Insanity comes in different flavors and intensities.
Some people are insane in a kind of anti-social, dungeonesque way that frightens others. Others have a kind of cotton-candy manic insanity: bubbly one minute, and forked tongue the next. None of us are the same, and because we are human, we all are flawed in our special way. Some of us are perfectly sane, but because of having to conform to a pathological system, we are now warped. You know what I'm talking about.
Steemit is perhaps the greatest invention that humankind has ever had.
Let's not fuck it up. The reason that people have hesitated in coming here is because they are afraid of the unknown. Steemit is revolutionary and contains the ingredients to shift the world, our monetary system, and most importantly, our minds and the way we interact with each other.
But let's face it, many of us are damaged goods.
We are not young chickens full of idealistic hope for humanity. We are angry, depressed, agitated, jaded and filled with the disappointments of a lifetime of dead dreams. The world has not been good to most of us. I have the unique perspective of knowing intimately both sides of life: obscene wealth and depraved poverty. I came into quite a lot of money in my youth and didn't have a care in the world. I thought money grew on trees. Then in my forties, I was reduced to a pile of wasted dreams, and had no more than $200 to my name. The sting of poverty left its scars permanently baked into my ever-widening ass.
So, we are on the precipice of being able to fundamentally shift society, consciousness and power structures, moving from the worn-out, decrepit centralized authority to a holistic and organic, highly-innovative decentralized one. But you and I know what has to happen first, right?
We have to change our thinking patterns and move from a victim mentality to an actively engaged one even if we are old and slightly nuts. We must do it now.
So, this brings us to the next thing: insanity.
I think of insanity in terms of coping strategies that have gone undetected. I have struggles with OCD and fear of people. I have been a drug addict, a fantasy addict and still have issues with germaphobia. I am too emotionally attached to technology. I've overcome a lot, but still have a ways to go. But there are two things that help me navigate all this stuff: awareness and humor. Being aware of your insanity is the first step. Being able to make fun of yourself is the second. Once you do those two things, you can comfortably write about and make fun of your own conditions. Then, people will be attracted to you (in a friend way).
Many of us are probably mildly insane, but guess what? It doesn't matter anymore.
You can earn money on Steemit without ever setting foot in a shrink's office. You can share your dirty and disgusting thoughts and get paid for it. You don't even really need to self-medicate anymore. There are plenty of things to get addicted to within Steemit. If making money is your addiction, there are more than enough opportunities for that.
Also, when you earn on Steemit, you won't have to go through the demeaning job interview process. Kiss those drug pee tests goodbye. Tell your boss (who you hate) to go fuck himself (well, wait, don't quit your day job just yet) and tell your Facebook friends that you will remain friends with them only if they join you over on Steemit.
If you consider yourself to be mildly insane, but want to earn income on Steemit, here are some tips:
Identify your unique form of insanity.
Find other people who are insane in the same way as you and kiss their posts.
Figure out how to turn your insanity into blog posts, videos or art. By revealing your true nature, you will attract others who are similar. Then you can sing kumbaya, and upvote each other's posts.
Find a way to turn your greatest weakness into your greatest strength.
Rinse, repeat.
If none of the above steps make sense to you, just make dank memes like @tuck-fheman.
Now, #4 may sound like some kind of shallow self-help meme. It's not. I will give you a concrete example: me.
My greatest weakness:
I am a serial learner who delves into random topics on an ever-shifting cycle. I am not a business person, but an idea person.
My new super power strength:
blogging on Steemit about many different topics, on a consistent basis in an unapologetic, authentic voice. Basically, I stopped giving a shit what people think about me, my real self. I spent a lifetime trying to be someone else, now I don't care to put any effort into living a fake life.
Now here's some specific info about turning a weakness into strength:
As a person who cannot stay focused long-term on any one topic, writing books seems like a colossal and horrible undertaking. I fear the idea, even though I have started writing at least 6 different books. I probably won't finish any of them. My attention span is not cut out for that. So, knowing this about myself, I have decided that I am better and happier as a "blogger". I can change topics every day if I wish, and that's what my mind wants to do. I also prefer instant reactions and interaction, so that further indicates that blogging on social media is my cup of tea.
Now, that's just my brain. Yours is probably different. Figure out what makes your brain happy and do more of that.
I will say that if your mental issues are anti-social, aggressive and hostile towards others, then Steemit won't be a good fit for you. In that case, I would say building up the Steem GIF library on giphy.com, programming, or doing some other creative work that is removed from interacting with humans would be a good idea.
