No One Actually Does "Crazy" Things

Have you ever seen someone doing something and thought, "They're crazy!" Well, guess what? No one does crazy things. People always react rationally to their reality; it's the individual reality that's up for debate. I could get into the existential topic of “Is what we see actually real?” but I won’t go there to stay on topic.

Take me, for example. I have OCD, specifically a type called Harm OCD. To someone on the outside, it might look like I’m off my rocker because I hide my knives and prefer to cut things with a butter knife. "Why is she doing that? She must be nuts!" you might think. But there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Let me break it down for you. My reality is full of intrusive thoughts about harm—thoughts that are completely irrational and not at all in line with who I am (fancy folks call this “incongruent with my morals”). These thoughts are like unwanted guests who are uninvited and refuse to leave. To protect myself and others from these thoughts, I hide knives. It’s not the hiding of knives that’s the issue; it’s the irrational thoughts about harm that drive this behavior. Even more profound, it’s me not trusting myself. So, in my world, hiding knives makes perfect sense. It’s my way of keeping myself and others safe.

So next time you see someone acting in a way that seems bonkers, stop and think: what’s their reality? What are they experiencing that you’re not seeing? Instead of jumping to conclusions and labeling them "crazy," try understanding their perspective. You might find that their actions make a lot more sense than you initially thought.

And hey, if you ever need a butter knife, I’ve got plenty!