mania.noun
an excessively intense enthusiasm, interest, or desire; a craze (a mania for neatness)
Psychiatry – manifestation of manic depressive illness, characterized by profuse and rapidly changing ideas, exaggerated gaiety, and excessive physical activity; violent abnormal behavior; insanity

Mania, abnormal mental state characterized by an elevated or irritable mood, exaggerated self importance, racing thoughts, and hyperactivity. People with mania typically feel intoxicated with themselves and with life. They may display an indiscriminate enthusiasm for manipulating people, spending money, and pursuing sexual adventure. Manic people may also display impatience or hostility toward other people. If frustrated, they may physically abuse their friends, children, or spouse.

Mania has many other characteristics. People with mania often have inflated self esteem and self confidence and assume they have more wit, courage, imagination, and artistry than everyone else. Severe mania may include delusions of grandeur, such as the belief that one is chosen by God for a special mission-(such as God's avenger with a purpose to be self important through acts of violence toward others or even murder).--

Mania typically involves a decreased need for sleep, so manic-(resembling mania)-people often wake up early in a highly energized state. Mania makes people extremely talkative. Their loud, rapid fire speech sometimes continues unabated without regard for others. Mania also involves a flight of ideas, racing thoughts that cause speech to go off in many different directions. People in a manic state become easily distracted by irrelevant sights, sounds or ideas, which further disrupts thinking and speech.

People with mania may also devise grandiose plans or engage in reckless self indulgence. For example, they may invest indiscriminately in risky projects, get involved in many different social activities, flirt to the point of indecency and intrude in other people's private lives to the point of being obnoxious. Manic people display many signs of impaired judgment and self destructive behavior. These signs include taking airplane trips all over the country, gambling to excess, buying outrageously expensive gifts, engaging in reckless sexual behavior and abusing alcohol or other drugs.

Most people who experience episodes of mania also experience spells of severe depression. This pattern of mood swings between mania and depression defines a mental illness known as bipolar disorder, also called manic depressive illness. In bipolar disorder, episodes of mania usually begin abruptly and last from several weeks to several months. Mild manic episodes can last a year or more. Depression may follow immediately or begin after a period of relatively normal functioning. Manic episodes may require hospitalization because of impaired social behavior or the presence of psychotic symptoms. 

Mania may result from other conditions besides bipolar disorder. Medical conditions, such as a brain tumor or an overactive thyroid gland, can cause manic symptoms. Certain medications, such as steroids and antidepressants, can also cause mania..Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

malediction.noun
calling a curse upon someone or something; a curse; slander
maledictory.adjective

Middle Ages
period in Europe dating from the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, around the 5th century, to the 15th century (see 'Rome, History of' in Encarta).Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

muddle, muddled, muddling, muddles.verbs
transitive use-to make turbid or muddy; to mix confusedly; jumble; to confuse or befuddle (the mind); to confuse; to mismanage or bungle
intransitive use-to think, act, or proceed in a confused or aimless manner (muddled his way through school)
muddle.noun
a disordered condition; a mess or jumble; mental confusion
phrasal verb-'muddle through' to push on to a favorable outcome in a disorganized way
muddler.noun

modest.adjective
having or showing a moderate estimation of one's own talents, abilities and value; having or proceeding from a disinclination to call attention to oneself; retiring or diffident; shy; observing conventional proprieties in speech, behavior, or dress; free from showiness or ostentation; unpretentious; plain; moderate or limited in size, quantity, or range; not extreme (a modest price); a newspaper with a modest circulation
modestly.adverb

modesty.noun
the state or quality of being modest; reserve or propriety in speech, dress or behavior; lack of pretentiousness; simplicity

meek, meeker, meekest.adjectives
showing patience and humility; gentle; easily imposed on; submissive
meekly.adverb

malevolent.adjective
having or exhibiting ill will; wishing harm to others; malicious; having an evil or harmful influence
malevolently.adverb

malevolence.noun
the quality or state of being malevolent; malicious behavior

malignant.adjective
showing great malevolence; disposed to do evil; highly injurious; pernicious
malignantly.adverb

malefic.adjective
having or exerting a malignant influence; evil; malicious

makeshift.noun
a temporary or expedient substitute for something else
makeshift.adjective
suitable as a temporary or expedient substitute (used a rock as a makeshift hammer)

Emperor Marcus Aurelius
wrote Meditations, a classic work of stoicism
He ruled the Roman Empire from 161 to 180. His reign was marked by epidemics and frequent wars along the empire's frontiers. A champion of the poor, Marcus Aurelius reduced the tax burden while founding schools, hospitals and orphanages. A Stoic, Marcus Aurelius believed that a moral life leads to tranquility and that moderation and acceptance improve the quality of one's life. Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.