Hi there,
So this is just a little proverb that has helped me a lot over the years. It is not meant to replace proper psychiatric advice, just contextualize what it is we struggle with, when we struggle with madness. Indeed madness is often confused with psychosis, we don't necessarily see madness in its own pristine state. Sometimes we sense madness is there, other times we are taken aback at how much psychosis can take over, when we ignore madness. As such it is important, to know what it is we are dealing with, when it comes to our state of mind and the development of it. The question of what response we should have to madness can be clouded, by our fear of psychosis, but there is a proper way to approach it, as this proverb makes clear, and this is the proverb:
The second element of this proverb, is that the difference between madness and sin can be qualified in a distinct way: the measure of our madness, is proportional to how much we need it: if we can't live without it, then madness is justified, in some measure. That's not to say that steering in or out of madness, does not experience scrutiny, just that, all things considered, we may find that it comforts us, or guides us in a way in which we are familiar with. It's not to say we will die, without it - there is a middle ground there - but that in some way, the madness helps us live. If we couldn't live without it, trying to remove it would make it worse! That's what we don't want. Sure, it might help to answer the question "how would we do without madness, if we could?", but fundamentally, what we want to say is "I accept my madness".
If we can accept ourselves in the process (of accepting madness) that will prove the point, that this (proverbial) notion of acceptance sets out: madness is not completely unacceptable! There should be joy in this, to share, in reality. I pray that you know how to deal with your own madness, and that this has helped a little, for you to feel that you can cope.
God bless.
So this is just a little proverb that has helped me a lot over the years. It is not meant to replace proper psychiatric advice, just contextualize what it is we struggle with, when we struggle with madness. Indeed madness is often confused with psychosis, we don't necessarily see madness in its own pristine state. Sometimes we sense madness is there, other times we are taken aback at how much psychosis can take over, when we ignore madness. As such it is important, to know what it is we are dealing with, when it comes to our state of mind and the development of it. The question of what response we should have to madness can be clouded, by our fear of psychosis, but there is a proper way to approach it, as this proverb makes clear, and this is the proverb:
The are two basic elements to this proverb, one, there is a connection between madness and condemnation, specifically the condemnation of sin. When we are mad, the danger can be that we say "this madness is your fault, you have sinned in some way" - but this isn't true. Madness can be completely innocent, even put on, for the sake of mercy. There is a sense indeed that we would sin more, if madness was considered sin - we wouldn't be able to cope. So it is that we must be circumspect about how we hold ourselves accountable, for madness - it is certainly not the same thing, as sinning.Gottservant said:
The second element of this proverb, is that the difference between madness and sin can be qualified in a distinct way: the measure of our madness, is proportional to how much we need it: if we can't live without it, then madness is justified, in some measure. That's not to say that steering in or out of madness, does not experience scrutiny, just that, all things considered, we may find that it comforts us, or guides us in a way in which we are familiar with. It's not to say we will die, without it - there is a middle ground there - but that in some way, the madness helps us live. If we couldn't live without it, trying to remove it would make it worse! That's what we don't want. Sure, it might help to answer the question "how would we do without madness, if we could?", but fundamentally, what we want to say is "I accept my madness".
If we can accept ourselves in the process (of accepting madness) that will prove the point, that this (proverbial) notion of acceptance sets out: madness is not completely unacceptable! There should be joy in this, to share, in reality. I pray that you know how to deal with your own madness, and that this has helped a little, for you to feel that you can cope.
God bless.
