About this quote

Intense mental swings often bring both bursts of wild invention and harsh, clear judgment. That clearheaded time can feel cruel because it forces you to face sloppy choices you made in the heat of a spell. Keep records of your messy bursts so you have material to shape when you’re calm. If the swings are hurting your work or life, ask a trusted person for feedback and set small habits to protect your routine.

When to use it

• At the end of a 48-hour hackathon, I tell my teammate, "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity," when the prototype works but the code is a disaster.
• After an all-night push to finish a novel chapter, I tell my editor, "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity," and then we schedule a second, sober revision pass.
• Following a week of obsessive rehearsals that finally clicked on stage, I say to my bandmate, "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity," while we agree to keep better rehearsal notes.
• After a burst of risky trading that briefly paid off and then revealed huge mistakes, I tell my financial mentor, "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity," and we set clearer rules for future trades.