Seven Untrue Things Most Americans Believe
First off, it’s worth stating that this writer is indeed, herself, an American. I was born and bred here, and before you comment with death threats or anything you should be aware that I don’t hate the USA; so don’t even bother to assume that I do. In point of fact I love the potential of this country, I love what it was intended to be, and I love what it could be. I love many of the people who are here and the work that they do and the way that they do it.
I am, however, heartbroken at the current state of this country on a number of levels; and for years I’ve been trying to think of what I might be able to do to be part of the solution rather than perpetuating the problem. (Don’t bother to suggest that I could “help” by killing myself – suicide is not a sane act… and Ms. Sanity is a lot of things but she’s not a complete idiot. I humbly suggest that this country needs more people who are not complete idiots, not fewer… but I digress.)
I have the good fortune (and the interesting experiences) of both living with and working with a number of people who are not Americans by birth; including my husband and the clients I work with who hail from all over the world. I have noticed recurring themes that my fellow ‘mericans seem to adamantly believe and or assume about this country and the world. The only problem is these strongly held beliefs are untrue. That doesn’t make them insane, of course; just wrong. With no further ado, time and again I find that American people believe:
1. The USA is the best, most desirable place in the world, and everyone in the world, if they had a choice, would want to live here.
Absolutely untrue. Study after study, year after year, (not just recently) has shown that the happiest and most satisfied people in the world are NOT Americans. People in Sweden, Belgium, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway are all reported to be much happier than Americans, and much more satisfied with their lives/their countries. One source for this statement is here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-happiest-places-on-earth-are-heavily-taxed . There are many other sources that would underscore this point.
2.When politicians and regular folk talk about “Protecting our American Way of Life” ™ they are referring to our “freedoms,” our ability to worship the way that we wish to do so, dress the way we wish to do so, and so on.
Nope. In general this is code-speak for “The continued ability of the US to use up 24% amount of the world’s energy, although we only have 5% of the world’s population.” It also means that we “want to be ‘free’ enough to NOT pay enough taxes to have a sustainable infrastructure.” Note the link above; people in those “happy” countries actually pay more taxes than Americans do. “You get what you pay for” is a pretty inescapable truism. It also refers to paying low prices for goods and services- both domestically and abroad- which of course keeps American wages low – and this is done, intentionally or no, on the “backs” of people in poverty, both American and otherwise. See: http://www.mindfully.org/Sustainability/Americans-Consume-24percent.htm
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July 3, 2010
Tags: conservatives, critical thinking, culture, helping others, liberals, questions, Republicans, taxes Posted in: Insane 
9 Comments
It’s Only Me, Right? I’m The Only One!
Time and time again in my work I have clients who confess feelings, quietly, ashamedly, as though they were something horribly awful. Time and time again I have had the privilege of helping them to realize that most of the time, what they are experiencing is not only “normal” but is actually commonplace. And that furthermore, often, these negative feelings can be changed.
If you could hear their sighs of relief (well, the sighs of the ones that I am able to convince…) you would be astonished. You would probably also be astonished at how frequently this phenomenon comes up. And I work with men and women from all over the world, of all ages.
What is it that you are walking around with, deep in your heart, feeling as though there is something wrong with you for feeling it? It is the things that we bury, out of fear and shame, which often cause us the most pain – and which sometimes grow to have a negative, problematic life of their own. These shadow issues (A woman named Debbie Ford wrote a whole book about our “shadows..”) can become incredibly powerful, and they can cause all sorts of problems.
“It’s only me, right?” some clients ask me. “I’m the only one who thinks about quitting my well paid job and becoming a farmer?” or “I’m the only one who is afraid to have a baby,” or “I’m the only one who is afraid of falling in love and losing control…”
We are not, of course, discussing here things that are actually psychopathic urges like the repeated idea of drowning one’s children or setting fire to one’s house with the family asleep in it. If you’re having those kinds of intrusive thoughts and negative visions, it’s crucial that you run, not walk, to your nearest hospital and tell them the truth about what you are considering. They can help you, they really can, and you will feel better. To reach out like that is true bravery, not weakness.
But the first step, of course, is to ask for help….and then to give voice to that “shadow” inside you.
The same goes for those smaller shadow thoughts and fears. It’s the things that we hold tightly inside, fearing to give voice to, which add to or can even cause tension, anxiety, fear, and lowered self esteem. The remedy is simple yet powerful: talk to someone you trust. Let the shadow out into the light. Often, almost instantly, the power is broken and you feel lighter, safer, happier. Try it and see for yourself!
It’s not just you. Really. It’s not just me, either. Trust yourself, the universe, and believe that you can get beyond whatever shadowy “box of rocks” that you are carrying around. You can set it down, and you may very well find that as soon as you set down this metaphoric box of rocks and show it to someone else – that you don’t have to pick it back up and carry it around with you.
