“Given that we are all, every day, imbibing madness, how do we guard our souls?” That question ends an opinion piece by Phil Klay, teacher, writer, and Marine Corps veteran: “What Trump Is Really Doing with His Boat Strikes” (The New York Times ).
When we had a friend over for dinner last night, we talked about how much news we’re taking in. Too much, we all agreed. Fambly life, reading, writing, listening to and playing music: those are my ways of guarding my soul, or my sanity. Also, having a friend over for dinner. How about you?
Friday, December 5, 2025
“Imbibing madness”
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comments: 9
Paul Goodman wrote (I'm paraphrasing a bit) that it you conform to a mad society you go mad, but that if you don't conform you also go mad, because it is the only society there is. As time goes on I think he got the second part wrong. Not conforming is the only way to preserve a chance of sanity. To me it's not so much an issue of what one does but what one refuses to believe or accept — which in my case is pretty much everything connected with our political system, our religious traditions, and the whole technological nightmare of the 21st century.
“Not conforming is the only way to preserve a chance of sanity”: Chris, that’s probably the best/most helpful sentence I’m going to read all day.
I like listening to the nonconformists when society is going off the rails. That's one reason to love blogs. I'm reminded that not everyone is going off the rails.
My entire blog is in some ways a record of me trying to answer that question.
If I had to sum up my best answer in one word, it’d be Play.
Reading and play: they're forms of resistance, or can be. I'm not sure what to say — I'm just happy to see comments here about not succumbing.
Well, just to be clear, I was answering the question, “ How do we guard our souls?” not, “How do we resist?”
I’d not give the same answer (play) to that.
Once you harness play to a plough, a purpose, it’s not play.
It’s political jest, “laughtivism”, strategic silliness—all oh which I admire, and sometimes do—but play, as I mean it, in its soul-protecting form, is free.
(I hope I’m not being pedantic, but it’s important to me. )
Me, I think of anything that protects our sanity, or soul, or sense of being as a form of resistance — refusing to buy into or be co-opted by the ruling systems. But I see what you mean.
Ah, and I see what you mean. It is true I have to protect mind/soul space for play.
I realized that and consciously chose to, long ago (high school).
Thanks for the thought provoking question.
High school — don’t get me started. :)
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