Crazy

"The sight of pain is both intolerable and dangerous in the happiness-centered house of cards, held together by rationalization and self-deceit, in which the sane live. Also, the humanitarian values to which society claims to subscribe would be given the lie if we were forced to see how we would cope with a person suffering intolerable pain. The sight of such pain would also deeply offend our humanitarian sensibilities."

Anonymous letter-writer commenting on The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, New York Review of Books, July 9, 1964

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"Most people think of depression as a deficit state," Mayberg says. "You're low, you're negative. But in fact, talk to a depressed person, and you have this bizarre combination of numbness and what William James called 'an active anguish.' 'A sort of psychical neuralgia,' he said, 'wholly unknown to healthy life.' You're numb but you hurt. You can't think, but you are in pain. Now, how does your psyche hurt? What a weird choice of words. But it's not an arbitrary choice. It's there. These people are feeling a particular, indescribable kind of pain."

"A Depression Switch?", New York Times, April 2, 2006

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Listen
Listen
Listen
Listen

You're funny and you don't know why
You're funny and you can't even cry
You're funny and you don't know why
You're funny and you don't even try

Say your head keeps shaking
'cause your arms are shaking
and your feet are shaking
'cause the earth is shaking

and your head keeps shaking
'cause your arms are shaking
and your feet are shaking
'cause the earth is shaking

Listen (shhh)
Listen (shhh)
(listen, listen)

Nothing can hurt you
unless you want it to
There are no answers
many reasons to be strong

You take a walk you take a walk
you take a walk and try to understand
Nothing can hurt you
unless you want it to
Ohhhhhhhhh

You're in love and you don't know why
You're in love and you can't even cry
You're in love and you don't know why
You're in love and you don't even try

Still your head keeps shaking
'cause your arms are shaking
and your feet are shaking
'cause the earth is shaking

and your head keeps shaking
'cause your arms are shaking
and your feet are shaking
'cause the earth is shaking

Listen
Listen
Listen

You're funny and you don't know why
You're funny and you can't even cry
You're funny and you don't know why
You're funny and you don't even try

Pylon, "Crazy," 1981

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