You don't have to be a creative maverick to have a troubled mind. You just have to be human. There is no 'us' and 'them.' No one is one hundred per cent healthy, physically or mentally.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the shared struggles of humanity regarding mental health and creativity.
Matt Haig's quote highlights the universal nature of human experience, suggesting that everyone, regardless of their creativity or success, can face mental health challenges. It stresses the idea that there is no divide between people; all individuals share vulnerabilities and health issues, reinforcing our common humanity and the importance of empathy and understanding.
In practice
This quote can be shared in a mental health awareness event to promote understanding and compassion.
Being a depressive should not imply danger any more than being a man or even a human should. Mental illness isn't a them/us issue; we are all on the scale somewhere. So we must be very careful to resist ignorance and combat the stigma that leads to dangerous silence.
It can be difficult for people to talk about it, because there still is that stigma around mental illness. But I would encourage people to do that, because they'll be surprised once they do 'come out' how many other people have had similar experiences.
Understand that thoughts are thoughts. If they are unreasonable, reason with them, even if you have no reason left. You are the observer of your mind, not its victim.
We need, ultimately, to be able to view mental health with the same clear-headedness we show when talking about physical health.
You are no less or more of a man or a woman or a human for having depression than you would be for having cancer or cardiovascular disease or a car accident.
Teenagers are in some ways the best readers because their imaginations haven't been narrowed down by boring things like jobs and the realities of money and capitalism.
We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.
Our suffering is not worthy the name of suffering. When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost to death, thinking what are they in _x000D_ comparison of the sufferings of my blessed Savior Christ Jesus.
A thinking woman sleeps with monsters.
God will only give you what you would have asked for if you knew everything he knows
This is a very important practice. Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. _x000D_ _x000D_ When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from yourself and you lose yourself. _x000D_ _x000D_ The practice is always to go back to oneself.
The wise man who has become accustomed to necessities knows better how to share with others than how to take from them, so great a treasure of self-sufficiency has he found.
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