A CERTAIN person, deeply involved in debt, feigned madness to escape the consequences of his liabilities. Physicians failed to cure his disease, and the more he was treated for his ailments the greater became his madness. At last a wise physician found out the truth, and, taking the feigning mad man aside, rebuked him saying: "My friend, what are you doing? Beware lest in feigning madness you become really mad. Already you have developed some genuine signs of insanity." This sensible advice awoke the man from his folly, and he left off acting the part of a mad man.
By constantly acting a thing, one actually becomes that. (45)