There’s another way to look at the individuation process: Embracing the madness.

As we grow up, the ideas of right/wrong, good/bad, and reward/punishment are fed to us. And that is fine. It keeps the order of society and makes it easier to live in harmony, but often these boundaries we accept to avoid conflict become our own prisons.

When it comes to being civilized, we are taught more about what not to do, than what to do. Why is it so? Because inherently we are capable of doing anything and growing in any direction, and it is only by limiting this boundless growth that order can be achieved. But a society that over-fantasizes conformity is like a garden full of trees all pruned the same, be it a majestic oak, or a tall pine. Not only it gets boring quickly but carries no benefits of its diverse trees either.

And then there are the outliers in this garden, with unbound growth and branches shooting out madly. These are the thinkers and doers, the people who attempt great things, bringing something novel to the world, in the form of an invention, a company, or art. From Steve Jobs to Salvador Dali, and Nikola Tesla to Socrates, these people stand out with their eccentric personalities, which is a result of saying “No” to the societal gardeners and seeking their own sunlight.

These people can appear mad to the masses at first, but it is only when we taste their fruits that we realize what the rest of us sacrificed in the name of conformance. Their fruits carry their own flavor of uniqueness, and a tinge of weirdness, but that is what keeps the garden interesting and progressive.

Embrace Your Madness

While madness is a serious condition, but what society usually deems as mad (or crazy) is often just our uniqueness seen as a hurdle to conformity. Whatever be the reason to seek conformity, from social order to easier labor recruitment, we must realize that there is more to us and embrace it. It does not mean we need to rebel by running naked on the streets or jump roof to roof, but rather do whatever it takes to bring our unique fruits to reality. In the end, it will naturally benefit society as well.

To embrace our madness is not always about walking on a new path. Even walking the old path with our “mad” perspective can bring fresh value to the monotonous world. And the biggest advantage of living this way is that even if we fail miserably and gain no value, at least we did not suffocate ourselves and grew to our full extent. That itself is a fulfilling feeling.

You see, in life, only you are your most reliable asset. And even after knowing this if you continue to operate with just a fraction of your capacity, that is what a really mad person would look like. Rather, explore your potential, integrate all the restricted aspects of your being, and express the unique “you.” It could mean anything, be it risking the safety of your job to pursue a new business or designing a new font because everything else seems boring.

When you embrace your madness, you no longer seek direction from others, as you now create your own path. You become a creator. A creator who is not mad but does not fear being called one either. A creator who brings new value to the world with their unique touch.

A good example of this is Elon Musk, who not only first took the risk of quitting his Stanford course but again risked almost all the millions of dollars he got from selling PayPal, just to start Tesla and SpaceX, when there was no guarantee of success.

We are not asking you to take irrational risks, but how would you ever know if your idea will work or not without jumping in either? The risk lies either way:

To embrace your madness and live at full potential, or

Limit your expression and be maddened by society.

Find a balance, or go all in. The choice is yours.

Rise & Shine ⭐