I should clarify that when I say sane and insane, I am not being insulting or insinuating mental illness. I see sanity as simply seeing things as the are and insanity is refusing to see what is real and manufacturing an alternate story to replace reality. Many mentality healthy people behaving “insanely” simply because they don’t realize they have a choice.
A “sane” person will do their best to see through their emotional baggage and recognize what is really happening & respond to the facts of the situation. They will understand that if they ignore reality, it will be harmful to them. You can recognize a “sane” person because they will consistently choose what is best for themselves emotionally and physically. They are usually more sincere and relaxed because they have no false identity or beliefs to uphold.
An “insane” person creates delusions and beliefs to escape reality, which they must assume will harm them. You can recognize an “insane” person because they will consistently choose what is unhealthy for themselves.
Having feelings and emotions are good. I am not suggesting we act like Spock and behave and speak in pure rationality. But my experience when leaving the JWs was that I didn’t feel anything genuine, it was all programming, rehearsed responses, and emotional self defense. I was emotionally crippled. Only when I faced each issue (real or imagined) openly did I see that my delusions & beliefs had replaced any real emotions & feelings. My perceptions were based on those delusions.
Now my emotions flow more naturally. They are more gentle and I am not blinded by them. I don’t feel controlled, guilty, or ashamed about what I feel. I am still working on them and figure there is plenty of room for improvement. But I must always see reality and respond to it alone if I am going to continue to heal.
The emotions seem to support our true beliefs about ourselves. If we believe that we are worthless, our emotions will support that thinking. We will crave what is unhealthy & harmful in relationships, food, lifestyle, and every other choice. While these beliefs are usually unconscious, they are advertised in our choices.
If we are paying attention to the reality of our actions, we will see what out true beliefs really are. Some of them are painful and shocking. I recently recognized that I was making up stories about myself, refusing to recognize the facts of my health and assuming I would be the exception. I was totally unaware I was doing this. But, like all delusion, it was harmful. I was not doing what was healthy for me because my denial based perception said I would be fine with a poor diet and no exercise. I was behaving insanely, but I am trying to overcome that belief and improve my health.
