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Cake day: January 31st, 2025

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  • If you feel crazy because you don’t fit in, it’s entirely possible you’re not the crazy one. It’s entirely possible a large portion of society is on another bender.

    I found the book, “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” by Charles Mackay helpful.
    It was first published in 1841, so it’s in the public domain and available online. I found my copy in a used bookstore for a $1.
    Mackay documents many of the public manias that overtook society up to that point. He describes dozens of them and remember, his list stops in the mid-1800’s.
    Being aware of this pattern helps me to realize that a large number of humans are highly illogical. It helps me to understand that yes, a large number of people can all go off the deep end. It’s not me, it’s them. Notably, I can’t do anything about it. All I can do is lie low and ride it out.