TetsuoShima wrote:
Sunshiny wrote:
I see. "Causes" wasn't the best choice of words. "Creates" would be better. Let me rephrase it to say "...where the person's mentality itself creates symptoms which negatively affects that person..."
That should be better. It's why i said "or clearer" since i knew it was not the clearest i could make it.
people do all the time acts of honor because of their mentality, that affect them negativly, thats not insane. I still dont know what you mean with symptoms though
I mean to use symptoms as a direct cause for the negativity like paranoia as an example, as opposed to say an indirect cause like having to make moral choices.
I think Macer has a point. Something leading towards insanity could be good for the mind as long as insanity isn't reached.
How would that work then? Im not sure what you mean.
Maybe you think a chronic anxiety disorder is good for the mind?
How close to insanity would you need to be for it to be good for you?
Actually, depending on what the definition of "good" is, insanity itself could be good for the mind. If "good" means conforming to normal human society (which is how most people define the word subconsciously), then no, insanity isn't good for the mind. However, if we ditch the preconception of insanity as a disease (and it is only a disease because human society labels it as such), then insanity is just another way of thinking. And often this way of thinking leads to results completely unattainable by so called "normal" people. To name a few examples: Van Gouh, Beethoven, Bobby Fischer (if we're talking about chess), F. Scott Fitzgerald (slightly), Copernicus (back in the day was labelled as insane), etc.
This would depend on what the definition of "insanity" is too. I consider it something that negatively affects a person. If it doesn't do that, then it's good. I don't use your mentioned definition for "good."
But how would you define "negatively affects"? Copernicus was burned alive for saying that the earth orbited the sun, so he was negatively affected in pretty much the most negative way possible. So he was insane for saying what he said?
Copernicus was not burned alive for saying the earth orbited the sun.
You are mixing two different historical stories.
Galileo was put under house arrest by the religious authorities, and threated with what might have been torture for saying the earth moved.
Giordano bruno was burned alive by the church, but it was for suggesting that there might be life on other planets.
Basically, in those days you needed to think the way the church wanted you to think if you wanted to stay healthy.