CONTENTS
Recommended highly
Too extreme a position?
The definition of insanity
The definition of sane
Are we acting sanely?
Which do you choose?
The individual sanity item test
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RECOMMENDED HIGHLY
I'd like to recommend full sanity, though it seems to have a bit of a bad rep.
Will you entertain the idea of your living with full sanity?
Wouldn't not being fully sane mean that one is partially insane? And wouldn't it be insane to have it be ok to be partially insane, to actually choose insanity on purpose?
TOO EXTREME A POSITION?
It seems we justify some "insane" behaviors, such as drinking and blasting our bodies out or watching alot of tv or expressing our tempers inappropriately.
But that does sound overly puritanical, probably.
THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY
The definition of insanity: Great folly, extreme senselessness; not engaging in normal, rational conduct or judgment.
An insane person is one who has a high degree of
Lack of mental order
Lack of clarity
Doing what doesn't work and not being aware of it
Of course, you probably have not passed over the threshold to what is considered insanity, but that does not mean that you are not engaging in it and that you might be able to benefit to a large degree from some "sane thinking".
So, we'll not get into an argument about the level of sanity or not, we'll simply propose that we use a test for individual items of: Is it sane or not sane? We don't want to be vague and to allow for people to say "it's okay" or "it's not so bad" or "everybody does it, it's normal".
THE ABSOLUTE TEST: SANITY OR INSANITY
Is it sane or not to:
Drink alcohol?
Get fat?
Do unhealthy practices?
Not exercise?
Not have a strong, clear, well-thought out philosophy?
Feel a constant anxiety/stress/concern about the past or the future (so energy is
used up for naught and not directed to useful purposes)
Allow anything that harms health or well-being?
THE DEFINITION OF SANE
Definition of sane: Able to make sound, rational judgments; showing good sense, sensible.
If something "makes good sense", using sound, rational judgments, then it would seem that not doing it implies insanity.
How much insanity do you want? How insane do you want to be?
An insane person doesn't have things straight in his/her mind as a result of not applying good, rational thinking. He/she is not in full touch with reality.
ARE WE ACTING SANELY?
However, the Buddha refers to the logical conclusion that anyone suffering (or being unhappy) is inflicting that upon themselves, needlessly, by operating inconsistently with reality. So, sanity is Accepting Reality as reality and having no resistance or wishing that it were otherwise, and simply moving on in a proactive way to create what one wants regardless of having undesire outcomes, living without irrational fears (see Fearlessness).
And there are quite a few people who would resist the time it takes to learn enough to live one's life well plus to learn to apply rational thinking processes to engage in rational systematic decision-making and problem-solving.
It also seems that people would see the benefit of learning how their minds and bodies work and then would work them to gain the maximum benefit. The test of whether they did that would be whether or not they have attained the results that would result from sane thinking (the best results for the amount of effort expended). See the Individual Item Sanity Test, below.
But, to be fully sane, we need to do all of those!
WHICH DO YOU CHOOSE?
And the insane reply to that is "but it's too much work" or "it's human to not have a number of these not working".
Those do not indicate sufficient knowledge or completely rational thinking.
If something is valuable, then it would only be rational to learn what that is and then to apply our efforts to achieve the most valuable, then the next most valuable, then the next most valuable...and not to allow lower level activities, except to rationally rest, in until the more valuable ones are fully engaged in.
The only sane behavior would be to continue until each sane result on the Sanity Test is attained.
See how you do, first. Then decide what you will do about it.
THE INDIVIDUAL ITEM SANITY TEST
If a person was using their time and efforts rationally, each of the following would be the result: (Either checkmark those you have attained or give yourself a grade, where less than an A would be a lack of attaining the actual result fully.)
___ Excellent health
___ A healthy weight (BMI below 23 at least)
___ Normal blood pressure
___ A diet that promotes health
___ Very limited sugar
___ Following the recommendations for vegetables and fruits
___ Not drink alcohol (shrinks, damages brain, a toxic to the body)
___ Not taking drugs
___ Psychological balance and knowledge of how to make it work
___ Low stress
___ Use of techniques to lower stress or keep it low
___ Enduring, unconditional happiness
___ Gratitude for life and most of what is in it
___ Only make rational decisions on major things
___ No victim thinking
___ No complaining, criticizing, or negative talk
___ Only conversations that are positive and/or solution oriented
___ Know how the mind and the chemicals in the body work for psychology
and functioning well, for the benefit of oneself and others.
___ No anger reactions, resentment free
___ Able to produce results in life
___ Sufficient earnings
___ Sufficient discipline to do what needs to be done on an expeditious
basis
___ High emotional intelligence
___ Relationship knowledge and harmony
___ Know and avoid the crazymaking behaviors, such as frenzied worrying,
negative (problem) conversations, asking people to help but not listening
or following through, indecisiveness - all of these would be worked on
and solved, in order to avoid harming the other's emotional well-being.
GETTING TO SANE
As the general principle goes, if something isn't working the way one wants, do the opposite.
Getting thoughts in order.
Tying things down, committing to them
How to operate, decide - rules and standards
Forming a solid foundation to live life from
Solve problems now so don't have to deal with again and again
Follow the principles and laws (learn them)
Zero tolerance for nonsense
Focus on what you have, not allow focus on what you don't have
Use your rational brain, don't allow the other, though consider intuition
Routines for day, checklists to follow
Don't reinvent the wheel
Get excellent advisors and supporters
The prime way to sanity is to revise one's beliefs so that the new beliefs are true and functional. Thinking there is another way is not wise (and perhaps insane).
don't reinvent
