Mind Shape

It was clear by the look of the thing that the mind behind it was bent. Not just the kind of bent accrued through leaving it in the sun too long or forgetting to take it out of the dryer, no this kind of bent cast one's mind to the phrase "bent out of shape". That phrase, when first uttered, would not have had the connotations that hundreds of years has invested into it, before it was compartmentalised into a chest of drawers in the depths of the brain labelled "phrases". The mind behind the thing was bent out of shape. Scientists, philosophers and theologians cannot put a shape to the mind. But they would be unanimous in proclaiming that this mind was not in a mind's shape.

My immediate, gut-rooted reaction was to try and find a solution. Could a mind be panel-beaten? Could a tailor of mental suits seamlessly sow the pieces back together? Would Freud have the gall to take a crack? It is a male characteristic to want to find solutions. Every man should accept one piece of advice: if it's broke, don't try and fix it.

I toyed with leaving the owner a message. There was a convenient "click here for comments" type box labelled "profound comments" or some such lunacy. This mind would not be content with simple usability. Despite that, for my part, it would be so simple to simply leave a simple message. One of encouragement, tainted with suggestion and criticism. Could a mind of such shape accept such advice? Would I want it to?

No, I wouldn't. It is not for me to try and solve the world's problems, one ugly blog at a time. A helping hand is viewed by all as a meddling mind except by the meddler. A being can only learn from its own mistakes. There are those that say we can learn by being told by others. I disagree. We only learn what the consequences of our mistakes will be once we make them. We are equipped to recognise the consequences and realise the mistake we have made. It is an adaptation humans have made evolutionarily that gives us a slight edge on other species. But it is not much of an edge, perhaps even less than slight and is routinely misunderstood. Often making it a hinderance.

So what could I do? The knowledge of being in an untenable position, unable to help or solve, is a hellish torture. Made worse by the growing resentment for the object that cannot be helped or solved. Resentment fueled by the loss of energy from the effort of remaining positive. Why should I remain positive, when it is clear that this thing is being created by a warped mind? Why shouldn't I speak up? The onus is on the owner of this faulty intelligence to accept my wise and learned judgement.

But what if it is my mind that is warped? What if the world looks insane to me, but I look insane to the world? How would I know? Would I want to?

This blog is clearly the result of a mind out of shape.

Have a good weekend.