A kid I knew from boy scouts in the '70s was a huge Mel Brooks fan. He would quote dialogues from Brooks' movies at length. He was always trying to make other p

A kid I knew from boy scouts in the '70s was a huge Mel Brooks fan. He would quote dialogues from Brooks' movies at length. He was always trying to make other people laugh and usually succeeded, because he had all of Brooks best material to work with. It was a task to get a serious word out of him. I got to know him better in the scouts, sleeping in the same tent on hikes and such. Turns out he was about the most miserable person I knew. When he killed himself at age 18 I was horrified if not greatly surprised. Like Robin Williams, but less brilliant and with a shorter arc. So yes, I've always thought that there was a connection between inner depression and outer zanyness.