Want to learn the ideas in Talking to Crazy better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Talking to Crazy by Mark Goulston here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of Talking to Crazy

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Talking to Crazy, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Mark Goulston.

1-Page Summary of Talking to Crazy

Overview

This book combines the best of both worlds—the old and new ways to persuade people. It outlines how you can get your message across by learning more about human behavior, as well as what makes the brain work.

You’re crazy to even consider this. Consider a scenario where you are talking with someone you love and they say something that ticks you off.

You’re angry and you don’t know why, so you start to yell. You get really mad for a long time after that outburst. But are you crazy? How do you explain such behavior?

Everyone does crazy things every now and then. But why is that? And how can you deal with someone who’s behaving crazily when you’re the one acting crazy? In this article, we’ll explore what causes people to act irrationally and how to deal with it.

You’ll learn about identifying triggers for your own crazy behavior; handling someone who simply won’t take no for an answer; and dealing with other people’s craziness.

Big Idea #1: Accept that everyone can act crazy sometimes, including yourself.

Anyone can have a moment in which they feel crazy, but it doesn’t mean that the person is clinically insane or mentally ill. It just means that the person has been going through some intense emotions and actions.

In this key point, the term crazy refers to irrational behavior. A crazy person might have a distorted view of reality or refuse to listen to reasonable arguments. Crazy people say nonsensical things and act against their own interests.

If you want to deal with a crazy person, the first thing you should do is admit that they’re crazy. You have to recognize the fact that they are dealing with their own issues and problems.

If you understand your own irrationality, you’ll be able to empathize with other people’s irrationality. If you can’t do that, then it might just lead to an argument or a fight. After all, if no one else is crazy but you and me…

If you can remain calm when dealing with a crazy person, they might just stop being so crazy. If you understand what made them act this way, it will be easier to deal with them without getting upset yourself.

For example, imagine you have a problem where you completely shut down if someone questions your honesty. If you acknowledge this tic, then it will be easier to recognize the same behavior in others who might have a similar reaction. This insight can help us work toward finding a solution instead of making things worse.

Big Idea #2: When a person has a meltdown, try to figure out why.

You might not know what to say when someone starts acting crazy. However, you should never try to argue with them. Arguing will only make the situation worse.

When someone is having a crazy episode, it’s usually because of something that happened in the past. For example, individuals who didn’t receive enough love while they were young tend to be more pessimistic. If you try to convince them about the value of an idea and how reasonable it is, for instance, they might insist your idea won’t work no matter what you say or do.

Everyone has baggage. Sometimes, people act crazy and it’s not easy to reason with them. Instead of arguing with them, we should identify their trigger points so that we can avoid getting into an argument in the first place.

Each person has a specific way of reacting to stress. That behavior is called the person’s modus operandi. For example, one person might get angry and yell at people around him when he feels stressed, while another might start ignoring everyone else.