My Personal Definition:
However, the meaning of the word is not only defined by the dictionary but also the way we use the word. This notion gave me a chance to reflect on my usage of the word “crazy” and I realized that I have never given much thought to the meaning of the word “crazy” even though I use it so often. Among my peers, this word is often used to express disbelief or amazement to any kind of situation that involves extremes. For example, I would tell my friend that she’s “crazy” because she’s overloading herself by taking numerous major tests on the same day. In this context, I’m merely expressing my disbelief on the actions of my friend because she’s taking herself to an extreme situation that not everyone would put themselves in. However, I could also say the same thing when she accomplishes some amazing things that not everyone can do. Using the word in this way shows how I’m amazed beyond my expectations. Therefore, the word “crazy” can be used in a positive way when it is used to depict the extremes of a situation.
In spite of using the word to describe the
extremes of certain situations, I’m also aware that the word can be used as a
derogative term. For instance, I saw some kids on the subway using the exact same term to mock a mentally-disabled person who was talking to the reflection of himself on the window. He didn’t cause any harm, but the kids were just making fun of his actions, which they saw as different from their own. Even though I wasn’t the one that was mocked by those children, I felt very uncomfortable about the way they used the word to humiliate someone. Because of this experience, I realized that the word “crazy” could potentially offend many people and that its meaning can change by the way we use the word.