Again, it’s not just you. But as long as you are carrying the box quietly, and not opening it up, you will never know. Take the chance – and share. The benefits are enormous and carrying the box quietly helps no one, not even yourself.
May 4, 2010
Tags: anxiety, capacity building, helping others, sanity, Tips Posted in: Sane No Comments
Be Simply Blessed
I wanted to share a blog that I ran across recently which really resonated for me and which I found both interesting and inspirational.
We can all always use inspiration in these ah…interesting times, right?
I don’t know this lady and I haven’t even interacted with her on her blog, but I’m telling you, even a casual stroll around there is going to make you think, may make you smile, and could certainly give you a new perspective. It is far too easy to get sidetracked into the negative, for any of us. This writer attempts to stay focused on what she finds important, and she attempts to help others do the same -which is part of what Manic Meltdown is all about, too!
The blog is called “Simply Blessed” and it’s here.
Check it out and tell her MM sent you!
April 19, 2010
Tags: blessings, blogs, happiness, joy Posted in: Resources No Comments
The Drumbeats Grow Louder
Photo credit: taliesin from morguefile.com
More and more frequently, I am seeing public, blatant, explicit statements and calls to action from my fellow Americans urging violence and war here at home. It’s easy to dismiss those as the statements of a few kooks when they are few and far between, but I am running across them more and more frequently. And in far more “mainstream” places than you might expect; most recently, quite literally in the comments section of the Wall Street Journal. And I’m not just talking about one comment by one person, I’m talking about hundreds of comments, there and elsewhere, over a period of months.
These people are calling, quite literally, openly, and explicitly for civil war.
I am calling for people to get a grip and to think things through very carefully.
There’s no denying that large portions of the American population are angry and frightened to an extent that has certainly not been seen in my nearly 42 years of existence. But calling for violence should be the absolute last resort. Ideally it should never, ever happen. But what it won’t be, even if it does happen, is glorious. It’s not possible to be romantic and glorious and wage war at the same time.
Leaving the issue of the morality of war aside, the fact of the matter is that any time there is civil war, innocent people – men, women, and children- are always hurt, always killed, maimed, and at the very least, traumatized and displaced. It is also very difficult in a society like the USA to identify precisely “who the enemies are.” For all of you who are calling for blood it’s a good idea to stop and take a look in the mirror, first, and to try to use your logical faculties. The fact of the matter is that we ALL created this culture which has led us to where we are. We have ALL contributed to thing being the way that they are. Most of us have made poor decisions, been apolitical or disinterested, and we have given ourselves the “leaders” which we deserve. We have voted with our pocketbooks, for example, to say that sports stars are more “important” than schoolteachers, we have allowed our infrastructure to crumble to the point that there are third world countries with better systems in place, all in the name of “we don’t want to pay taxes.” Let’s face it, nobody likes to pay taxes. But, the fact of the matter is – taxes are how we purchase civilization. (to steal from Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes.) Read the rest of this post »
March 13, 2010
Tags: common sense, critical thinking, danger, film, questions, sanity, war Posted in: Insane No Comments
Do As I Say, Not as I’ve Done: Trying Too Hard Is a Problem
Well, many of us hear that “Do as I say, not as I do” thing as children, and yes, it’s annoying. But Ms. Sanity has inadvertantly provided a fabulous example of things not to do, and why people say that “do as I say…” thing. It can be helpful when we learn from the mistakes of others, so gather round as I wave my mistake in the air to show you. Here’s the issue: Frankly, I have been shooting myself in the foot here in Sanityland. When I work on this blog, I want it to be good. Interesting, helpful, different, you know, all of those things. I’ve been on some level trying too hard, and the upshot has been that I’ve done nothing. This is not good. Don’t do that.
Of course, in order to be a good blogger, one has to be consistent, one has to post regularly. Obviously Ms. Sanity has been falling down in that regard. Ms. Sanity’s Mother has noticed this behavior for many a year now–she calls it the “Refusing to write a letter unless all the pencils in the house are sharpened, and you have the most beautiful stationery to use phenomenon,” when of course, the recipient would just be happy to get a durn letter from Ms. Sanity.
Mum’s right on the money there. One should just write the letter. And I know for a fact that I am not the only one with this phenomenon.
