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SUBJECT: The philosopher, Ernest Becker,
in his book, "The Denial of Death,"
says that the human situation (LAUGHS)
is so terrifying, when you really
consider the big picture, that, to not go mad
would amount to another form of madness.
Now, the philosopher, Kierkegaard,
has an interesting definition of the schizophrenic,
and he compares and contrasts the schizophrenic
to the depressive.
Now, basically, he says that the schizophrenic
is overwhelmed by too much possibility,
that the schizophrenic is privy to too much vision,
too much ecstasy.
He simply is overwhelmed, he is flooded by an overbearing
amount of sense impressions, impregnated
with so much meaning, with so much signification,
that he is torn apart by the simple fact
that there's no possible way that he
can ride every single one of those sense impressions.
He can't be here, and there, everywhere.
The schizophrenic is torn apart because he simply
is obliterated and is not grounded in any way.
He's pulled in the every possible direction
he could be pulled, unfiltered, terrified, like a living
wake-walking nightmare.
The depressive, on the other hand,
has the illusion that the walls are caving in on him.
He simply cannot envision a different situation
for himself.
The depressive is subject to a failure of the imagination.
He is stuck with too much entropy, too much gravity.
The here and now sucks, and he cannot imagine another
possibility for himself.
In other words, the world is caving in.
There is nothing but despair.
He is too grounded.
So again, the schizophrenic, not grounded enough,
pulled apart by too much possibility.
The depressive, too grounded, too in his body,
cannot transcend his own weight.
It's a failure of the imagination.
Two contrasts, two extremes, loosely-defined, most of us
probably finding ourselves somewhere in-between.
But nonetheless, an interesting definition, and a creative
challenge to each and every one of us.
How do we partake in these beautific visions,
these ecstatic visions, and nightmarish perspectives,
and leverage them, and try to create life for ourselves that
is, at the very least, filled with a little bit of grace?
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