January 23, 2009
-
Dealing with the Delusional
There was one guy recently who expected me to go to youtube and listen to a bunch of music that he claimed would put me under the influence of the Devil. I disappointed his expectation. I have learned to be cautious in the indulgence of my own whims. I think it would be foolish indeed for me to indiscriminately indulge other people’s crazy caprices.
When I was a kid, my mother advised me that the best way to handle a crazy person was, “just humor him.” Fortunately for me and for some of the crazy people whose paths have crossed mine, I was never particularly impressed with my mother’s wisdom or intelligence. Truth be told, I have never been much inclined to indulge anybody’s whims, especially if they seem insane or potentially harmful.
I started out here with the craziest instance I could think of, killing the sheriff on the first page, as many good writers do to get their readers’ attention. He’s not the only recent instance by far. Several times a week I am contacted by people wanting me to do something that to me seems crazy. I don’t mind. I accept as my dharma the reception or interception of such messages from beyond sanity.
I enjoy speaking rationally to the irrational, being reasonable with the unreasonable, up to a point. Let me illustrate that point with a bit more detail about that youtube guy. He was sent to me by the Old Fart, Greyfox, my soulmate, lawful spouse, and partner in business and crime. I don’t delude myself that he sent me this guy because he knows I enjoy dealing with such crap. I know that he hates trying to deal with it, and that’s why he hands it over to me.
His first message was semi-coherent, rambling and confused. He characterized himself as “fearful and confused.” He was asking me to cast judgment on two different psychic practitioners whose previous advice to him had conflicted with each other. He was testing me, having already made up his mind about the other two. The one he favored had cleverly picked up on his pecuiliar delusions and played to them by obliquely alluding to a lucrative and supposedly shady offer someone had made her, which she had turned down.
I wrote to him about false and limiting beliefs, the futility and counterproductivity of fear, “ideas of reference,” and some of the tricks of the trade used by shady “psychics.” I had no expectations regarding his response. Therefore, I was not particularly surprised when his next message was much more coherent than the first. He apologized, which struck me as characteristic ingratiating behavior. Then he told me to go listen to Marshall Mathers and Felipe Coronel. He said, in essence, that one of them is channeling God and the other is channeling the Devil.
I responded to him honestly and without pulling any punches. My intention was simply to respond, to give him accurate feedback, not to affect him or his behavior. I had no preconceptions regarding what would define “success” or “failure” with this contact (too informal to call it a client), but in retrospect, after talking to Greyfox today, I realize that I succeeded. I received no more communications from the guy, but Greyfox got another incoherent and rambling message informing him that he had failed the test.
Comments (8)
I can’t do crazy. There’s no reason or logic in crazy… and I can’t step far enough outside of reason or logic to deal with them. Nor do I really want to. I figure there are others who can… let them.
crazy? what kind of crazy are we talking about here. After all there’s insane crazy,funny crazy, sacry killer crazy, and normal everyday person crazy. As far as the thing with the whole devil music, If your belief in god is truely where it needs to be then it won’t matter how much you are exposed something like that because. God has already given you the strength to overcome such things. It might be why you find such people becausee you are stronger willed than most.
I would have told him I am already in touch with both sides and prefer the devil. I like to kid around.
@RobinAmyBass - Oddly enough, the musician he considers diabolical is one Greyfox and I have a lot of respect for.
@Mirravin - I suppose that was a rhetorical question? Delusional should be sufficient to define his insanity, I think.
I don’t find these people. They find me. Once in a while I’m able to reach one of them.
@SuSu - yeah, then yur doing something right. I admire the fact that you don’t do what quite a few people do and avoide peole like that at all cost. I after all if those people can potintail be an influance on others, why can’t the tables be turned and we be more of an influance. people just don’t seem to get that.
I also tend to attract the less than sane. lol Its been quite entertaining over the years.
I think it is the teaching moments behind why we get certain people around you…me I have always dealt with selfish narcissistic people….I hate having to deal with them…and I do agree with your take on your mother’s advice I get into more difficulty with poeple when I go along…because then when I stop going along they get really pissy I have learned the hard way not to tolerate that behavior
psychotic folks make me feel very sorry for them…unless they are consistently negative and hostile. I guess that would mean something else is going on there besides a straight psychosis…but what do I know?