"To those whom much has been given, much will be asked." This was the most beautiful part of the write-up that Ktmdude posted in the thread "The Nepali people work very hard", and a truly inspirational one. Very few people realize this, although perhaps everyone knows this in the back of their minds. I am often faced with this question, both from others and from myself at times -- What is the best way to challenge yourself to do better? Some say that you should look at those whose success has surpassed yours and strive to be their equal. If you are content with your situation and don't aim for higher things, you will remain a specimen of mediocrity, I've heard many people say. Others claim that the true challenge is to realize that there are many more who are worse off than you, to be thankful for what you have, and give in return to uplift the others from their present state of misfortune. Which one of these is a wiser way to self improvement and success? I haven't been able to answer that question yet. I spent my undergraduate summer vacations working with mentally ill patients in psychiatric hospitals in New York-- patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, borderline personality disorder. Often, when I came home after the day's work, people would ask me -- So, how does it feel to work with these lunatics? For those who hadn't seen, never met, never known these living and breathing people, they were creatures of another world, the world of abnormality, the world of lunatics. But for me, they were human, very much like myself, with families, jobs, hopes, desires, dreams, feelings, and a future that was on hold for years past and years to come. Then there were patients whose families were unlike our own, families that we take for granted -- there were fathers and mothers who raped their own children, there were fears and threats imposed on them daily, there was jeering and cacophonous laughter at their failings that had demolished their sense of integrity and self-esteem. Each case had a horrendous history. Each page painted a reality that these people had actually lived through but which we can only imagine. At best, perhaps we could see images of their mutilated lives through flimsy portrayals in high gloss movies with glamorous stars. So, when asked how it feels to work with these lunatics, my answer would invariably be, "it feels so real." I won't deny that it made me feel so much more fortunate, and for the first time, truly thankful for what I had -- family, friends, relatives (even those who gossip behind your back), and a future brimming with hopes. Working with them, particularly with adolescents, was both a joy and a challenge. A funny sort of challenge was that being of small stature, it was often difficult for me to maintain the air of authority required of my position, especially when all the patients were giants in front of me. But that was what brought me closer to them -- they found this lack of physical intimidation welcoming and I was allowed glimpses into their lives that were rarely open for public display. It was truly amazing. They let me travel into their world, the world called Abnormal and Insane. to be continued ...