Talking to Crazy Book Summary - Talking to Crazy Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Talking to Crazy summary

Mark Goulston

How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life

4 (41 ratings)
19 mins

What is Talking to Crazy about?

Talking to Crazy (2015) acknowledges that each person has the potential to be a little crazy, giving into irrational behavior when the mood strikes. These blinks offer sound advice on how to empathize and communicate with a person in “crazy mode” so you can keep yourself from going off the deep end, too.

Table of Contents

    Talking to Crazy
    summarized in 9 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 9

    Accept that everyone – even yourself – can sometimes act or simply be a little crazy.

    Even the most seemingly rational people have moments when they’re surprised by their own irrationality.

    Really, anyone can have a moment in which the following statement holds true: You’re crazy!

    But what does “crazy” in this context really mean? We’re not talking about the mentally ill, people who may be called “crazy” unfairly. You don’t have to be clinically ill to have a period of craziness.

    In these blinks, the term crazy refers to irrational behavior which can manifest in a few ways. A crazy person might have a distorted view of reality, or refuse to listen to reasonable arguments. This person could also say nonsensical things or act out against his own interests.

    If you want to reduce this kind of behavior in yourself, the first step is admitting to your own craziness. Acknowledging your own issues is an important step in dealing with other crazy people!

    When you understand your own crazy tendencies, you’ll be able to empathize with the craziness in others. Because if you can’t empathize with those people, you might just end up screaming or acting irrationally yourself. And who’s the crazy one, then?

    If on the other hand you can keep your cool when things get nuts, you might just help calm a crazy person down. Instead of getting upset, try to understand what exactly triggered the person’s craziness. You’ll then be less vulnerable to that person’s attempts to drive you batty!

    For example, imagine you have a problem where you completely shut down if someone questions your honesty. If you acknowledge this tic, you’ll recognize it in others who might have a similar reaction. You’ll then know how to work toward finding a solution, instead of making things worse.

    Want to see all full key ideas from Talking to Crazy?

    Key ideas in Talking to Crazy

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    Best quote from Talking to Crazy

    Unless youre the first entirely sane person on the planet, youre carrying around your own suitcase full of crazy.

    —Mark Goulston
    example alt text

    About the Author

    Mark Goulston is a psychiatrist, business advisor and coach. He’s also the author of the bestselling books, Just Listen and Get Out of Your Own Way.

    Who should read Talking to Crazy?

    • People with anger management issues
    • Anyone struggling with constructive communication in a relationship
    • Parents and teachers dealing with young adults

    Categories with Talking to Crazy

    Books like Talking to Crazy

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    26 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial