On Insanity

There is a huge debate on how to define insanity? keeping the medical profession at bay here, in colloquial lingo what do we understand by the term 'insanity.' We have come to use so loosely now, labelling the terrorist and murderers as insane, to useing it as a mark of being different and out of the box, in a complimentary way to ascribe creativity to a person. People refer to themselves as 'insane' when explaining their out of routine or impulsive actions.

So what exactly is insanity? Was Hitler insane? is Zardari, a certerfied pychiatric patient, mentally insane? was the famous writer Slyvia Plath, who took her own life, a bit off the tether? who decides the line between sanity and insanity? Are people locked up in aslyums or now euphemistically referred to as 'homes or what not' actually mad or are the ones doing the locking up crazier? Is society in making out norms any saner than individuals who do insane acts? Killing someone under any circumstance is considered wrong in every community and is punisable by law. But, most of the same communities train their citizens to kill people in state of war, which is again defined by a 'few people who are in charge.' History is replete with examples showing in hindsight that most wars fought, men killed, destruction wrought, and lives disrupted were needless and on account of the mistakes and whims, or decisions of the few leaders that called the shots at the time.

We tend to take a on face value. And I don't mean being ungrateful here, I mean taking things as they seem, taking language at superficial level and not bothering to look underneath. When we use words, we are using them as symbols to refer to some other thing or an idea in most cases, if our symbols and signs are representing ideas that we aren't clear about then communication not only becomes muddled it becomes impossible. We are just babbling at each other without quite getting at the meaning of what is being said or meant.

Therefore, isn't it a good idea to get into a discourse, at times with one's own self, and question what do I mean by? say ______________ and put any word! you would be surprised by the answers or rather a multitude of answers!!!!!!!!!!!!