I've corrected my post below, referring more precisely to "disorders" of the mind. I would like to end it now, by saying that an attempt at solving the problem of the border between normal sadness and depression is a maximalist solution: trying not to hurt another person even with words, trying not to use hateful, violent words that might hurt someone somewhere. Impossible? Being successful is impossible; trying is not. It's well know that one can't please everyone everywhere, just like one can't avoid to offend everyone everywhere, or we enter the realm of pathological political correctness. BUT, there are extreme cases that can be avoided in a simple way. Due to my temper, you have no idea (oh, yes, some of you do have it) how much restraint I have to exert when writing this blog! I haven't cheered anybody's death yet, I don't remember if I've wished death on someone (I do that often, and of course I'm joking, BUT such words are never right) and I've certainly used violent words when I couldn't help myself. It's hard, but it's a long way to go, as usual. I'm convinced there are more elegant and effective ways of criticising someone or something. I've never learned that art. Verbal violence is the beginning of actual violence; either because it incites violence, or because the person using it is more likely to actually hurt someone. I'm not being holier-than-thou; I just know what's inside me. I've physically hurt people; given a good enough motive, I'd be perfectly able to kill someone at the height of rage and fear. When I said below that there's no precise border between "normal" and "Hitler", I referred to the whole of humanity, of course, but I mean it also within the same person. Someone with violent ideas and a violent way of expressing them might be perfectly able to put into practise what he preaches. OR he might not. Maybe he vents his rage that way, and then he's a perfect family man, or an innocuous and only slightly eccentric young woman. Or maybe he's truly a nice guy, truly convinced of being a good man, one who wouldn't hurt another in any way, and one day he tries to slaughter his unarmed best friend. (This means you, Aelfwine). BUT, once again, others might not be as perfect or innocuous. If I insult someone on this blog and then don't think about it anymore, others who read it might harbour hatred towards that person even long after I've forgotten and forgiven. Making the necessary proportions, someone might be so riled by my words to decide to take justice into their own hands (once again, this means you, Johannes). How does this relate to the below post about depression? It relates because, if words can push someone to murder, they can increase someone else's anxiety and depression. I wrote already that yes, I defer my serenity to others, because everybody has a duty to be respectful towards others, whoever they are. If everybody made a little more effort in this direction, the world would be better on so many levels. I know, it's horribly hard. But refusing to do because it's hard is cowardly. (Am I being verbally violent?...) Love your neighbour like yourself, love your enemy. For me, it does not start as a religious thing, I'm not saying this because God tells me; it's the contrary. It's a need that was always within me, and Christianity is the best way I have of expressing it. As you've seen, I love also the more ancient philosophies that express the same concepts; I feel Christian, Catholic to be precise, because I also feel a strong pull towards the supernatural. Those who don't have it can find the perfect expression of what I'm saying in the Oriental religions here on the left column of my blog. It's a new Humanism. The initial question was: how to distinguish between normal sadness and pathological depression? A brutal answer: usually you can't, but just in case, be nice to people. |