Masters of self-sabotage

It is my belief that it is a question of pure, unadulterated human arrogance that has led us to the self-sabotage that I make reference to in the title.

Humans have successfully institutionalised suffering. Whether that be through the failure of our democratically-elected leaders or the failure of a society so repelled by the idea of change that creating and propagating our own suffering has become as natural to us as the happiness we all crave.

When I think about this, I think about the millions of LGBT youth across the world, struggling to deal with who they are, and who they love, all while in the midst of a world so ferociously hostile towards them. To be so unapologetically cruel to these kids is to play with fire. Subjecting them to further mental stress is to tempt fate, and it is my belief that fate will oblige, should it be tempted so.

There is such a thirst to be ‘happy’ and to find ‘happiness’

Blood stains are what we are left with when we are so torturous to those who are so innocent, especially when it comes to those struggling with their sexuality.

With this in mind, it is important to remember humans are a self-destructive species, and the tendrils of this self-destruction are far-reaching. When we so brazenly elevate our achievements and conflate our intelligence with untouchability, it is no wonder that we are the victims of our own delusions of grandeur.

So little is known about the brain, so to me, it is sadly poetic that it is subject to such underestimation. The same brain which has built a fully-functioning, orbiting space station has also justified the slaughter of gay men by throwing them from atop buildings in towns in Syria. It is obvious that its capabilities are all at once amazing, and terrifying.

We have all experienced the joy of a society which utilises the strengths of our collective intellect. It is, therefore, a mystery to me to see a society stigmatise mental health so viciously. We are as much at the mercy of our minds as we are the masters of it. To so easily cast mental illnesses into the shadows is both arrogant and extremely dangerous.

That being said, it is somewhat understandable for there to be a lack of engagement with mental health. It is easier to sympathise with someone who has a broken leg than a broken soul. But to be so callous as to force the people around us into a veritable state of hiding is morally reprehensible. One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year, so it seems the shadows are filled with suffering souls.

I believe mental illnesses are tied to an intangible vulnerability that people fear so deeply. There is such a desperation for every single one of us to be the absolute best of ourselves, to be successful and to achieve, and to fulfil our potential, God-given or otherwise. There is such a thirst to be ‘happy’ and to find ‘happiness’ and I think, all things considered, our desires are misplaced. We are so concerned with finding our own perfection that we forget to be human. These attitudes fuel our own prejudice towards mental illnesses.

However, I think bigotry and prejudice are more of the heart, than of the mind. To overcome our prejudices we must put our hearts first.

We are the victims of our own delusions of grandeur

To approach issues in this way can be so rewarding and so pivotal in shaping the views of a wider society. Whether that be a Priest who speaks out in support of same-sex marriage, or a mother who accepts her son’s sexuality as part of who he is, by using our hearts we can create a more positive environment for the most vulnerable amongst us.

I have made a conscious focus on LGBT youth in this article because it is of personal importance to me, but my message can be applied to anyone and everyone. While education and more comprehensive mental healthcare will go a long way in helping those who suffer so needlessly, on an individual level we must all do more to help those around us, and we must lead with our hearts in doing so.

It is because our brains are so brilliant that we should be vigilant and supportive should things go wrong. Vulnerability should be embraced, our flaws should be embraced, and ultimately our weaknesses should be embraced. Only then can our own mental health be seen as health just as a broken leg or a stomach bug.

Our minds are as fragile as they are wonderful, and there is a fine line that separates us from that fragility.

I think, in the end, we are all lost. But it is better to be lost with the ones we love than to be lost alone.