Insane

Insane is defined as "in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction"

It is from the Latin sanus which means health and the negative prefix in meaning not. So insane means not healthy. Originally it did not refer only to those mentally deranged but those not in good health.

The Latins were fond of saying "mens sana in corpore sano" a "healthy mind in a healthy body".

The word has evolved and become a term ascribing a meaning specifically used when we are dealing with mental health.

The key word that must be defined in the above definition is the word normal. Normal is defined:

1. conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
2. serving to establish a standard.

By that definition normal is established by one of two methods. The second is a democratic standard based on what most people think. This may contradict the basic tenants of the term because if most people are not mentally healthy, not sane then the standard or norm is incorrect.

If we combine the word perception with the word normal in the sense of standard as means of measuring the truth or reality then someone who cannot see the truth or the true reality as it exists could be classified as insane.

Albert Einstein said that "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Society often develops policies of self destruction because it does not want to perceive the end result but prefers to indulge in the immediate comfort of the moment.

As examples:

• Ignoring inconvenient facts that contradict what we already believe.
• Fiscal policies, whether public or private, of spending more than you produce.
• That you can vote to take from your neighbor to force him to pay for what you want and they cannot force you to pay for what they want.
• Electing men to positions of power to end corruption when it has commonly been known through out history that power corrupts.
• Exerting more energy to pointing out the wrongs others do who are not under our control rather than focusing on the wrongs we do which we could control.
• Believing you can be ignorant and free at the same time.
• Believing you can be slothful and prosperous at the same time.

Can you think of more self destructive policies of mankind that proves that most people are insane?