I don't really trust a sane person.

“I don’t really trust a sane person.” So declared Lyle Alzado, the fierce gladiator of the gridiron, whose life burned with both triumph and tragedy. To the casual ear, these words sound strange, even dangerous. But to the wise, they strike like lightning upon a mountain: they illuminate the hidden truth that greatness is seldom found in the safety of sanity. What men call “sanity” is often nothing more than a careful obedience to limits, a quiet bowing before the ordinary. Yet those who rise, those who dare, those who change the world—they are often the ones touched by a holy madness.

Consider the warriors of old. Alexander the Great was not “sane” by the measures of his day, for he dreamed of conquering the entire known world when most kings were content with their borders. His vision was too vast, too reckless, too touched by fire to be called “reasonable.” Yet because of this, he carved an empire and left a mark that still stirs the hearts of men. The “sane” would have stayed home; the “mad” marched into destiny. Thus, Alzado’s words echo the ancient law: it is the spark of madness, not the calm of reason, that forges legends.

When Alzado spoke, he spoke as one who lived with ferocity. On the football field, he was feared for his relentless rage, his unyielding spirit, his refusal to play gently in a game that demanded violence. Off the field, too, he lived with an intensity that bordered on the edge of destruction. To him, the so-called “sane” lacked the fire, the risk, the unshakable hunger that drives a man to break barriers. In his eyes, only those willing to dance with madness could be trusted to pursue victory with their whole being.

We see this pattern in history again and again. Would Joan of Arc have rallied armies if she had been “sane” enough to doubt her visions? Would Thomas Edison have invented the lightbulb if he had been “sane” enough to give up after a thousand failures? Would Rosa Parks have remained seated in her courage if she had been “sane” enough to submit quietly to injustice? No—those who shift the course of the world are often branded insane by their peers. It is only when time has passed that we call their madness wisdom, and their defiance truth.

The meaning of Alzado’s words is not that all madness is virtue. There is destruction in recklessness, as he himself knew, for his relentless pursuit left scars upon his body and spirit. But within his declaration lies a challenge: do not place your trust only in the “sane,” in those who never risk, never burn, never reach beyond what is comfortable. For the sane person often protects themselves above all else. The “mad” one, however, may give everything—even life itself—for a cause, for a dream, for a team, for a truth.

The lesson, then, is this: embrace a measure of madness. Do not shackle yourself with the chains of fear disguised as sanity. Be willing to be called unreasonable when you chase your vision. Be willing to endure the laughter of the cautious, the whispers of the timid. Trust in those who burn with passion, who seem touched by fire, for they will not betray the mission by retreating to safety. Balance is needed, yes—but it is the courageous madness of dreamers, warriors, and creators that carries the world forward.

Therefore, children of tomorrow, do not be too “sane.” Let there be in you a wildness that dares, that risks, that strives beyond the common measure. Speak boldly, act fiercely, love deeply, and fight tirelessly. Trust not only the calm and cautious, but also those who, like Alzado, carry the madness that makes heroes. For it is the dreamers and the fearless, those the world once called insane, who awaken history from its sleep and leave behind the tracks of glory.