Your sane advice reminds me of something Emerson wrote in one of his essays.
He seems to have encountered at least one case of what we now call borderline personality disorder. In his essay “Considerations by the way,” he writes that “a virulent, aggressive fool taints the reason of a household. I have seen a whole family of quiet, sensible people unhinged and beside themselves, victims of such a rogue. For the steady wrongheadedness of one perverse person irritates the best: since we must withstand absurdity. But resistance only exasperates the acrid fool, who believes that Nature and gravitation are quite wrong, and he only is right. Hence all the dozen inmates are soon perverted, with whatever virtues and industries they have, into contradictors, accusers, explainers, and repairers of this one malefactor; like a boat about to be overset, or a carriage run away with, --not only the foolish pilot or driver, but everybody on board is forced to assume strange and ridiculous attitudes, to balance the vehicle and prevent the upsetting. For remedy, whilst the case is yet mild, I recommend phlegm and truth: let all the truth that is spoken or done be at the zero of indifferency, or truth itself will be folly. But, when the case is seated and malignant, the only safety is in amputation; as seamen say, you shall cut and run. How to live with unfit companions?—for, with such, life is for the most part spent: and experience teaches little better than our earliest instinct of self-defense, namely, not to engage, not to mix yourself in any manner with them; but let their madness spend itself unopposed;--you are you, and I am I.”
Emerson's advice may be helpful (at least a little helpful) during the next four years.
Great post, Aaron. Thank you for this.
Your sane advice reminds me of something Emerson wrote in one of his essays.
He seems to have encountered at least one case of what we now call borderline personality disorder. In his essay “Considerations by the way,” he writes that “a virulent, aggressive fool taints the reason of a household. I have seen a whole family of quiet, sensible people unhinged and beside themselves, victims of such a rogue. For the steady wrongheadedness of one perverse person irritates the best: since we must withstand absurdity. But resistance only exasperates the acrid fool, who believes that Nature and gravitation are quite wrong, and he only is right. Hence all the dozen inmates are soon perverted, with whatever virtues and industries they have, into contradictors, accusers, explainers, and repairers of this one malefactor; like a boat about to be overset, or a carriage run away with, --not only the foolish pilot or driver, but everybody on board is forced to assume strange and ridiculous attitudes, to balance the vehicle and prevent the upsetting. For remedy, whilst the case is yet mild, I recommend phlegm and truth: let all the truth that is spoken or done be at the zero of indifferency, or truth itself will be folly. But, when the case is seated and malignant, the only safety is in amputation; as seamen say, you shall cut and run. How to live with unfit companions?—for, with such, life is for the most part spent: and experience teaches little better than our earliest instinct of self-defense, namely, not to engage, not to mix yourself in any manner with them; but let their madness spend itself unopposed;--you are you, and I am I.”
Emerson's advice may be helpful (at least a little helpful) during the next four years.
This is a wonderful post, Aaron. Perfect for reading on this day. Thank you.