What Were They Thinking?

What Were They Thinking?

Is there a set definition on what's right and what's wrong? Is there a distinct of scale that a person came up with that defines the line between the insane and the lucid? Webster's 1828 Dictionary defined insanity as, "The state of being unsound in mind; derangement of intellect; madness. Insanity is chiefly used, and the word is applicable to any degree of mental derangement, from slight delirium or wandering, to distraction. It is however rarely used to express slight, temporary delirium, occasioned by fever or accident". Some of the most brilliant-minded people have been labeled as insane, and nearly all of them had never gotten the chance to see the day where people finally saw the beauty in their creations the same way they had. They knew, at heart, they were not insane; still, they were able to stick to something most of us can not: being ourself. We have all become so enclosed by the walls formed from the surrounding society, that we tend to let our true identity stay lurking deep within the depths of its projected shadow. Insanity is a step above being free, a state to which society does not interfere with the loyal relationship you have with yourself. It is a place with no limits that bids the public's thinking farewell.

The label, insane, comes from a misunderstanding. During Pablo Picasso's time, even close friends of his thought Picasso to be mentally deranged for the absurd figures he placed in his paintings. It wasn't until long after the death of Picasso, when we began to appreciate the value and creative power taken from his work. The five nude female prostitutes found in one of his most-famous pieces, Les Demoiselles, was too much for society to take from one man, and disregarded Picasso for being aberrational.

Picasso wasn't the only person to be construed as being insane for his awe-inspiring creativity. Another well-known visionary viewed as being insane was the famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe. He, known for his periods of enormous creativity followed by bottoming lows, was, too, declared to be demented. From being surrounded by many hardships in his life, Poe wrote down the feelings from deep within the realms of his sorrowful heart. He raised the bar in writing and poetry that, once again, most didn't quite comprehend until long after Poe's passing. We often look upon people who are different, or create different things, as evil or insane. Why is such creative talent not accepted by the general public?

Insanity is also an effortless word people use to classify someone when they don't know what's troubling them. It was easy to believe Michael Jackson was insane for bleaching his body and transforming himself from black to white. Along with other characteristics Michael had, society was lead to believe he was insane. Michael Jackson had been diagnosed with vitiligo,

...