Article
The article discusses autistic savants (it would be a real stretch to call them "geniuses," as the article sometimes does). What piques my curiosity is not their extraordinary abilities but their personalities that allow these abilities to flourish -- specifically, their disregard for social pressures, competition, etc. Though many autistic savants have interest in only very narrow topics, I find them interesting. They seem to have the kind of single-minded focus advocated by the QRS, though they don't direct themselves to the same end.
Autism and genius
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David Quinn
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Yes, I think that great spiritual thinkers are a little bit autistic, if such a medical condition exists, in that they are genetically predisposed towards single-mindedness, logical thought, unsociableness, love of solitude, etc. The main difference between these types and fully-fledged austic people, however, is that the latter don't seem to be in control of their lives. Their mental functioning is over-energetic, almost random, and, like little babies, extremely prone to distraction. They don't seem to have the capacity to sit down and reflect on what they should value and where they should direct their lives. They are basically just hanging on and passively going along for the ride.
This relates to a similar issue, that of the supposed "fine line" between genius and madness. This is one of those myths that non-geniuses and the mentally-ill like to perpetuate, for obvious self-serving reasons. The gap between genius and madness is actually very large.
Although both geniuses and mentally-ill people both have the capacity to leave conventional thought-processes behind and think outside the box, they preciptate this from opposite ends of the spectrum. As with autistic people, mentally-ill people have no real control over their minds. Their unconventional behaviours are primarily driven by fear, anxiety, despair, chemical imbalances, etc, whereas genius is primarily a product of conscious will and single-minded desire for truth.
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This relates to a similar issue, that of the supposed "fine line" between genius and madness. This is one of those myths that non-geniuses and the mentally-ill like to perpetuate, for obvious self-serving reasons. The gap between genius and madness is actually very large.
Although both geniuses and mentally-ill people both have the capacity to leave conventional thought-processes behind and think outside the box, they preciptate this from opposite ends of the spectrum. As with autistic people, mentally-ill people have no real control over their minds. Their unconventional behaviours are primarily driven by fear, anxiety, despair, chemical imbalances, etc, whereas genius is primarily a product of conscious will and single-minded desire for truth.
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Most autistic people have the psychological blueprint of small children. They've been classically defined as "overly logical, having no emotion", but they're a lot more emotional than people think, and this becomes clear if you ever try to communicate with them on the internet. The "autism culture" displays a very feminised perspective, from my observation.Although both geniuses and mentally-ill people both have the capacity to leave conventional thought-processes behind and think outside the box, they preciptate this from opposite ends of the spectrum. As with autistic people, mentally-ill people have no real control over their minds. Their unconventional behaviours are primarily driven by fear, anxiety, despair, chemical imbalances, etc, whereas genius is primarily a product of conscious will and single-minded desire for truth.
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MKFaizi
Interesting article. It will be interesting to see what becomes of Matt. I rather doubt that he will be a musical genius but I could be wrong. If I was his parent, I would neither encourage nor discourage him. I would not make a big deal out of it. It does not take a genius to know what happens to most prodigies.
Interesting that the best things the studied Termites produced were K-rations and "I Love Lucy." At least, that's something but a far cry from what was expected.
I have known one person with true Tourettes Syndrome. Despite how it is widely diagnosed today, I think real Tourettes is rare. The man I knew constantly grimaced and gesticulated involuntarily. The last that I knew of him -- many years ago -- this problem had been relieved greatly when he became a Buddhist.
When my daughter was about eight, a neurologist tried to tell me that she had Tourettes and echolalia. Having known someone with Tourettes, I declined that diagnosis. He said that she had echolalia because she mocked everything he said.
I am not convinced that Samuel Johnson had Tourettes because he liked making various barnyard noises. He may have just enjoyed mooing or clucking or baa-ing occasionally.
Faizi
Interesting that the best things the studied Termites produced were K-rations and "I Love Lucy." At least, that's something but a far cry from what was expected.
I have known one person with true Tourettes Syndrome. Despite how it is widely diagnosed today, I think real Tourettes is rare. The man I knew constantly grimaced and gesticulated involuntarily. The last that I knew of him -- many years ago -- this problem had been relieved greatly when he became a Buddhist.
When my daughter was about eight, a neurologist tried to tell me that she had Tourettes and echolalia. Having known someone with Tourettes, I declined that diagnosis. He said that she had echolalia because she mocked everything he said.
I am not convinced that Samuel Johnson had Tourettes because he liked making various barnyard noises. He may have just enjoyed mooing or clucking or baa-ing occasionally.
Faizi