How I Became A Madman | Khalil Gibran

Here's a wonderful parable by the great Kahlil Gibran, from The Madman (His Parables and Poems). From the author of the timeless masterpiece The Prophet, written from the point of view of the "madman", an individual seemingly at odds with the world and his place within it, Gibran explores themes of human kindness, alienation, and the search for ultimate truth. This brief series is a great way to introduce yourself to Gibran's themes and the perfect primer for his later masterwork. You can just enjoy or meditate on these profound words on self-realization.

Transcript

You ask me how I became a madman.

It happened thus.

One day,

Long before many gods were born,

I woke from a deep sleep and found all my masks were stolen.

The seven masks I have fashioned and worn in seven lives.

I ran maskless through the crowded streets shouting.

Thieves!

Thieves!

The cursed thieves!

Men and women laughed at me,

And some ran to their houses in fear of me.

And when I reached the marketplace,

A youth standing on a housetop cried,

He is a madman!

I looked up to behold him.

The sun kissed my own naked face for the first time.

For the first time the sun kissed my own naked face.

And my soul was inflamed with love for the sun.

And I wanted my masks no more.

And as if in a trance I cried,

Blessed!

Blessed are the thieves who stole my masks.

Thus I became a madman.

And I have found both freedom and safety in my madness.

The freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood.

For those who understand us enslave something in us.

But let me not be too proud of my safety.

Even a thief in a jail is safe from another thief.

Reviews

This is interesting and thought provoking. Thank you for sharing it. 💛