-There are so many kinds of madness, so many ways in which the human brain may go wrong; and so often it happens that what we call madness is both reasonable and just. It is so. Yes. A little reason is good for us, a little more makes wise men of some of us--but when our reason over-grows us and we reach too far, something breaks and we go insane. James Oliver Curwood. -If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you. Friedrich Nietzsche -Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind, overtasked. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. I've seen similar quotes elsewhere. Is there a mental abyss one can lose oneself in? A mental minefield. Something that just is not good for us to stumble into? I find the first quote particularly interesting because he mentions our reason "over-growing us and we reach too far". The writer, agree with him or disagree, writes this in a tone that suggests this is a common human trait he has frequently observed. What is "too far" ?
I think a lot of problems are rooted in narcissism. I think the idea that you are special, that you need to fit in somewhere, is the root of much mental distress. Especially when one feels the need to bring good to the world. Like when people become convinced they are angels or warriors of god -yuri
Agreed on the narcisssism part, but I'd say thinking you are special and needing to fit in somewhere are two separate things. The former is attributing a special status to yourself, an ego flex if you will. The latter is a need that arises in most people whether they choose it or not. I'd say most who need to fit in and don't, would rather prefer they never had that need in the first place. It would certainly make their lives easier. Perhaps emotional self reliance should be a more stressed part of maturing? Extroverts would then possibly disagree.
what I meant was The need to fit in, makes people overthink things. Sometimes they are fitting in just fine and don't even know. finding who you are can be a lot of stress -yuri