Friday, January 13


Do Some Cultures have their own ways of going mad?


Only Latin Americans
Suffer from susto,
Terror of soul departing body

Only Inuits of Greenland
Face pibloktoq,
Stripping off clothing, running madly into Arctic snowdrifts

Only Malaysians
Run amok,
Murderously creating chaos

Only  Mediterraneans
Face mal de ojo, or “the evil eye,
Causing endless streams of tears

Only Japanese are
Inflicted with
taijin kyofusho,
Fear of displeasing or offending others

How much of madness is simply geography?

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