There was a section of the book that described the frustration a member experienced trying to deal with a neighbor (or could we say friend, colleague, or fellow group member?) who was highly emotional and afflicted with many problems. The guy spent a lot of time talking about how crazy she was.
I get crazy. I'm crazy. If I don't like how you're behaving I assume you're crazy. I also know how to create drama and use other very effective techniques for drawing attention to myself such as acting crazy. I feed off of the attention and I drink deeply from the trough of chaos - I know it isn't good for me or anyone else but I take a perverse pleasure in the outcome. And I'm of the opinion that if you want someone who is acting crazy to stop acting crazily that the least effective technique is to accuse them of being crazy. It's very difficult to reason with someone like that - it's like trying to rationalize with a small child or a large, practicing alcoholic. Did you see the light of reason and immediately change your behavior when someone made a pretty compelling argument that your alcoholic behavior was making things worst? Yeah, me, either.
"I mentioned that the more insane he described the neighbor, the more insane it seemed to fight with her. Obviously the woman is more experienced at fighting than my friend will ever be. I suggested that, instead of fighting, my friend might withdraw, stay away; even try, in so far as possible, to be courteous and understanding."
"We have ceased fighting anything and anybody."
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