Even if you're a drug addict, homeless or disabled, Steemit can become a way of improving your life. When you give more of yourself on Steemit, you will get more in return, but be patient. It doesn't happen overnight. It's a slow grind, and now there's more competition than ever. There's no better time to be yourself.
Remember:
Be Yourself. Everyone else is taken.
(can't remember who said that)
Cheers and Steem on,
Stellabelle
(None of this is real advice. You're better off listening to yourself anyway).
seriously as i said before steemit is the only place online where you can get paid to be yourself, youtube used to be this but now if you wanna make money on youtube you have to be one of the cool popular people, cutting things in half with hot knives or whatever the latest trend is
And now like I told @tj4real from Ghana he has to get all hos african friends and actualy just show off Ghana like the more photos the better! Like exoctic especialytropical plants animals culture the clorful clothing anything unique we want it! Because were all usually westerneres from frst world here on steemit and the tres and plants are all similar but when we have african posting here They will get to profit from being uniquelly affrican! or an Indian peraon can profit on steemit or showing off uniuely indian culture!
Steemit is going to actually SAVE ancient customs and cultures!
I can see it now! someone in a village makes a steemit accoount to record the oral history of a dying tribe der! That knwoledge is translated and now on youtube and soon steemit SteemQ video blockchain storag for all of us to see and lean from forever!
we will actualy use stemit to preserve enddangered wildelife, huamnculture, everything!
Ths vision is great and am still with you in pursuing the same goal. Am preparing to bombard you guys with lots of Ghanaian festivals, food, clothing, chieftaincy and many more. Just that i am now ceippled because we have been dispatched to some remote villages to help out develop the place a little as part of our academic work
This is a picture i took with a couple of kids after going to weed
I want to see everything just like what @ackza said!!!!! I want to see plants! animals! the prints on clothes! the sunrise! the dirt! the walls of houses! Everything!
Im currently gathering my sources for my next article which will feature the Ghanaian culture, clothing to be prescise. Expect to see something nice that came from the ingenuity of a young lad. I wont release any spoilers yet
OMG YOU'RE RIGHT!!!!!!!!
I totally agree!!!! One of my African friends on here, I used to tell him: I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU! YOUR LIFE! WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN YOU WAKE UP? WEHRE DO YOU GO? That's what I want to see!
I am diagnosably (like actually) insane.
I'm bipolar, i have ptsd, and i can be quite the little anxious fuck at times. But I'm more than aware of my craziness. I also do make fun of myself and laugh about the crazy things and situation i sometimes find myself in. My brain is like a live wire circuit, i have literally zillions of topics. That's why I'm glad STEEMIT is here. What a beautiful thing
Well, you and me, are similar! My anxiety went way down once i found steemit, and could use my imagination continually! I found that the world is perhaps more insane than I!
Hehe. Yea, i feel you :)
Yes I knew after stumbling on to your informative and hilarious videos the other day which I power watched one after another btw. I knew we were akin in many ways, not all but many. I'm a total serial learner as well. That's what I want to bring to @duaneworld it's an umbrella identity, encompassing all that is the scatterbrain Duane. There is not enough time to learn everything in the world with only 24hrs per day. My posts so far are really another identity my Master Control Program artist handle. Still it's a big part of Duane's World but only a small part.
Looking forward to more of your posts and insight, Thanks :)
Yeah, i can relate! Stellabelle is my alter ego, a distinct personality! She's wild, zany and gets shit done! Leah, on the other hand is boring, sad and easily hurt! Leah reads, Stellabelle performs! It's a bipolar extravaganza!!!!!!!
I am the definition of scatterbrained, until i find a topic to superfocus on....then i'm obsessive about that topic for at least one month......Do you like Svankmajer?
u mean the film maker animator? funny u should mention him considering my next post.
yes, i love svankmajer. I think my brain works more like that......it totally makes sense to me.
my next post. it's not exactly Svankmajer but you will see the influence I'm sure. My friend who I mentioned before Phil is probably more influenced by svankmajer then me. I'm more of a Norman Mclaren guy.
My best advice for this platform: the crazier the better! I look forward to your crazy posts.
I love it that when I upvote your post and replies nothing happens. not even a cent.
you my dear, need steem power.
yes each day I'm adding it with what I have been earning from my 7 day past posts. Slowly but surely :D
@Stellabelle ... Special request... insanely Noobie person here needing HELP!
