often we hear "you're crazy" , eg .means your wild etc
but i feel that the word crazy has been used widely so it doesnt mean literally 'insane'.
what is your definition of it?
do you think crazy people know that they are crazy? (insane)
2006-12-14 06:58:57 · 12 answers · asked by Lovedrug 2 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
"Crazy" is a term used to label people.
Often, it can be used endearingly in the family such as the crazy mom, dad, pet or sibling. Usually it connotes an activity that is out of the ordinary, showing too much emotion,, or simply uncharacteristic of the person.
The arena of labeling gets worse in the outside world. First it starts with school, then church, then work, then the rest of the world.
Anything that anyone does that is unfamiliar or unsettling becomes "crazy".
In the benign world of youth and adolescents, it may mean the behaviour of another who is "out there", acting wild and loose and out of control.
Is that person labelled crazy really insane? Hardly. Being effusive may be normal in that persons upbringing , and so would be yelling and whooping and really acting happy.
Cultural differences also evoke this label.
Problems arise when the label becomes hurtful and mean. When it is used to ostracize and marginalize somebody, it becomes bullying and stressing.
Often, In someones mind, the other person is really "difficult" and "hard to control". The question that begs to be asked is "Why cant you act the way I want you to? You are crazy !"
My defintion of "crazy"? is that it is a word you have to take with a grain of salt.
2006-12-14 07:22:32 · answer #1 · answered by QuiteNewHere 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The dictionary people will probably hate me for this, but words mean what people use them to mean. Language is for the use of the people who use it, so words belong to the people who say them and hear them.
"Crazy" only means unconventional. It can have a positive or a negative connotation depending on the speaker and the context. "Insane" and "crazy" are not exact synonyms. People can act crazy on purpose and know that they are being crazy. Insane people may or may not realize that they are insane. In fact, neither of these words is really used in the psychology field anymore because they are too commonly used by lay-people and their definitions are too commonly misunderstood.
People who do extreme sports often call things crazy or insane or sick and they mean it in a good way.
If you are studying psychology, the words "crazy" and "insane" will be of very little value to you and this question is probably better asked in the language section.
2006-12-14 15:14:15 · answer #2 · answered by anyone 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
...constructing your life around what society thinks it should be. But at the same time some say this is selfish. usually the CRAZY people are the most interesting to learn from. Who cares about the Hardvard Grad that had rich parents and could travel the world. I wanna hear about the man who murdered his best friend cuz he caught him sleeping with his wife....now thats crazy!!! and even better once you ask him questions and stuff and look at how he was raised and everything.
2006-12-14 15:09:24 · answer #3 · answered by Tray Augustus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Crazy" is a label for people and actions deviating from cultural norms. That is to say, someone is usually deemed crazy when their personality and decisions run against the grain of 'normalized society'
Like any other word it can be used too loosely, and often is.
2006-12-14 15:04:45 · answer #4 · answered by Evan P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would never use the word "crazy" to describe a mentally ill person. IMO it is offensive.
I use the word "crazy" to mean eccentric, silly, or goofy.
Some mentally ill people know that they have a mental health problem and others do not. There are so many different types of mental illness and so many people who have them, that we really can't generalize.
2006-12-14 15:49:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the easy answer. Another is - we all are - the real crazies are out walking around while the "sane" ones are locked up in the asylum getting treatment - they recognize their issues.
2006-12-14 15:02:42 · answer #6 · answered by candy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
going to a job for 8 hours a day that you hate. There must be a few billion of us around the world!
2006-12-14 15:01:58 · answer #7 · answered by paul m 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
doing same thing, expect different results. crazy people don't know what's good. they thinkin they normal. i thinkin' i'm normal. so there u go.
2006-12-14 15:06:16 · answer #8 · answered by smartsexycurvy 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't exactly know how to describe it, but I know someone who is crazier than hell and she doesn't know it. (insane)
2006-12-14 15:03:38 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when i use that word, its in reference to someone who has issues or someone who is funny/silly.
2006-12-14 15:18:33 · answer #10 · answered by Essie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