A LITTLE MALADJUSTED LIFE

We are advised to lead a healthy life, particularly when one is on the other side of the fence. Does not leading a healthy lifestyle also mean depriving ourselves of the pleasures? A little unhealthy, and a little maladjusted lifestyle, often is needed to lead a ‘good’ life. It does a balancing act. An extremely cautious life is bland and boring. These lives have no “character” of their own and are unreal. A slightly unhinged life can convey more meaning than a well-adjusted life.

The usual social interactions don’t interest some people. For these ‘unstable people’, passion for work often overshadows many other facets of life. Some of these people, though considered socially unstable, have made significant contributions for society. These ‘pathological personalities’ are often ‘healthier’ than the ones who have lived a so-called ‘robust life’.

We are a mix of good and bad. We can’t be only good or only bad. If we are pleasing and gracious, we are also disorderly and volatile. If we are very rigid, we also lose our composure. Anxiety is a natural part of our character. Pain is important for us. It prepares us for a more panoramic understanding of the human predicament. It is true that our idiosyncratic desires can often put us into deep trouble, but it is also true that too easy a life may divert us to wrong paths that are devoid of creative, vibrant, and meaningful lives. An unruffled life can be quite hollow.