The Joker, Jack Torrance and Gollum. What do these have in common? They’re all “insane” or “mad”. But what does it really mean to be insane? Does it mean displaying irrational and undeserved violence, does it mean obsession with certain objects or people to a point of no return, or does it mean claiming to be haunted? Well, the current definition of insanity is the state of being seriously mentally ill, but this definition has varied throughout history or context and continues to be affected by many elements.  

           However, claiming to be “insane” can be useful. Insanity is a law defense in many countries around the world, despite the fact that is it rarely used and is hardly ever successful. Considering insanity is a bit of an undefinable concept, it is very difficult to prove legal insanity defined as a mental defect or disease that makes it impossible for a defendant to understand their actions. The question is whether the defendant was aware of what they were doing was wrong. Nevertheless, if a convict successfully convinces a judge they are insane, they will not receive the standard prison sentence and will instead be committed to a mental hospital. This has been the case in many high-profile cases the public has followed. Richard Lawrence, John F. Schrank and John Hinckley Jr. each used firearms in their attempt to kill Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, respectively. They were found not guilty by reason of insanity and treated in mental hospitals. The felon is sent to this hospital to be rehabilitated, treated, and to protect the defendant and society from further harm. When the defendant is deemed “sane” again or the maximum term sentence for that crime has expired, the patient is released in with hopes of fitting in in society in a non-harmful way.  

          Although there is an actual legal definition of insanity, it does not exist as a medical diagnosis any longer. The word formerly referred to a wide range of mental disorders now diagnosed as bipolar disorder, organic brain syndromes, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders. Psychotic disorders are a type of severe mental illness that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. All throughout history, clinical insanity has existed, and it is only now, in the late 20th century and 21st century that psychologists deny the existence of such a grave mental illness.  

         Movies and television shows can be a major source of information for the public about mental illness, but accuracy has often been absent from many of these depictions. Psychopathology and severe mental disturbances have always been prevalent in cinema because they add an element of drama and mystery. In fact, “mad” characters have been found in films only a short time after the Lumière brothers invented the cinematographer; Dr Dippy’s Sanitarium (1906) or Das Kabinett des Dr. Caligari (1919) by Robert Wiener. Most often, these characters turn out to be homicidal maniacs, a trait that is now often associated with grave mental illness. This can be very damaging as many of these personas suffer from existing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, the stereotypes on which Hollywood continues to rely. Many people in the western world have cinema as their only reference for what insanity is, making the definition unreliable and violent.  

           Considering all this, insanity will probably always be a a relative concept. Definitions of the word differentiate significantly and most people in the world have a subjective idea of it, depending on ethnicity, education, general beliefs or even year of birth.