"Madness need not be all breakdown. It may also be break-through. It is potential liberation and renewal as well as enslavement and existential death"
- R. D. Laing
About this Quote
This quote by R. D. Laing talks to the idea that insanity can be seen as a type of liberation and renewal, instead of just a form of enslavement and existential death. He suggests that madness can be a form of break-through, allowing us to explore originalities and perspectives that we may not have actually considered previously. This quote encourages us to look at madness in a various light, and to recognize that it can be a source of imagination and growth. It likewise acts as a pointer that we must not be so quick to judge those who experience psychological health concerns, however rather to recognize the potential for growth and freedom that can originate from it. Ultimately, this quote encourages us to be more unbiased and understanding of those who experience psychological health issues, and to acknowledge the capacity for development and freedom that can come from it.
"One has children in the expectation of dying before them. In fact, you want to make damn sure you die before them, just as you plant a tree or build a house knowing, hoping that it will outlive you. That's how the human species has done as well as it has"
