Why does the world seem to be completely insane?

An answer . . .

Yes, it always appears that you are in a minority of sane people (or perhaps you are the ONLY sane person) in a sea of completely confused crackpots. The reason that so many other people seem completely confused and wrongheaded is that they use different symbols and metaphors to view the world. It is impossible to discuss important issues such as politics, families, violence, justice, etc. without resorting to symbolism.Anything that does not directly refer to something that can be physically sensed, such as justice or one’s concept of God must be referred to by metaphor and symbol. If you and another use different symbols, you will be unable to communicate effectively.

Some of the main metaphors in use today are:

Conventional religion

Science

Power, that is, dominance and submission

Artistic and aesthetic worth

Traditional political categories

Material wealth and security

Romanticism and relationships

Honor, valor, and courage

Bigotry, racism, and exclusivity

Depth psychology (Freud, Jung, etc.)

Humanism and "new age" psychology

Traditional philosophy

Chances are that your views and beliefs about the world center around one or several of these metaphors. For example, if you see the world in terms of moral worth and submission to a higher law, you are conventionally religious. If you see the world in terms of cause and effect and experimenting to find the right solutions, you are oriented toward science.

People who share one or more basic metaphors will find that they can communicate effectively with one another and work together constructively. People who do not share any metaphors will usually be unable to regard one another with anything beyond fear, hostility, and contempt. Because of this lack of communication between groups, most discussions of important issues in the public arena quickly degenerate into grandstanding and name calling, because in the absence of real understanding between the disagreeing parties, only mob psychology is left to sway public opinion.

In all of this you may be left frustrated and unable to act, because you have not yet realized that.

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