Staying Sane in an Insane World

survival lessons from the world of absurdity

When the world feels insane, how do you stay sane? 

Most of us, regardless of our political or social perspectives, have said to a friend a version of this, “The world is going crazy.” Many of us find ourselves befuddled at our place in history and frightened at what the future holds for this country. We look at people from the across the aisle, and wonder how can we be living on the same planet? We are afraid, angry, and grieving, which is a potent mix for upheaval, violence, and avoidance. It’s telling that the phrase “Doom Scrolling” is not only in our shared vocabulary, but that we all know in our bodies the gut feeling of dread that Doom Scrolling evokes. 

Several years ago, I picked up the book Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. If you’re unfamiliar with the novel, it’s a satirical story about a WWII fighter pilot, Yossarian, who wants to get out of flying dangerous missions, but can’t because of the “Catch-22” rule. Basically, Catch-22 asks: Are you afraid of flying these missions? If yes, then you are a rational person, and therefore you must continue to fly missions. If you answer no, then your fearlessness makes you a perfect pilot to continue flying dangerous missions. There’s no escaping the madness. It’s satire that pokes at the absurdity of a horrible situation. 

I told an older, wiser, friend that I was reading Catch-22 and he said to me, “Ah, yes, sometimes you have to go a little insane to stay sane.” He is an excellent psychologist, so I was a little surprised at his answer. But, in the years since him telling me so, I find myself agreeing more and more. When the world feels crazy, we can embrace absurdity and satire as psychological resources for nourishment and greater perspective. 

Sticking to rigid, fixed pathways in the face of upheaval is a recipe for breakdown. Why does a blade of grass survive a windstorm, but a billboard is doomed? Flexibility in the face of a storm has a greater chance of survival than rigidity. Reading books like Catch-22, or Slaughterhouse Five, or The Sellout, or Love in the Ruins, for example, have all given me flexible perspectives on surviving trauma, making sense of social ills like war and racism, and staying grounded when things fall apart. Satire reminds us that inflexibility leads to destruction. It also validates us: the world is crazy.

Doom Scrolling confirms our worst nightmares and sinks us further into isolation. Ultimately, the Doom Scroll feeds our biases a diet rich in resentment and fear, calcifying our perspectives. But venturing into the upside-down world of satire and absurdity invites us into a pliable perspective that can help us see our situation through a new lens, and hopefully, point us in unexpected directions we would have missed had we not stood on our heads for a bit. 

Let me give you one short example of absurdity. Election Day is coming up. And rather than sit in front of the TV, in the dark, alone, biting our nails as results slowly roll in, pulling out our hair at the impending “destruction of democracy,” my wife, Abbey, had the insane idea to host a potluck with our friends. No TV. Only bring something to share: a story or a dish. What a batshit crazy idea: sharing a meal at the end of the world. Absurd.

Here’s my invitation: find some solace in the absurdity. Don’t be afraid to let go of your sanity a bit- preferably in the company of others. You may be surprised by the places it takes you.

Stay insane,

Schuyler