Question about Noam Chomsky

[Mike03]

Perhaps this question is better suited for the lounge, but I'm very curious about something I read in an interview with Chomsky but have never been able to discover an answer to after a couple of years of research.

At some point in the past few years, he alluded to some damage to his health as a result of his activism, grueling schedule, his research, writing and all the other things that he has done. He only would say he was hospitalized, but I cannot find any info on what happened to him.

Does anyone know? He's one of my all time heroes, and I draw inspiration from his courage. Lately, I'm feeling weak too, and was just curious if anyone knows what Chomsky is referring to when he says he overdid it and had to be hospitalized?

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

1. He's just getting old---- as I am.

[Mike03]

3. Aw, maybe that is it.

Certainly he is entitled to get old, but just from what he said, it sounded like it had to do with being overwhelmed or emotionally too involved in politics.

Maybe you are right, but it just stuck out to me that he mentioned it in this interview as an example of what happens to people who get too involved in politics.

Maybe I misread him, but it has intrigued me for years. Chomsky seems so invincible to me; it would be a relief to know he is human.

I mean, he's just incredible. His contribution to society has been almost superhuman.

As busy as that man must be, he took the time to email a response to a couple of emails I wrote him a few years ago.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

4. He is "entitled" to get old? I find that pretty funny .

[Mike03]

5. That is not the point of my question

Nevermind.

It would be nice if you could be helpful instead of a defensive ass.

[MADem]

2. Well, the guy is almost EIGHTY--I'd imagine he has a few aches and pains.

There are a few biographies available about him, next time you are in a library, you might leaf through those and find an answer. There's an online bio, too--your answer may be in this: http://cognet.mit.edu/library/books/chomsky/chomsky/welcome.html

[Mike03]

6. Thanks. I read every bio of him I can find

Maybe I didn't state it correctly, but what interested me is that he is a pretty private person who rarely speaks about the toll that activism takes on him, so he seems almost superhuman at times.

On this one occasion he admitted that his "caring" had gotten him into trouble. Well, my caring gets me into physical trouble too, and it would be nice to know that one of my heroes has the same problems I might have.

This question had nothing to do with age, but how to care about the world without being destroyed by that caring.

Sheesh...

[cuke]

7. I've never heard about this before

Not saying it isn't true, I just never heard it before. However, I can see how it could happen. Being committed to something involves worry, anxiety, and other forms of stress. Enough of these can have serious consequences