Hye Stellabelle, I've been trying for an hour to find a way to reach you! WHY.....? Because I can't for the life of me figure out how to FIND a person in here.... I tried search, thn FAQ, then tags but nope, then looking for posts of yours in the 3000 mile long thread in the home pane and.... nope! so finally it dawned on me to look in those I'm following and boom, there you were.... but just to say that navigating in here is so INSANELY complicated, complicated like MEGA complicated for and Insanely new noob like 'yours truly here'.... So getting to the point, I'd like to know how to navigate this steemit thing and figure out what I guess everyone probably knows... cause I'm really no genius at figuring out social media stuff... I got my first android phone 2 months ago and I'm still have trouble figuring IT out so hey... you wanna talk about insane ppl... You got a great Demo model here who needs help... LOL
ok, let's skype, or facebook messenger! Let's talk. i'll contact you on twitter, i think you found me there right?
@stellabelle ...OMG! ... I didn't even know you had answered me.... I just found that place for "Replies" ... I don't get a notif for some reason... Anyway YEAH! ... all for it... my fb is rick.deschenes.54 or (Polymathician) as nickname also used for twitter but I don't tweet hardly ever so FB is a better way for now ... I have a tiger face as profile pic on all social media... I'd greatly appreciate getting to know you better and being part of your world in here... I'm just such a Noob! I never saw that you had replied to my post above!! GAWD! .... crazy!! ...
Love the quote at the end.. "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken."
I know some blessed children that have always known, or come to understand easily, that the only thing they can ever do is be themselves.. but
as for myself and, its seems, the majority, the work of personal liberation in this entrenched culture of consumerist identity is tough. I applaud your rallying of us towards fearlessness and the pursuit towards personal excellence. Much love your way.
it's the only way that will bring true happiness and wealth.
Agreed!
Thank you so much for the greatest thing I ever heard:
Be Yourself. Everyone else is taken.
I guess it might be a great motto for a generation.
Thanks God, your blog came to me. following with the greatest pleasure.
meep
so happy that you found it useful. i had the same feeling when i first heard it.
thank you for your replay @stellabelle
I have question for you. Recently I asked my followers about but I didn't get any answer from big guys.
So, I'm asking you
I know you worked in office for a small sallary and then you found Steem. Do you remember the moment when you decided to quit your job? What did drive your descision? Was it some achievment - say, 1k followers, or a post with a big reward. What did pushed you from an office chair?
Could you share this?
Wowser! I'll have to save this post and come back for reflection. Thank you.
~resonate-- Here's one of my mildly insane characters for those interested in the domesticated primate institute! https://steemit.com/life/@bretawarshawsky/transforming-perceived-mental-illness-into-a-blessing-with-dr-banana-blog-2
A very good friend of mine, who happens to suffer with schizophrenia, often tells me "You'd have to be crazy not to be a little crazy."
I'm an Aspie. I have depression, insomnia, and a mild case of OCD. The older I get the smaller my filter and I LOVE IT!!! I've never been crazier or more free. I have suffered the loss of friends and family in death; I've lost the bulk of my shit because I had to choose between paying for a storage unit or fixing my car. I've collected cans so I could buy food. These are the things that prompt me to be an open book about all of my imperfections in the hopes of helping others.
YES
Reading this, I felt a smile coming onto my face. Once i actually stopped caring about what people think , it seems like life jsut got easier. Everyone is sdifferent and we can not put others down for that. we like different things, and always feel different.
yeah, once you really become yourself, the fear goes away, and the cash comes your way.
They are precisely those scars (note that I said scars and not wounds) that make a person not seen in "black and white", experiences and difficulties overcome fill us with color, make us see in the definition, make us be more Let's be ourselves and "do not give a shit" what other people think.
Thanks for sharing @stellabelle
good point. it is the scars, yes, writers who remember every single scar are usually the best writers.
You sure caught my attention
about being mildly insane...lol
@pocketechange
ha ha! Everyone is, perhaps?
Now, I'm wondering why I didn't get an upvote...
Being mildly insane and all...
@pocketechange
because i am human and make mistakes
Awesome post. This part really resonated with me:
"Basically, I stopped giving a shit what people think about me, my real self."
Anyone who has tried to remain rationally objective, generally speaking, has probably experienced some form of ostracization trying to conform to the wishes of the crowd. That crowd might be Facebook, or a school, but if you're in the west right now, in many places insanity reigns.
Currently, I feel it is almost necessary to hide the fact that you a rational, rather than feelings-based, thinker. It's tough breaking out of that mold when you first get on Steemit, as generally speaking there has been more punishment than reward for speaking out lately. For some, something being an uncontested fact is no longer sufficient proof to believe it if it does not feel right. I just wrote a post on this earlier today.
Thanks for the piece.
yes, i agree with you. When people realize you're not responding in an overly emotional manner, they get mad. It's almost like rational thought is discouraged in mainstream thought.....I think this is an effect of the manipulative media....it's easier to control people when they are agitated.
