It used to be, if society thought you were crazy, they’d institutionalize you in a mental hospital or an insane asylum.

But recently, I went and looked up the definition of “institutionalize” and found this:

“1. To make into, treat as, or give the character of an institution. B To make part of a structured and usu. well-established system. 2. To place (a person) in the care of an institution.”

Now, let’s think about ourselves for a moment. When we were born, we were given a name. As we grew, we went to school and when we grew up, we all got jobs. Companies provided us with a job title, job description and specific duties and tasks to perform. When we looked for future employment, we looked for similar jobs in our field of expertise, perhaps ones that had more responsibility, better pay and benefits with a better work culture.

Folks, we've been institutionalized for years.

Ever since we were born, we have conformed to existing organizational structures, fitting into the culture, job requirements and overall make-up of the organization.

This is not a bad thing. In fact, that is the one way societies can move forward. They need rules, regulations and standards to create general order and manage chaos. Chaos is also another way societies can be blown forward (or backward) in unforeseen directions.

But what happens when the organization goes away? I’m not talking about dystopian anarchy here. Maybe something much smaller but just as profound. Like, what happens when you lose your job?

What happens to the workers that have been trained and molded for 3, 5 or 20 years in the same institution? Without any guidance and support from a well-established system, how are workers supposed to assess their skills and apply them to new job opportunities? Suddenly, we find ourselves in a straight jacket, shouting and yelling that we don’t belong here!

Suddenly, we’re being institutionalized because we don’t fit into the prevailing institutions.

Now that just seems crazy to me. But some people believe that if you fail to maintain your skills, strengths and abilities in support of at least one of the prevailing social institutions, you’ll run the risk of being labeled as someone who doesn't fit in, add value or is just a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

And if you get that label, you’ll either be perceived as a mad genius who can drive this society forward or a crazed lunatic that might blow it all to pieces.

Emma Goldman, famed 20th century anarchist said, “No real social change has ever been brought about without a revolution… revolution is but thought carried into action.”

Sounds to me like I might get locked up either way.