- he was truly born that way and at the time we didn’t know anything about mental disorders. SO for Zuess- if you suspect true, legit, mentally oriented insanity- get them help lovingly and kindly.

They need it!