Hardcore Mind

Crazy

Crazy

What does it mean to be crazy or to be called crazy?

 

Well, there are many synonyms for the word crazy but one of the antonyms is “normal” so it would stand to reason that abnormal would also be synonymous with the word crazy.

 

So for my purposes, I’m going to use “crazy” and “abnormal” synonymously.

 

Now both what defines “crazy” and “normal” are subjective and, to a large part, defined by social or cultural norms. These definitions have changed in the USA over time, what is considered “normal” now might have been considered “crazy” 100 years ago and vice versa.

 

As an example, if today you spent all your time living in a cabin in the backwoods, growing your own food, trapping or hunting your own meat, have basically removed yourself from society with no electronic contact whatsoever, you would, at the least, be called “eccentric” and would more likely be called “crazy”. 150 years ago, this would not have been considered abnormal behavior.

 

Even today, in some cultures, living a “hunter-gather” is normal but living that same lifestyle here in the USA would be considered “crazy” or “abnormal” with what is considered a “normal” diet for most people, being processed, artificially colored, artificially flavored, chemically enhanced and packaged food. This would not be considered “food” by our ancestors 150 years ago nor by some cultures in the world today.

 

If you dare to go against the recommendations of your doctor and eat a diet that is not in line with the “Food Pyramid”, he considers you a bit crazy or abnormal. If you are not taking multiple prescriptions to lower your cholesterol, regulate your blood pressure or help you sleep, you are not really normal by today’s standards. With over 50% of Americans taking at least 1 prescription medication a day, and more than that taking multiple Over-The-Counter (OTC) medications through the week, if you are not part of this group then you are, by definition, abnormal since “normal” in this case is defined by our culture by what is happening to the majority.

 

But the purpose of this essay is not to get on my “Don’t eat the Standard American Diet (SAD)” rant, it is to help us figure out if we are “crazy” or not, or if you prefer, are you “Normal” or “Abnormal”.

 

Now outside of diet and exercise (both of which are in serious need of revision for most of us), what is considered “Normal”?

 

Here are a few that I have come up with, feel free to play along and add your own.

 

It is considered “normal” to vote for either of the major parties and actually expect something beneficial for the citizens of the USA to come out of their choice.

 

It is considered “normal” to believe anything and everything that comes out of the news media on TV or through any other medium.

 

It is considered “normal” to trust the government and believe that it’s talking heads say.

 

It is considered “normal” to back the US military, regardless of how illegal their actions might be.

 

It is considered “normal” to “be a good citizen” and blindly follow any laws, rules or regulations pass down by any governing body.

 

It is considered “normal” to rush to the doctor every time you cough or sneeze for another round of prescription medications.

 

It is considered “normal” to stand in line waiting for the newest generation of “ICrap” or similar techno device, to be put on sale.

 

It is considered “normal” to cluster in front of shopping malls and mega-stores on “Black Friday” and rush in like a pack of panicked sheep just because it is “Black Friday”.

 

It is considered “normal” to follow the recommendations of the US government on what you are supposed to eat and drink despite the fact that since those recommendations have come out, the US populace has become fatter and sicker because of those very recommendations.

 

It is considered “normal” to distrust a group or nationality because the government has told us that “they hate us for our freedoms”.

 

It is considered “normal” to believe that 9/11 was done by a handful of amateur student pilots who managed to command US airspace for over an hour before hitting 3 buildings, one of which is in heavily protected airspace and the heart of our national defense.

 

It is considered “normal” to blindly follow the flocks of sheeple who are being manipulated and lead down a path of self-destruction by the Powers That Be (PTB).

 

<b>The flipside of this is what does it mean to be “abnormal” or “crazy”. </b>

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to consider yourself a free person who can do anything you want as long as you don’t infringe on anyone else’s rights.

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to go against the recommendations of your doctor, medical establishment or the pharmaceutical industry.

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to question the deployment of US military around the globe for any reason.

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to not believe in the 2 party system or the concept of a democracy

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to decide what you do or don’t put into your own body regardless of the recommendations or laws from governing bodies.

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to question authority or have anything less than a subservient and groveling attitude towards anyone who is wearing a government issued bit of costume jewelry and carries a government authorized firearm.

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to not be obsessive about damn-near sterilizing every square inch of your house, body and office with an assortment of “anti-bacterial” products because, after all, the various companies, medical institutions and government agencies tell us, daily, that we are fragile and frail humans that have no immunity system and must protect ourselves with a battery of (profitable) products to “protect” ourselves.

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to go against the common theme that our bodies are inherently flawed and require special made (and expensive) protective or corrective devices such as shoes, barrier gloves, UV protective clothing, protective sun screen, etc.

 

It is considered “abnormal” or “crazy” to walk around barefoot, in the bright sunlight without any protection, eat high-quality meat and animal fats, and not take a battery of medications to control our bodily functions.

 

I have been called crazy almost all my life because I refuse to follow the “normal” people, believe everything that I see on TV, spend most of my time barefoot, not “act my age”(whatever that means), vote, obey all the laws, work in Arab countries, disbelieve that the government said about 9/11 or Iraq or damn near anything else.

 

I have been called “majnoon” (Arabic for crazy) for many of these things and other things in Egypt.

 

The difference is that inside the USA, if you are considered “crazy” or “abnormal”, you are considered a “threat”, “Person of interest”, “antipatriotic” and a potential “homegrown terrorist” if you go against the norms.

 

In Egypt, they just accept me as being different and have accepted me into their lives as a friend and brother.

 

If the things that I have listed above are “normal”, I’ll take being crazy any day.

 

Normal is highly overrated.