You know that it’s a bad idea to go on holiday with the masses – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

You know it’s going to be hell on the roads with all the nine-to-five slaves – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

You know not to go to the most popular takeaway joint at rush hour – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

You know that living in a mega city means as a nine-to-fiver you are living in hell – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

You know that going to see the ‘social climbing materialist set’ is a bad idea – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

You know that agreeing to line up to something means you probably shouldn’t be there – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

You know marrying a fourth wave feminist will kill you spiritually and emotionally – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

You know all Hollywood consists of poor slave people hired to sacrifice their own kind – so you don’t go.

So then you must suffer for having such brains.

I could go on forever like this – but I’m sure you catch my existential drift.

You will get punished for not partaking in the various parties in The Madhouse.

Punished in a myriad number of ways to dull to list here.

You know what they are you’ve seen them all.

You’re now middle aged and don’t have the energy to mask anything.

You’ve accepted their lame punishments for your supposed wall-flowering.

You’d happily die in a ditch than about face and join The Madhouse in drag.

So you know what this means.

You’ve finally made it.

You ‘clocked’ the video game.

You can now retire happily from it.

You hear the cacophony of screams telling you you’re insane to be who you are.

Because in The Madhouse being sane is the craziest thing you can do.

Yes Gramsci’s quote in 1919 (falsely attributed to Orwell but he’d still agree) – was right –

‘Sometimes just telling the Truth is the real…Revolutionary act’.

And You don’t need Molotov cocktail to do that.

Having brains and having lived more than half you life is freeing thing –

After all you’re ‘playing with house money’ are you not?.

But ultimately the question to ask as you look in the moirroe is this:

Do you have the courage and conviction to see the – your – reflection on offer?

For there is no point in having brains and age without courage.

For is it not true that in The Madhouse there are a million old and cowardly intellectuals for hire?

At any moment in Time?

In any case, I couldn’t be one of those that are Born Into This without ever knowing it.

I mean you’d have to either be lobotomized or a non-reader to do that.

And I’d argue that the latter is a form of the former.

But then what do I know – I could always be wrong about everything.

There’s always a chance I am in a different type of Madhouse and am in total metaphysical denial.

In any case my particular Madhouse is surely far better than theirs –

But then again as a confirmed contrarian with brains, courage and wisdom –

I would say that.

P.s. Did I mention that an ounce of self-confidence never goes awry either?