Fashionably Mad

We’ve endured a cold, wet morning here in Derbyshire, so Mrs H and I toddled off for a stroll round town in our wet weather gear. We even popped into the Co-op coffee shop because it was that kind of day. The kind of day where it is not unpleasant to linger over a coffee, to chat and gaze at passersby through rain-spotted windows.  

Over coffee we found ourselves chatting about madness and how common and even fashionable it has become in modern times. Not padded room type madness, but mild versions which one might almost imagine to have become lifestyle choices. As if decades of psychology have not cured madness but promoted it as a socially fashionable condition within certain, equally fashionable limitations.

Celebrities especially – they seem remarkably keen to exhibit their mental problems to the whole world. Even wallowing in it, as if mild madness conveys some kind of artistic kudos, although they all seem disinclined to cut off one of their ears. They don’t usually take it that far.

As if it has become fashionable to be a little unstable, to have a screw loose or to be the proud owner of some fashionably expensive psychiatric problems. Apart from medication, the main remedy appears to be unconditional sympathy. Almost as if sympathy is a contributory factor, but that is hardly a surprising observation. 

Yes - fashionable madness does leave a chap with an obvious suspicion because excessive sympathy also appears to be a disease of our times. That is not to say that more people should be told to get a grip of themselves, but maybe more people should be encouraged to unlearn some of the social games they play…

No – on reflection more people should be told to get a grip of themselves.