Maniacs

"Shall I tell you where the men are who believe most in themselves? For I can tell you. I know of men who believe in themselves more colossally than Napoleon or Caesar. I know where flames the fixed star of certainty and success. I can guide you to the thrones of the Supermen. The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums… " - Chesterton, Orthodoxy, Chapter 2 - The Maniac

I bought the audio book and this passage fascinated me. By virtue of this passage, Miami is full of lunatics, and I struggle everyday to get out of the asylum and at least into the outer gardens.

We are all so self-confident; materialists and narcissists.

We love our Facebook posts where we can write about our jobs and our cars, or show our empty faceless empathy and "caring".

We love our careers and our achievements; our vanity and our beauty.

We love our anger, and protect it with all the self-confidence of a 2 year old hugging his toy car to his chest screaming "mine!".

We love our augmentations, lifts, and shallowness.

There is insanity in Miami of the worst kind. And of course, this insanity is not Miami specific but if you live here, you know what I mean. Just look at all the Mercedes, BMW's and Bentley's flowing out of West Kendall and Hialeah; vehicles to house our insecurity at the risk of our souls and families.

We want it all and we want everyone to believe we did it on our own.

Some people see belief in God as a mark of the insane; a false hope, a belief held by simple folk. Chesterton asks, what is crazier... belief in God, or belief in yourself?

I think belief in yourself is not only insane, but the worst kind of dishonesty and ignorance.

Orthodoxy is a great book. I'm enjoying it immensely.