How insane do you think you are? - Page 6

March 7, 2008, 7:59 PM

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Originally Posted by Julius Argexis

Yes, but the answer to that definition could have infinite possibilities, yet answers limited to our simple human knowledge.

Is this term as subjective as "good" and "evil" then? I thought there was a psychological definition of this.

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Oh and Angelus, if only my Pre-Calculus teacher could meet you, she would be pleased to meet another Math geek (she is one as well, in fact she almost just talks about math problems all the time, that and about her studies when she visited Germany)

Then maybe she can tell me all about Gottingen, the place where Gauss lived and studied. I'd be interested in some math problems too.

March 7, 2008, 8:30 PM

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Originally Posted by Angelus-Mortis

Is this term as subjective as "good" and "evil" then? I thought there was a psychological definition of this.

Well there is definition:
Insane:"Exhibiting unsoundness or a mind disorder; not sane; mad; deranged in mind; delirious; distracted.

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Originally Posted by Dictionary

Insane:
1: a deranged state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder (as schizophrenia)2: such unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding as prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction or as removes one from criminal or civil responsibility3 a: extreme folly or unreasonableness b: something utterly foolish or unreasonable

I am not that convinced though, yet it's all I could find at the moment. So based on this, I may be just a little insane. (5% of me)

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Then maybe she can tell me all about Gottingen, the place where Gauss lived and studied. I'd be interested in some math problems too.

I'll ask her all about it and bring her reply. Her only problem is that she speaks too fast and her class is usually as fast as the words she can say per minute. She usually threatens us to make a BOMB Test if we don't do our homework, but since it's High School, most people doubt her doing it. I don't, so I do my homework (at least 85% of it).

Yet, she is the only one who was able to convince me that math is not an enemy, instead is a powerful ally if you are willing to take the chance to work hard to understand it.

March 7, 2008, 8:44 PM

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Originally Posted by Julius Argexis

Well there is definition:
Insane:"Exhibiting unsoundness or a mind disorder; not sane; mad; deranged in mind; delirious; distracted.

I know; they're pretty vague. If it's "not sane", you'd have to define what sane is as well. Sane in health, or sane in mind, or both? There's a difference. Although I'm fairly sure we're talking about the mind here, but that could mean anything.

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I am not that convinced though, yet it's all I could find at the moment. So based on this, I may be just a little insane. (5% of me)

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See, if being unreasonable is being insane, then that would mean we're insane and the geniuses, who think logically aren't. We just label things we're not familiar with or comfortable with as being insane as a blanket.

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I'll ask her all about it and bring her reply. Her only problem is that she speaks too fast and her class is usually as fast as the words she can say per minute. She usually threatens us to make a BOMB Test if we don't do our homework, but since it's High School, most people doubt her doing it. I don't, so I do my homework (at least 85% of it).

Yet, she is the only one who was able to convince me that math is not an enemy, instead is a powerful ally if you are willing to take the chance to work hard to understand it.

Well, the problem is usually from the people that teach it to you, and depending on who explains it to you first, you either grow to have misconceptions of what math is, and probably grow to hate it, or you don't, and probably can appreciate it.

And what Gauss says is true: "If others would but reflect on mathematical truths as deeply and as continuously as I have, they would make my discoveries."

People hate math because the person that taught it to them hates it too. It's probably also because they're unaware that math can be taught in many different ways. It must be, because there is rarely ever only one way to solve a math problem.

March 7, 2008, 10:20 PM

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I would think that it's not the intelligence that leads to insanity, but the reception towards it. See, not everyone is quite as intelligent as particular geniuses are, and if their ideas aren't made clear because some of us have difficulty understanding such ideas on such a high level of complexity or degree of thought, it is easy for us to simply give up and shut out that idea as being "crazy" even if it is perfectly logical. And when people reject your ideas, even if they make the most sense to you because you have the capabilities of understanding it and they don't, it doesn't seem logical that such a "beautiful" or rational idea might be rejected, unless you can see that people have difficulties seeing it. The worse part, however, is that most people don't have a more progressive perspective of accepting that maybe they, or the entire world might be able to reflect on it and accept it later; they just don't think about it. So the intelligent person, of which few people are of the same caliber as himself, is easily isolated, and because his ideas are rejected, might possibly be lead to insanity.

Fair point. Being misunderstood and rejected, etc, can lead to mental problems. As is the case with trauma and social problems.
But sometimes, people can be driven insane by what they think about as well. For instance, thinking about our place in the universe. That it's so big, yet also finite. And what created the universe? Other people might just close their minds to perplexing, ultimate questions. Apparently, unless I'm mistaken, you can suffer a brief psychotic episode from prolonged, deep thinking.
Perhaps I'm looking at it from the wrong direction.

It's amazing how little we really know about how the mind works.

March 7, 2008, 10:26 PM

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Originally Posted by Iron_Legion

Fair point. Being misunderstood and rejected, etc, can lead to mental problems. As is the case with trauma and social problems.
But sometimes, people can be driven insane by what they think about as well. For instance, thinking about our place in the universe. That it's so big, yet also finite. And what created the universe? Other people might just close their minds to perplexing, ultimate questions. Apparently, unless I'm mistaken, you can suffer a brief psychotic episode from prolonged, deep thinking.
Perhaps I'm looking at it from the wrong direction.

It's amazing how little we really know about how the mind works.

The problem is that the small amount of time we have to live isn't even a fraction of what we require to use our brain's full potential, thus making it harder to understand it. And yes, too much thinking can literally do you harm, call it like "too much reading + no rest = fried brain".

March 8, 2008, 4:58 AM

I have a lot of problems.
As a mild fan of psychology, I diagnosed myself a few times. In reality though I'm not knowledgeable enough to really claim I have anything specifically. Just know I have a lot of anger issues and a great deal of paranoia about myself and people close to me.

Don't think that makes me insane though. Just a guy who is afraid of things and pissed off a lot.

March 8, 2008, 9:40 PM

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Originally Posted by Iron_Legion

Fair point. Being misunderstood and rejected, etc, can lead to mental problems. As is the case with trauma and social problems.
But sometimes, people can be driven insane by what they think about as well. For instance, thinking about our place in the universe. That it's so big, yet also finite. And what created the universe? Other people might just close their minds to perplexing, ultimate questions. Apparently, unless I'm mistaken, you can suffer a brief psychotic episode from prolonged, deep thinking.
Perhaps I'm looking at it from the wrong direction.

It's amazing how little we really know about how the mind works.

So now we know why religion exists--people are afraid that if they could find the answer themselves, they'd go insane?

How amusing.

Well anyways, I take it to mean that if we think about things that are far fetched from reality, like abstract stuff like math, we delve deeper into subjects that have little to do with reality, and our thoughts, therefore, start to have little to do with reality, even if math is a logical subject.