It astonishes me that people laugh at the mentally ill given the fear people have over what it might trigger. Far better to laugh with people than ever to laugh at them. It's a myth to think that people with mental health problems don't have a sense of humour.
Often they can come up with the funniest of practical jokes, learn to laugh at their own behaviour and may on occasions fake weird behaviour just to freak others out. It's the equivalent of an amputee saying "I'm sorry, I'm stumped" and can become a cathartic release for one and all.
It's extremely common for people to plainly see what others find odd while remaining oblivious and ignorant about our own peculiar habits, even among the the so called sane. See how many of the following you've ended up doing at some point. It doesn't necessarily mean you're ill and particularly not if you do any of the following deliberately as a joke, although I daresay some psychologists may debate with me over some of them.
Here then are some ways to ways to be mischievous which come from a mix of sources from the Internet. Some might come from the mentally ill, but many don't. Can you tell the difference, and does it matter anyway?
How to unsettle and irritate others
1. Sing the same tune incessantly.
2. Over use words like "basically" and "actually".
3. Learn Morse code, and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeep Bip Bip Beeep Bip..."
4. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
5. Push all the flat Lego pieces together tightly.
6. Start each meal by conspicuously licking all your food, and announce that this is so no one will "swipe your grub".
7. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 98 copies.
8. Name your dog "Dog" or "D-fer" (D for Dog).
9. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
10. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think."
11. Invent nonsense computer jargon in conversations, and see if people play along to avoid the appearance of ignorance. Better yet if you have a friend joining in.
12. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with the prophesy."
13. Do not add any inflection to the end of your sentences, producing awkward silences with the impression that you'll be saying more any moment.
14. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.
15. Give a play-by-play account of a persons every action.
16. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
17. Staple papers in the middle of the page, or glue pages together in the middle of a book with a note scribbled "censored", "confidential" or "private".
18. Produce a rental video consisting entirely of copyright warnings.
19. Sew anti-theft detector strips into peoples belongings.
20. Type out and stick the surprise ending to a novel on its first page.
21. Set alarms for random times.
22. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a "croaking" noise.
23. Wave to strangers.
24. Dress only in bright orange and spray your shoes and dye your hair to match.
25. Change channels five minutes before the end of every show.
26. Wear your pants backwards.
27. Decline to be seated at a restaurant and insist on eating standing up.
28. dont use any punctuation and analyse the responses you get as if it is a psychology test
29. Pay for your shopping with pennies counting out every one and then losing count and starting again.
30. Repeat everything someone says, as a question.
31. Write "X - BURIED TREASURE" in random spots on all of some one's maps.
32. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, its gone now."
33. Wander around a restaurant, asking other diners for their parsley.
34. At the supermarket, insist on paying for each item separately.
35. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
36. Drive and park 200 yards down the road and keep repeating doing when giving someone a lift. Say nothing.
37. Inform others that they exist only in your imagination.
38. Ask people what gender they are.
39. While making a speech, occasionally bob your head. like a parakeet.
40. Lie about trivial things such as the time of day.
41. Stand by the road side pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
42. Listen to 33rpm records at 45rpm speed, and claim the faster speed is necessary because of your "superior mental processing."
43. Ask the waitress for an extra seat for your "imaginary friend."
44. Ask your colleagues mysterious questions, and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Afterwards mutter something about "psychological profiles" for a course you're doing.
45. Construct elaborate "crop circles" in your front lawn.
46. Make appointments for the 31st of September.
47. Invite lots of people to other people's parties.
48. Give everything in your home a name and stick labels on them e.g. name a table Trinny, a chair Charlie or a door, Doris. Insist that everyone calls them by their name and asks permission before using them.
49. When answering a call from a sales rep, try to sell them a bottle of fresh air and really extol it's virtues.
50. When answering a phone call from a sales rep say your really interested, put the receiver down and leave them talking. You can return every five minutes to say 'I'm sorry I missed that can you say that again' and leave them talking again. In other words run up their phone bill.
Personal Experience
Some years back now I had a run in with psychosis myself. While ill I imagined all sorts of codes and many other crazy things. At the time if anyone had challenged me or laughed at me I was prone to becoming aggressive. While I was recovering I was deeply embarrassed by my actions, but now I am recovered I can see the funny side of them and will take being teased about it all because I know I can give as good as I get.
It's a bit like people ragging you for the silly things you end up doing when drunk. The morning after you can find yourself cringing about it all, but eventually you should be able to see the humour.
I particularly like the codes and language jokes now because of that illness but would never dream of laughing at others until I know that they know they are joking.
How to check
It's easy, ask. If they don't budge in their behaviour or beliefs they could either be stubborn or very ill. Try and get them the professional help they need, ideally by getting them to go for an assessment of their own free will.
NEVER encourage strange beliefs or behaviours if you think they might be serious about them. Do not enter into debates, arguments or discussion with them about it.
NEVER laugh at the afflicted, wait until they are laughing too.
It's interesting that many of these pranks are like those of mischievous children and maybe that's what happens when we become ill, we resort to becoming childlike in some way. The more vivid our imaginations the more likely it is.
One never knows what might transpire to trigger a mental illness so you could be next - no laughing matter that as I hope you will agree. Play nicely.
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