The fine line between genius and insanity

Post Reply New Topic

"Most people inherit a version of a gene that optimizes their brain's thinking circuitry, yet also appears to increase risk for schizophrenia......Normally, enhanced cortex connectivity with the striatum would provide increased flexibility, working memory capacity and executive control. But if other genes and environmental events conspire to render the cortex incapable of handling such information, it could backfire -- resulting in the neural equivalent of a superhighway to a dead-end."


the study
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ ... 020707.php

the news
http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2007/02/ ... sanity.php

I thought this was interesting and wanted to see different comments on the article and the study summary from NIMH.

Both genius and insanity can develop viewpoints that are original, very strange and upsetting to a good many people. Human thought advances when it can encompass new ways of thinking about old perceptions. Many of these new ways can be dangerous and disorienting. A few can change the world.

Genius is worth the risk. As long as one is insane and not dangerous to the neighborhood, what is wrong with insanity. Crazy people have produced most of the progress of the human race.

I wish I were crazier than I am. Sanity is such a bore.

ruveyn

To be aware of things and relationships that other people are not may make life richer but it can also make life very lonely and frightening. Many things that ordinary people accept without thinking are extremely disturbing to sensitive people. Many geniuses and people considered insane attempt and succeed at suicide. Very frequently it is not a happy life to be extraordinary and in many cases the misery overwhelms the gift.

ha! interesting. my brother had a genius level IQ before he turned schizophrenic at 18.

I've heard before that schizophrenia is related to genes that have more recently entered the gene pool that maximize our energy efficiency, so this does not seem *too* surprising.

I read about this in "The Evolving Brain" by R. Grant Steen.

http://www.amazon.com/Evolving-Brain-R- ... 1591024803

Manic depression also goes hand in hand with genius. I think that since autistics have a 10% chance of having genius ability compared to 2% of the NT (may include undiagnosed aspies) we are also a part of this phenomenon.