“I doubt if a single individual could be found from the whole of mankind free from some form of insanity. The only difference is one of degree. A man who sees a gourd and takes it for his wife is called insane because this happens to very few people.”

As quoted in Words from the Wise : Over 6,000 of the Smartest Things Ever Said (2007) by Rosemarie Jarski, p. 312. From The Praise of Folly.

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Desiderius Erasmus 36
Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and theologian 1466–1536

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“I doubt if a single individual could be found from the whole of mankind free from some form of insanity. The only difference is one of degree.”

Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and theologian

As quoted in Words from the Wise : Over 6,000 of the Smartest Things Ever Said (2007) by Rosemarie Jarski, p. 312
Context: I doubt if a single individual could be found from the whole of mankind free from some form of insanity. The only difference is one of degree. A man who sees a gourd and takes it for his wife is called insane because this happens to very few people.

Robert M. Pirsig photo

“When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called Religion.”

This is attributed to Pirsig by Richard Dawkins in the Preface to The God Delusion (2006), p. 28, but cannot be found prior to that. It is obviously a paraphrase of the following from Pirsig's Lila - An Inquiry Into Morals (1991): „An insane delusion can't be held by a group at all. A person isn't considered insane if there are a number of people who believe the same way. Insanity isn't supposed to be a communicable disease. If one other person starts to believe him, or maybe two or three, then it's a religion." ( books.google http://books.google.de/books?id=51i6WkGn6qYC&q=%22An+insane+delusion%22; books.google http://books.google.de/books?id=WZtRAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA426)
Disputed
Source: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Rik Mayall photo

“Insanity is a very high art form. If everyone was insane, I wouldn’t be here!”

Rik Mayall (1958–2014) British comedian and actor

The Stage, January 2007 https://www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/2014/remembering-rik-mayall-one-oddest-fun-interviews-ive-ever-done/

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“See? That's what happens when you keep people from doing what they do best: It makes them insane.”

Rene Balcer (1954) screenwriter, producer and director

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“Look, I learned from your uncle that when the universe turns out to be insane, the wise man embraces insanity.”

Bradley Denton (1958) American science fiction author

Source: Buddy Holly is Alive and Well on Ganymede (1991), pp. 213-214

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