I agree. I'd hypothesize that the internet democratized information enough that the media could no be longer profitable by reporting unbiased fact. That could now be gotten for free online.
So, the entire mainstream media converted to manufacturing outrage. They learned that an article gets more clicks, and more money, if it has an incendiary title, or extreme claims. Think of it as the "Buzzfeed-ification" of the media. The more anger you stir up in your demographic towards some other identity group, the faster they will click your article, and comment, and retweet.
Partisan and intellectually dishonest articles have replaced any attempt at journalistic integrity. Lies have evolved from the falsifying of facts, to lies of omission and cherry-picking quotes disingenuously.
If you aren't on "their" side, you are against them. That is why objectivity is now dangerous. Join the bandwagon or be run over.
yeah, good points.I agree with you!
I have always thought that when they realize you're not responding emotionally they feel abandoned and alone because I was not in emotional land with them. I usually see in my mind's eye the horse behind the cart struggling to make progress. This makes me smile and hide my face so as not to harm them. lol ALOHA!!!
To be rational is to be mentally ill. We human beings are constantly trying to be objective when in fact our life is constantly a experience of subjectivity. Thus trying to live in fairy land which is what rationally objective means, only makes us crazy. Objectivity is always what we imagine to be the ideal, which is really a distraction from what is.
The truth is I can't read minds and even if I could I still wouldn't be able to control others and frankly who wants to control others anyways. It is hard enough being responsible for ourselves. It is fun to help others attain their desires, but sucks when one is responsible for the stuff that happens in someone else's life.
I put the horse before the cart so I can see not to injure others by accident and extend a hand when appropriate. I even will put myself in harms way to extend that hand at times, but it is up to the other person to reach out and accept help if they want it. That is where I draw the line when it comes to interacting with others. No force even of the well meaning kind. Nice comment and ALOHA!!!
It's important to remember that all-or-nothing (black-or-white) thinking is also incorrect. Rationalism is the correct default way to make many decisions. I don't believe anyone ever has, or ever will, present any evidence that counters that fact.
However, our personal human lives should be exercises in maximizing our life happiness, while not detracting from that of others. Rationalism isn't the only, or even primary factor, when deciding what song you like, or what food you like, or what hobby you'd like. These are the decisions that truly matter on an individual level, but they aren't acceptable means of reasoning on a societal level.
Aloha.
LIve subjectively, dream objectively. We are subject to our experience and thus discover the ideal objective circumstance and can act faithfully in the present to balance our lives. I liken understanding this as putting the horse before the cart so that our minds direct our emotions instead of putting the cart before horse and live blind to the road ahead.
It all begins for me anyway when I began practising an old african saying. "Man know thyself" Author unknown. It is all about balance between what is (subjectivity) and what is ideal (objectively). What matters isn't what you have, but who you are. Knowing who you are for me leads into who I want to be. Discover who subjectively you are means you can now become the ideal you which is the objective you. Not speaking about others but my own experience. ALOHA!!!
I try to remove my emotions from my ideas about "what reality is.". I have always been able to see things from multiple angles at once, if given the proper amount of time. I walk a fine line between being overly suspicious/paranoid, and full of imaginative fantasies..........
yeah, a large amount of people I used to be friends with, I can no longer identify with. Americans seem particularly depressing to me because they whine about things like getting the wrong kind of Latte at Starbucks. Really lame stuff, I cannot tolerate this type of person anymore.
My mind is full of all kinds of knowledge - things I learned or heard about through the years. Most jobs won't pay for any of it. They will say shut up get back to work. But on Steemit we get a chance to share our 2 cents and maybe actually get paid 2 cents. : >
Yep! I am working a new J.O.B. now.Not to complain because I know what the game is but they tell you where to sit what to do and say. What to wear. When to go on break. I patiently think about the payout i am expecting from a couple small investments. Just a little longer... and good bye!
Here. Take my $1.93.
I hated jobs for that exact reason....I feel like cussing today.
I fucking hated bosses telling me what to do.... or not acknowledging my good ideas.
Attention all my ex-bosses: GO FUCK YOURSELVES.
Cussing sure does take the steam off :)
Insanity is like hot sauce. What is mild to me is wild to others.
:-P
ha ha! i never heard that before, did you make it up?
Yup, your post made me think of that.
What I think is normal, others might think is weird. It must be the same for insanity.
Steem on.
It feels like this post is for me, lol. Thank you, you made my day :3
Yep, that's how it is, haha!
damaged goods: 'hand raised'
You wrote this for me, didn't you?
