"The Irish really and truly have a better craic than any other nation."

That's all well and good, but what exactly is a craic? From the looks of it, the 'ai' bit should be pronounced like the long 'a' in cray cray, and from the context that seems to be the meaning you have for it. If that's the case, I'm not entirely sure that having the most craziness is a particularly utilitarian trait. Alaskans, amongst whom I was raised, have a fair share of it, and the depths of depravity they get up to in the wintry woods during several months of endless night isn't fit to be mentioned in good company, to be honest.

I count myself fortunate that the discomfort of a morning after a right bender quite put me off such excesses early on, which I am certain sure saved me from substantial regrets apt and durable. Even my relative sobriety didn't prevent me starting awake at 3 am from cringing at my exuberant idiocy during my youth to this very day.

I suppose there's two ways to look at it. One is to be properly humble after having demonstrated one's willingness to abandon reason and good sense by participating in stunningly foolish shenanigans, and the other is to acclaim the even more acraiced (if that's proper use and grammar for the expression) as even more stunning and brave, and deserving of midnight cringes.

I have heard that wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from foolishness. Since playing the fool has copiously availed me of humility, I account humility the foundation of wisdom. You'd think the Irish would be the humblest of folk in that case, but here you are, bragging it up. I am reminded of Ben Franklin, considered the sagest of American Founding Fathers, whom wrote a letter to his adult son explaining why he'd failed to achieve his lifelong goal of embodying the seven virtues, one of which he accounted humility. He said that he had to abandon his quest to be humble when he realized that if he ever achieved proper humility, he'd be proud of it.

Thanks!