genius and/or madness

[coggles]

Do you think that most geniuses are mad or most mad people are geniuses - is there a difference?

[anthomson]

Maybe some geniuses are eccentric but I think this is different from madness. They just have a different set of priorites to the rest of us. This is probably because they find it more difficult to identify with anything outside of their specialist field. I can't think of any genius who was regarded as being mad although I am sure somebody will put me right.

[answerbok]

idiot savants, as portrayed in movie Rainman quite phenomenal at one task usually math, basketcase in all other areas.. oh, and me, hi iq, headless chicken otherwise. :-)

[wildwood]

Couldn't agree more with all of the above. Saw a documentary a few days ago on a scientist who has devoted his life to the research of the giant squid. His enthusiasm is certainly eccentric and could be viewed as madness by some. He freely admitted that he would be no good at scrabble or trivia because of his tunnel vision on his work.

[TRINITY]

oops my post went to bikini wax so sorry dear. I livw with a genius/profound desingber also classed as a schizophrenic. To me we all mad, we all talk in our heads but the genius is gifted but pegged as we were talkin abour in the first man clause colour/genius we all get peg holed sad really geius' are different because they can see things we can't just like autisitics I guess.

[David H]

The formula for geniuses appearing mad is: They are aware of more things than most people, and when combined with their often increased sensitivity can then be more affected by things as they are relatively overwhelmed with information. Then, because their understanding of many things that would pass over other people is very hard to explain to others, it may be assumed by some that, just because they don't make sense to them they must be mad. But the madness is genius theory can't work, as a genius can usually understand another one, but a genius (or anyone else) will ever understand a mad person as they are not relating to the shared reality or logic but one of their own.