The Fine Line Between Madness & Genius
Discussion
I watched an interview of Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the internet) on Bloomberg at the weekend. Seemed to me that the Gentleman is more than a little "odd" - perhaps Aspergers, Bi-Polar or something?
That got me thinking about other people I know who wouldn't be considered to be "normal". One is client who's a sub-contractor for DARPA who is definitely on the spectrum although excellent in his field, and a colleague who's Bi-Polar who has a very high level of intelligence but is a serious problem when the meds aren't managed well. Many other examples too.
So I wondered whether it actually takes people who are "different" to significantly advance human knowledge, and that "normal" people (like me) contribute very little.
Any thoughts or examples?
That got me thinking about other people I know who wouldn't be considered to be "normal". One is client who's a sub-contractor for DARPA who is definitely on the spectrum although excellent in his field, and a colleague who's Bi-Polar who has a very high level of intelligence but is a serious problem when the meds aren't managed well. Many other examples too.
So I wondered whether it actually takes people who are "different" to significantly advance human knowledge, and that "normal" people (like me) contribute very little.
Any thoughts or examples?
I think there are many on there standard spectrum who contribute as much as those who are different.
That being said, I have met a number of the best known people in the the tech world in direct business meetings and the most successful are quite often trending to Aspergers- I think the term "nerd" is often really referring to Aspergers people. Impatient, impolite, no eye contact, excitable are some of the things I observed compared to what we see as the "normal " people.
That being said, I have met a number of the best known people in the the tech world in direct business meetings and the most successful are quite often trending to Aspergers- I think the term "nerd" is often really referring to Aspergers people. Impatient, impolite, no eye contact, excitable are some of the things I observed compared to what we see as the "normal " people.
Al Gorithum said:
I watched an interview of Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the internet) on Bloomberg at the weekend. Seemed to me that the Gentleman is more than a little "odd" - perhaps Aspergers, Bi-Polar or something?
That got me thinking about other people I know who wouldn't be considered to be "normal". One is client who's a sub-contractor for DARPA who is definitely on the spectrum although excellent in his field, and a colleague who's Bi-Polar who has a very high level of intelligence but is a serious problem when the meds aren't managed well. Many other examples too.
So I wondered whether it actually takes people who are "different" to significantly advance human knowledge, and that "normal" people (like me) contribute very little.
Any thoughts or examples?
How would you tell from an interview if someone was bipolar, unless they said they were? Aspergers or autistic maybe possible.That got me thinking about other people I know who wouldn't be considered to be "normal". One is client who's a sub-contractor for DARPA who is definitely on the spectrum although excellent in his field, and a colleague who's Bi-Polar who has a very high level of intelligence but is a serious problem when the meds aren't managed well. Many other examples too.
So I wondered whether it actually takes people who are "different" to significantly advance human knowledge, and that "normal" people (like me) contribute very little.
Any thoughts or examples?
If you want a close to home example of madness vs genius just go to the bit of the forum where the guy has spent 10 years building a Lexspace. Or when mwstewart built the worlds best fiesta.
No one needed these, they are mad, but you can’t argue that the respective builders are anything other than geniuses to see the projects through.
On the flip side there’s that weird thread that pops up every now and again from the Eastern European dude that keeps saying he’s re-invented the combustion engine. He’s insane.
No one needed these, they are mad, but you can’t argue that the respective builders are anything other than geniuses to see the projects through.
On the flip side there’s that weird thread that pops up every now and again from the Eastern European dude that keeps saying he’s re-invented the combustion engine. He’s insane.
I often find in the world of inventing there are those who are genuinely good inventors, they have an idea and find a way to make it work. Sometimes it's desirable other times it's not. Sometimes the same person can do both, think Clive Sinclair with the spectrum and the C5.
Then you get the salesman inventors, Musk has to be the ultimate example, they come up with a load of ideas, some stick, some don't. They are basically the first person but they have more drive and ability to sell their product. If Musk came up with the C5 the teslerati would be falling over themselves to buy it whether it was any good or not.
Then you have the charlatans and nutters. They sometimes believe in their product, but all too often they just want to take a quick buck from a few gullible investors, disappear and reroll when the cash runs out. Plenty of them too. The nutters are the ones who genuinely believe in it, see perpetual motion machines, engines running on water, snake oils etc.
Then you get the salesman inventors, Musk has to be the ultimate example, they come up with a load of ideas, some stick, some don't. They are basically the first person but they have more drive and ability to sell their product. If Musk came up with the C5 the teslerati would be falling over themselves to buy it whether it was any good or not.
Then you have the charlatans and nutters. They sometimes believe in their product, but all too often they just want to take a quick buck from a few gullible investors, disappear and reroll when the cash runs out. Plenty of them too. The nutters are the ones who genuinely believe in it, see perpetual motion machines, engines running on water, snake oils etc.
John Deloran was another. Complete lack of (genuine) empathy, narcissistic to levels off the chart....
I've long thought that Senna displayed traits that would today be recognised as being on the spectrum at some degree.
If the subject is of interest, I highly recommend Jon Ronson's book 'The Psychopath Test' which looks at wether there is need to poses psychopathic traits to succeed in politics, business, etc..
I've long thought that Senna displayed traits that would today be recognised as being on the spectrum at some degree.
If the subject is of interest, I highly recommend Jon Ronson's book 'The Psychopath Test' which looks at wether there is need to poses psychopathic traits to succeed in politics, business, etc..
There are plenty of savants that were happily not mad or prone to trouserlessness.
Statistics will tell us that the percentage of eggheads, nerds, inventors, scientists,
writers, academics, crossword compilers will have developmental disorders,
statistics will also tell us the vast majority don't .
While it's correct to point out that e.g. AlanTuring probably had Aspergers,
the majority of his equally brilliant colleagues at Bletchley Park did not have
such or similar conditions.
Statistics will tell us that the percentage of eggheads, nerds, inventors, scientists,
writers, academics, crossword compilers will have developmental disorders,
statistics will also tell us the vast majority don't .
While it's correct to point out that e.g. AlanTuring probably had Aspergers,
the majority of his equally brilliant colleagues at Bletchley Park did not have
such or similar conditions.
My cousin got some award from Cambridge, he got double 1sts, took A levels around age 14 and got something like 9 A’s. He went on to edit FHM magazine and published some books…he was known as a boy genius….had a proper break down and now runs retreats based around mindfulness, I am pretty sure he is on some spectrum.
He has been offered pills to make life more normal for him but doesn’t feel he should dull his main thoughts etc.
He has been offered pills to make life more normal for him but doesn’t feel he should dull his main thoughts etc.
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