Many people who are renowned as geniuses, were thought to have or were found to have some sort of mental handicap. When Albert Einstein was little, his parents and teachers thought that he was mentally challenged because he wouldn't pay attention in class or do the classwork. It ended up that it was because he was so bored. Antonin Artaud, who came up with theatre of cruelty, was thought of as a genius in his time. However, it turns out that he had schizophrenia, was diagnosed with psychosis in his later years, and was put in various sanatoriums throughout his life.
Some incredibly smart people are that way because of a disorder; psychopathy. It is most commonly thought that psychopathy is caused by dysfunction of certain areas in the brain. The most well known symptoms of this illness are lack of empathy, narcissism, limited range of emotions, impulsivity, and antisocial behavior.
"But, why are you calling psychopaths 'incredibly smart'?" you may wonder. Well, many psychopaths go through life without knowing and/or revealing that they have the disorder. You have to have a significant level of smarts to be able to blend in so well with society when you are dealing with such a mental illness. Most of the time, psychopaths are "found out" only when they commit a crime. However, not all psychopaths are violent criminals (which is a common misconception); some of them are CEOs of successful companies, while others are fathers of happy families. As much as I should fear violently inclined psychopaths, I have a certain amount of respect for those people who are able to overcome problems that their mental illness may create, and instead create for themselves a prosperous and happy life.
So, don't underestimate people you may look down on for being different, socially awkward, or mentally handicapped, they might be a genius in disguise. Next time you pass Choo-Choo (the one of famed flatulence, a.k.a. Jacob Rajlich) in the hallway, you may want to respond to his greeting with less exasperation and more awe.
This is a great post, Ella. I feel like people are always a little freaked out by others who are different from them (especially after watching movies and novels starring crazy psychopathic killers) and need to realize that they can't make judgements about an entire group of people without looking at the entire picture, looking at the people who can deal with their disability and those who can't deal with it all the time.
ReplyDeletewhats really funny about this is that I just spent my free period with Jacob. We were watching happy wheels :D. Your blog has a very important message, especially at our school. Great post.
ReplyDelete