Oh my
Britney is pretty crazy herself
Powerful blogpost. I believe I have a level of anxiety, I have to pump myself up somethings to get through certain tasks. I think people underestimate how fragile the human mind is, people 'lose it' all of time. Anyways we are part of something special here on SteemIt it's the game changer.
yes, the human mind is actually quite fragile, you're right.
Steemit definitely gives hope to lost people whose lives have just become a rat race spinning endlessly until we sit back and regret that we raced thru it all! It's like keeping a diary that lets you break away from the shackles
yes, that's what it is for me...
This is the most powerful platform that I have seen where everyone has opportunity to earn.
N1 LOL!
ha ha
Congratulations @stellabelle
You took 52 place in my Top 100 of posts
Thanks. I needed this!
you're welcome! Glad to be of service.
Haha!! That is so true!!!
So glad I'm not the only one with OCD here. You know, I probably read this message twice to make sure my spacing is accurate etc!
Thanks for just, well, being you :)
Still figuring out mine, though. @stellabelle
maybe you're normal?
Quite likely, @stellabelle :)
I am brand new to Steemit, feeling a tad overwhelmed and slightly unsure as to whether my offerings will be palatable to the community. Devoured you empowering post. In the words of Ru Paul - if you can't love yourself how in the hell are you going to love anyone else. If I was the computer game sort, this post was a power up. Cheers.
don't think about us, just bring your authentic self here.
Righto and ta very much
well, in order to find your own unique voice you first have to be somebody - you can't just dip into the communal bucket and come up with a whole load of crap that's a mixture of countless others' discards. I tell writers to get alone and listen to their brain - if that doesn't make them crazy, nothing will, but in the end they come up with something authentic and real :)
yes, so true
Ooooh, great post. But I think even my insanity is multi-faceted. (See! Who on earth or beyond thinks they have multi-faceted insanity? Who says multi-faceted nowadays?) Ah, the joys of madness :)
Steemit is for every one, mildly insane included. I agreed with you, your post will reflect who you are
I am going to take your advice and turn my greatest weakness into my greatest strength. Thanks for helping the anti-social, and others, among us!
what's your greatest weakness?
My voice
@stellabelle, great article!
It seems that people try to make everyone think that their life is better than what it really is. All I want is to find authentic people who are being real about their joys and struggles!
For me this applies to life in and outside of Steemit!
Maybe that's the exact reason why social networks like Facebook and Instagram are winning nowadays.
FaceBook and Instagram do a great job of helping people showcase "make-believe" lives, and do very little to actually help people make "social" connections.
Exactly! The formula looks like this: Post How Cool I am = Likes = Dopamine is Raised = I have self esteem!
Because self esteem based on likes isn't worth the self esteem you'll get by actually knowing yourself .
true!
facebook is actually not winning as far as growth....let me pull up google trends...
Agree. My point is that on FB people often share posts triggered by their willing to show off. I suspect Instagram as one of the main reasons for the diminishing popularity of FB.
facebook is actually not winning as far as growth....let me pull up google trends...
yeah, all that self-help guru shit is just...shit.....
As an aspiring psychiatrist, I would dare to say there is no such thing as being normal. It
s all about being functional it seems. So, I dont bother with labels. No one is normal, everyone is just coping and pretending ;)Hey @stellabelle shouldn't you rename your title to something more appropriate for people like us? Maybe something like, "How to earn money on steemit for people like us who ARE slightly more than just mildly insane"?
your title is a lot longer than mine, so no.
This was a brilliant read.
Yes, you are a fantastic writer...
thank you
So true.LOL
Lol. wow great post. If we all work hard, we can make a passive income from steemit. We all need to have our own share of the crypto cake.
Great post. Upvoted and shared
Haha I could never stay focused long enough to write a book either, exciting to start but lose interest rather quickly. Thanks for this post, just what I need to keep my insanity! Lol :)
well, i did write one book, but it was very short!
Cheers to all the positive crazy folks out there!⭐️
Oscar Wilde! I love this log, should rattle the brain cells of many a slightly twisted steemian 😜
Thanks so much for this post, I absolutely loved it. You are my steemit hero :))
ha ha!
Life is in stages. God's grace and a dint of hard-working will bring us there.
'Be Yourself. Everyone else is taken.'
LOL
Please stop driving me crazy for a moment with your posts! Everything you say make sense to me, but I need a short rest on order to prevent my head from exploding.
Interesting post, I like that...
Very good post :) I like it :)
kiss my post ! I like that !! HA
Lol at that title. Yup it seems that insanity might actually boost people's blogging skills and Steemit experience overall. Thanks for this article. :)
Thanks for the tip Stellabelle. I like how you did your end logo with your face on it. Its cool graphic. Awesome job!