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November 26, 2009
Tags: attitudes, blogging, calmness, capacity building, Congress, insanity, priorities, thoughts, Tips, writing Posted in: Insane, Tips One Comment
Five Helpful Things to Consider For a Happier Life
We all have challenges in our lives, there’s no question of that. And some years (decades?) are far more challenging than others. However, there are some time-tested and fairly (to Ms. Sanity) unquestionable “laws” of life that will go a long way to helping folks lead happier, lest angst-filled lives. Yes, some of you will know every inch of all of these. Life has taught me that things that seem self-evident to me are not so to everyone. So without further ado, here’s the list:
1.) You are really and truly the only – yes, only -darn person you can control. There’s no question that you can affect others, you can, and you should. But change them? Nope, not in this lifetime, not on this spiritual plane. That doesn’t mean that we all can sit by and say “ho hum, well, then, there’s nothing I can or should do except do my own thing.” That’s a cop out. What it DOES mean is that trying to control others is futile and crazy-making at best, and a recipe for unmitigated disaster in many, many circumstances. Once you really come to terms with this, every day gets easier. Make peace with this one quickly. Read the rest of this post »
October 27, 2009
Tags: capacity building, common sense, conservatives, critical thinking, health, sanity, thoughts, Tips Posted in: Sane, Tips No Comments
Republican Ideas About Health Care in A Nutshell: Quotation of the Century.
Apologies for this drive by posting (and slow posting schedule of late…) but I’ve been up to my eyeballs in a multitude of levels and your Ms. Sanity hesitates to write you darling people unless she’s feeling at least marginally sane.
Anyway, ran across this, and it needed more eyeballs:
Apparently Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), explaining the Republican health care plan could pare it down to two little words:
“Die quickly.”
~Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)
Major hat tip to twitterist @Ander517 who brought this to my attention. Said Mr. Anders also added the following link which has a video clip, lest you think we make all this stuff up: click here.
Personally I couldn’t watch it. One is wise to know when to limit one’s news consumption, and I hit that mark a while back….
Onward and upward folks. Personally, I hope none of you die quickly. But then I’m not afraid of health care reform. And it’s not because I expect the frigging government to take care of all my needs, either. But that’s another post…
September 30, 2009
Tags: attitudes, Congress, conservatives, health, insanity, Republicans, Tips Posted in: Insane No Comments
Please Cut The Crap on Health Care Discussions
I am really, really, really, really tired of the blatant, self serving, and manipulative lies coming out of the Right wing and the $1.4 million/day (look it up!) health insurers’ lobby regarding possible changes to the US health care system.
Over and over and over ad nauseum I’ve seen blogs and “tweets” and letters to the editor filled with craziness, outright, bald-faced lies and inaccuracies not only about the intentions and effects of the (FOUR) potential, proposed bills/new systems – but also about what life is like in the rest of the civilized world where they DO have universal health care. (For you accuracy buffs, there’s no such thing as “Obamacare”… yet, anyway.) Read the rest of this post »
September 2, 2009
Tags: attitudes, common sense, Congress, conservatives, corruption, critical thinking, culture, health, insanity, rant, taxes Posted in: Insane No Comments
Of Mania and Manic Meltdowns
Obviously this blog is called Manic Meltdown, and just as clearly to those who look around a bit, I rarely write about truly being manic. That’s largely because I rarely am manic, myself, I’m more of a unipolar depressive type myself, when my grip slips. (Yes, I know, that’s shocking to those of you who actually know Ms. Sanity…)
Anyway, manic depression (actually the proper term these days is “bipolar disorder,”) truthfully does run in my family along with a host of other ummmm… interesting mental proclivities. Accordingly, I thought it might be helpful to the casual observer or those of you who land here because you are looking for information on mania – for me to offer a bit of anecdotal information about what I know about mania and “real” manic meltdowns.
The best source of information of course is always a qualified medical or psychiatric practitioner, and
nothing in this blog or anywhere else in the universe should be taken to be actual medical advice unless
you’re under direct treatment. Read the rest of this post »
August 31, 2009
Tags: help, insanity, mental health, questions, Resources, sanity, Tips Posted in: Resources, Sane, Tips 2 Comments
Best Online College Degrees? Be Careful!
In these challenging economic times, many people are thinking about going back to college. Many former service members recently became eligible for extra economic incentives for doing so.
This is a good thing – a sane thing, even – and as someone once told me, “They can take everything away from me, but they cannot take my education away.” There’s certainly no denying that.
Because of the pressures so many of us are under, with family, children, work, (and some of us working two or three jobs and/or trying to run our own businesses just to stay afloat….) the idea of completing a degree online can hold enormous appeal because of the flexibility involved. One can study at their own pace, so on and so forth, and do so from home.
Again, this is a good thing. However, I must sound some cautionary notes. Before plunking down thousands of dollars to embark on an online degree, it’s very smart to do quite a bit of research first. Read the rest of this post »
August 20, 2009
Tags: business, capacity building, College, critical thinking, Education, The Web, Tips Posted in: Resources, Tips No Comments
