Crazy wisdom
May 15, 2008 by Raymond Lam
People aren’t random enough. They should say more funny things and do more funny stuff. A few nights ago my housemate said to me, ‘I want to go out’ so I said, ‘let’s go clubbing downtown this Friday.’ And then he shook his head and said, ‘I want to do something wild; something stupid. I want to do something I’ll regret later.’ So I laughed and asked why. He said ‘because I feel like I haven’t done enough crazy things as a young person.’
So I suggested we go and steal a roadworks sign. It was mostly a joke. But I think this is the result of people who don’t engage in crazy wisdom. They see so much potential for humour, parody, and satire in their daily lives but they don’t act on it; worse still, they don’t parody themselves, which is the conceptual starting point for crazy wisdom. It is the best way to entertain kids and also means you don’t need to watch your own back as often. I don’t censor myself because there’s a difference between verbal censorship and manners. As long you follow guidelines (in the Buddhist tradition, it must not be gossip, nor can it be directed in a way that is unbeneficial, and it is unacceptable to say something for its own sake), you will generally be able to treat others with the according decorum.
A lot of adults get caught up in ‘manners’ and end up with no humour. It’s a lousy attitude. We should risk more, to risk laughter. This is a separate endeavour from politeness. Politeness is often equated with ‘distance’. That’s only for people you don’t know. But crazy wisdom brings laughter no matter who experiences it.
I’m not a Catholic, but Pope Benedict XVI put it best: ‘Humour is… an essential element in the mirth of Creation.’ So damn true. In particular, it is the light-hearted occasions that really allow writers, philosophers, poets and artists to get back on track when they need to do serious work. Crazy wisdom also acts as a ‘gauge’ for you to tell how grounded you are in the problems of everyday life, and best of all, you can’t be accused of insulting others, because this humour is as random as greeting someone with ‘Yahoo!’
Or looking up ‘Wahoo’ on wikipedia, and discovering it’s a type of fish!
I think the older we get, the more we become afraid of being silly as our childhood is left behind. Certainly there are times when we should be mature (applying for a job!), but if you have nothing to lose by letting loose for a bit, why not go crazy?
PS. This friday night after Anna’s birthday will be a good chance to do some crazy stuff :D
PPS. We’re so running back to your house for mi goreng
PPPS. I’ll bring the mi goreng this time
You, my spiritual brother, are a legend (re. the Mi Goreng).
I happily concede there are situations where humour is inappropriate. I don’t burst out in laughter just because a monk leading a meditation session farts (true story). But if it’s time for some crazy wisdom, I don’t hold back my own ‘gusts of smelly wind’. More like, I can’t hold it back. :P
that’s why I vow to remain as immature as possible. spread the word brother!
Mi Goreng… how is it that I am not notified of this, I don’t care about Anna.. but Mi Goreng… I shall remember this day, and I will see to it that it will never be forgot…
P.S. pour cooked rice (concrete if you guys can steal it off the construction sites) into the public toilets at UQ…. better yet: at college
PPS: was it Kavish who said that?
PPPS: physiology sucks!
PPPPS: I now have more than Jordan :)
Guys guys guys, who needs Facebook, from now on you should use my blog as our online event planner. ^.^
So how about the idea of me coming over to Brisbane again this weekend and we have this Three Kingdoms computer games at your place again? We can then have the Thai dinner again, this time with your house-mates.
Only if you’re in Brisbane yo.
It wouldn’t be a crazy thought if I were still in Brisbane.
now all we need is a 4-player dynasty warriors