Thing Not To Do Today: be paranoid.

What was the most useful thing I learned at school?

I could either go away and spend a year writing a book to see if I could work out the correct answer to that, or I could give you a snap answer. And, as at the moment I have other books to worry about, that's going to have to do.

I was in a drama class. We were doing some improvisation, and our teacher said: it's the person in the wrong who gets aggressive.

Wow. How much knowing that illuminates the world.

So. Paranoia. Look, sometimes it's a sign of horrible mental disease, but otherwise it's just an excuse for aggression, okay? 

And it's a sure sign that you're IN THE WRONG.

Thing Not To Do Today: be paranoid. This word comes from the Greek word for frenzy, from paranoos, distraught, from para, which can mean more or less anything, but especially alongside or beyond, plus noos, mind.