Wednesday 19 November 2008

Madness

Veronica decides to die.
It is a beautiful book by Paulo Coelho.
This book has inspired me to write this post.

It is amazing how we consider madness as being strange when being mad is as simple as being one’s true self.
I love the way Coelho explains how being mad is just believing in one’s own world and not being able to express it satisfyingly to others.
It made me think because the truth, stark naked, is so shocking.

No person, neither you nor I have the right to question one’s belief.
And when one cannot express what he believes in with words that make sense to us, we call them mad.
When we do not believe in what they believe, we consider the majority to be normal and label the minority as mad.
Just because the majority suppresses themselves and the minority does not.

Does believing in God certify to be called madness?
Does feeling God certify to be called madness?
Does feeling a person who nobody other than you can see certify to be called madness?

It is funny how thin the line between being normal and being called mad is.
I wonder if there is a line.
We have to mould ourselves every second of everyday just to look normal according to some set of social norms that almost everyone despises.
Are we not all hypocrites?
How many of us have done everything we have felt like doing with no restrictions whatsoever – none of us.
And if any of us have dared to, I am sure the person would be termed as being mad.

The price we have to pay for appearing normal, the price we have to pay for not being labelled as mad is to curb our feelings and desires – to go against the one thing we might believe in.

And this makes us no different from hypocrites.

It is funny how people keep telling how they ‘hate’ hypocrites and there is nothing worse than hypocrisy and being someone you are not.
The truth being, everyone is a hypocrite – nobody is what he/she appears to be.
Every single person has hidden desires and dreams.
Every single person has a hidden world of fantasy where he can do as he pleases.
Every single person dreams of a place where he is not bound by rules.
But few realise that what they are asking for is as simple as being mad – as being themselves for once in their lifetime.

I respect those who are labelled as mad – because they have the courage to be what they are. They are not hiding.
They believe in something which is true for them – who are we to question their truth?

Every person is mad – I know that may sound funny to you but it is not funny for those who have been through hell after being labelled ‘mad’.
Why are they made to suffer for it while we are not?
Is it because we know how to curb our desires?
Is it because we are hypocrites?

‘Madness’ is such a relative term – it is just not right to treat it with brutality, it is not right to treat it at all.
If it were not for these so called ‘mad’ men we would not have some of the most beautiful pieces of art, some of the most heavenly pieces of music, some of the most astounding facts called science.
Just because we do not believe in something they do, does not make them mad.
The question of being in a majority or minority should not arise here.

I would rather be labelled as ‘mad’ than become a ‘hypocrite’.

5 comments:

Arps said...

wow!!! my thoughts exactly!! had been reading some psychiatry for the past few days...& at times i've wonered the same thing.being 'abnormal' IS infact going a bit futher from normal.. just the point where the society decides, that's its not what they would do!!

okay, this one post WAS in fact enlightening.
:)

Tara said...

Bravo girl! A very well written post, just stumbled by your blog from Sandeep, and what a blog it is!

Yes, I totally agree, being mad is being normal. I remember, once in school, in the morning, it was raining. I just felt like getting wet, and went to class all dripping with water. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but the teacher gave me a have-you-gone-crazy look! The closed umbrella in my hand, just irritated her more. Somewhere, in thinking about,"what will people think if I do this?", we lose out on the real thing...

It's my life, I'll live it the way I want...:)

Sandeep Balan said...

ohh my god! The last line was like a bullet shot at point blank range....wow yaar! A really strong post n well raised points...i totally agree tht there is a very fine line of demarcation between being mad n being normal....totally impressed by d way u question n force d reader to think....hats off!! Will definetly come back more often frm nw on....will follow u as well d next time i login frm my lappy....am stretchin my mob a lot right nw n its nt possible to do all tht frm dis platform....but seriously....well written....

Sandeep Balan said...

totally in luv wid ur profile name 'another blogger'....he he....'just another blogger' wud hav had more punch...still...good one...n hey...u hv created such a nice string out of tht enlightenment word....branded modules....he he...u hv d makings of a gud brand manager....cudnt help noticing tht given my background in marketing ....cheers

Another Blogger said...

@ arps : psychiatry is quite a subject i must agree - it really does make one wonder!
as for the society - sometimes the society feels so much like the bad guy you tend to forget you are a part of it..

glad to be the one enlightening :)

@ tara : hello there. thank you!
ah i remember those days of getting drenched in the rain. i used to live in a hostel run by nuns - so the looks i got were, believe me, murderous.
what is really depressing is that we all know we are missing out on the real thing and still sacrifice it most of the time. i wonder why.

do visit often.

@ sandeep : hey! im glad you dropped in here. i did want to make my name 'just another blogger' but then decided against it because i felt it was too long.

hmm.. brand manager - i think i will post about career options soon. thanks for the idea!

do visit often.

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