Introduction
There is a popular myth that no great genius can exist without a dash of lunacy. The history of genius is littered with the names of disturbed minds. For instance, one of the most distinguished artists of all time, Vincent van Gogh, was believed to be bipolar: after slicing off his ear later, he committed suicide. Nikolai Tesla, fascinated with the number three and its components, required rooms divisible by three and had the habit of circling a building three times before entering. Scholarly perceptions of the relationship between creativity and insanity range from believing that mental illness enhances creativity to assuming that genius and lunacy have no relation. The difficulties of determining whether there is a nexus between genius and insanity need to be explored. This paper discusses and analyzes the connection between mental illness and creativity. It is possible to hypothesize that the slightest mental illness directly correlates with creativity rather than a severe mental disorder.
Discussion
The examples from history show that many geniuses could not adapt to the norms of society, which made them strange or even insane in the eyes of others. Even though not all of them were diagnosed with mental issues, most people could feel the difference between the routine majority and the strange minority. This gap between most people and knowledgeable individuals shows that geniuses are odd in society, but the reasons that determine this difference are unclear. The main question is whether one phenomenon is responsible for the other’s occurrence, or do they share similar factors like the inability to adapt to rigid social norms that impose restrictions on normality.
I have a particular interest in this topic because I suffer from A.D.H.D. (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). I was always perplexed about how I was the only member of my family to be diagnosed. This situation motivated me to begin researching mental health, and then I discovered that I was not alone. I am far from a genius, but I am curious about which geniuses throughout history have had the same disorder and how they dealt with it daily. Perhaps, it might help me find ways to realize my potential and pursue my goals.
The critical detail is that no official data connects severe mental illnesses with unique talents and creativity because mental issues lead to problems with social adaptation. Mental health problems such as insanity cause higher creativity ambiguity. This correlation appears to be supported by history and anecdotes, which creates the illusion that insanity is the side-effect of extraordinary talents. Nonetheless, accounts do not necessarily equate to proof, and correlation does not always imply causation. Mental illness is associated with an abnormal way of thinking that is original and different from the norm, and from this point of view, it stimulates genius. The critical detail is that psychologists can officially diagnose severe mental illnesses and do not allow people to express their original thoughts and usually live. It will let us assume that only mild differences in absolute mental health can initially stimulate talented people to think (Dietrich 1). Therefore, most brilliant minds are not mentally ill, and many mentally ill individuals are not intelligent. Instead of it, creativity is a sign of mental health rather than mental illness.
Mental health allows people to be creative because this state requires emotional stability and active cognitive functions. People with diagnosed mental problems cannot work for a comparatively long time to express their creativity, even if they have original ideas. It is possible to illustrate this hypothesis with the results of surveys. For instance, the research on the impact of mental illnesses and health on the academic performance of high school students shows that mental health has a substantial effect on creativity. Boys and girls in highly creative groups have better mental health than boys and girls in lower creative groups (Viswanath, Janardhan and Viswanatha 1109). Friedman, Director of The Mental Health Association of New York City, agrees with these statements and argues that it is more intriguing to investigate the controversial concept that creativity contributes to psychological health rather than the conventional belief that insanity or mental diseases contribute to creativity (Friedman 39). Therefore, the connection between the state of mental health and the level of creativity exists, but mental illnesses and even slight problems with the cognitive sphere decrease the creativity level significantly.
At the same time, not all scholars agree with the claim that mentally ill people have lower creative potential compared to mentally healthy individuals. According to Chessick, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University, psychoanalysis of the neurotic dispute shows that the creative capacities of the speakers are typically enhanced (5). Mental disorders do not have predetermined sets of psychological components, and the problems are caused mainly by various biological conditions (Chessick 5). Hare, a former Director-General of Hospitals in Bengal and British surgeon, establishes the connection between genius and insanity and the various aspects of intellectuals. He discusses the likelihood of mental illness in those with creative abilities and higher achievements, along with the parallels between schizophrenia and talented minds (Hare 1587). It assumes that many researchers support the correlation between mental illnesses and increased creativity.
The critical detail is that the manifestations of the mental illness should not be severe to boost creativity. Both insanity and genius are radical states of the human mind, making them similar (Armstrong-Jones 156). Baas, Associate Professor of Organizational Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, examines the probable link between both the probability of psychopathology and creativity. Observes a meta-analytic result that clarifies why and when certain psychopathologies, and their proclivities, are related to increased or decreased creative thinking (Baas 668). Nicholas, the author of three acclaimed classical music reference manuals and the historian of pianist-composer Leopold Godowsky, delves into the complicated relationship between musical creativity and mental health. He argues in the bibliography “Genius at a Price” that there is a perception that ‘no great genius without some touch of madness’ (Nicholas 14). These examples support the idea that mental illness and creativity have similar signs.
Conclusion
To conclude, the opinions concerning the correlation between insanity and genius are biased. The researchers have different views on mental illness and mental health in the context of creative potential. From one point of view, mental health allows people to show their creative power and realize it because their minds are stable. From another point of view, when the signs of mental illness are not severe, the person shows more creativity due to the original way of thinking. In both cases, society usually perceives geniuses as strange people, making them different from the popular perception of normality. Talented people acquire the characteristics that make them similar to mentally ill individuals because they can think creatively.
Works Cited
Armstrong-Jones, Robert. “The Relation of Genius to Insanity.” Sociological Review (1908-1952), vol. 7, no. 2, 1914, pp. 156–63.
Baas, Matthijs, et al. “Mad Genius Revisited: Vulnerability to Psychopathology, Biobehavioral Approach-Avoidance, and Creativity.” Psychological Bulletin, vol. 142, no. 6, 2016, pp. 668–92.
Dietrich, Arne. “The Mythconception of the Mad Genius.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 5, 2014.
Chessick, Richard D. “Emotional Illness and Creativity: A Psychoanalytic Perspective.” Harvard Mental Health Letter, vol. 16, no. 9, 2000, p. 5.
Friedman, Michael B. “Creativity and Psychological Well-Being.” Contemporary Readings in Law & Social Justice, vol. 6, no. 2, 2014, pp. 39–58.
Hare, Edward. “Creativity and Mental Illness.” British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Edition), vol. 295, no. 6613, 1987, p. 1587.
Nicholas, Jeremy. “Genius at a Price.” International Piano, no. 46, 2017, p. 14.
Viswanath, K., K. Janardhan Reddy, and S. Viswanatha Reddy. “Effect of Mental Health on Creativity.” Indian Journal of Health & Wellbeing, vol. 6, no. 11, pp. 1109–13.